Trail Lenth
11 miles
Snow Falls Trail
Laurel Snow State Natural Area
Route Type
Out & Back
Elevation Gain
1,500 feet
Skill Level
Moderate
Pet Friendly
Yes on leash
This is a guest post by my friend and fellow outdoor enthusiast Sarah Swainson. When she’s not outside hiking, Sarah is a very talented wedding and adventure photographer based out of Chattanooga, Tennessee. To view Sarah’s work or contact her, please click here.
*This trail description includes the extra 1 mile hike to Buzzard Point.*
The Snow Falls trail, with the option to see Buzzard Point, is an 11 mile out and back trail (10 miles if you skip Buzzard Point) that is accessed from within Laurel Snow State Natural Area in Dayton, TN. This trail offers beautiful views of the TN valley as well as a secluded waterfall and a cool 150ft bridge. The trail is pretty well maintained and marked with white blazes, but it is important to pay attention to make sure you stay on the trail as certain sections make abrupt turns even though it looks like you would keep going straight. Other than one section of intense elevation gain the trail isn’t too difficult, but due to the length of the trail, it might not be for everyone (beginners should check out the nearby Laurel Falls ).
The easiest way to access the trail is to park in the main parking lot at Laurel Snow State Natural Area, which is about 1 mile in from the sign at the entrance. It’s a really pretty area, especially in the spring/summer when everything is in bloom. Many people come here just to swim in the creek, so it may be a little crowded at the start of the trail, but after you get to about the 1.5/2.0 mile mark the number of people decreases significantly.
The trail starts off right next to the parking lot, is rather flat to begin with, and runs parallel to Richland Creek. At only the 0.2 mile mark you will see the first of many interesting sights along this trail – the entrance to an old mining tunnel. While it’s dangerous to go inside the tunnel, it’s still a cool sight to see and worth walking up to check it out.
As you keep walking down the trail (following the white trail markers) you will see other signs of previous mining activity in the area as well as cross a few small bridges. At about the 0.8 mile mark, there is a slight split in the trail but you’ll want to stay to the left following the white markers. Just a tad bit up the trail there is a spot on the left where you can walk down onto a large rock for a nice view of the creek and a mini waterfall if you want to stop for a minute and grab a drink and/or a snack.
At mile 1.2 the trail abruptly turns to the right – you will easily miss this if you aren’t paying attention because the trail does continue straight for a few hundred feet before it dead ends. The sharp right turn will take you slightly uphill as you continue to follow the white trail markers (there are places along the trail where people have tried to cut their own paths, but please try to stick to the designated path). After walking through the forest for another 0.5 miles (mile 1.7) you will come across a long metal bridge that crosses over a flowing creek, it’s a really beautiful sight if you start your hike early in the day and come upon this bridge right as the sun starts to shine through the trees. At the end of the bridge you’ll take a right and hike over some rocks to reach a fork in the path.
The fork will have a sign with an arrow pointing left for Snow Falls and one point righting for Laurel Falls. Take a left towards Snow Falls. Shortly after making the left turn for Snow Falls there will be another fork in the path, you’ll want to stay to the right as the left path leads to a small campground.
At mile 2.1 you will go around a large boulder where a 150ft bridge awaits on the other side. It looks a little rusty but it is perfectly safe. Continue following the trail markers as you enjoy the forest scenery and the sound of the creek flowing in the background. You’ll gain a little elevation after crossing the bridge but go back down again before you start the main section of elevation gain.
At mile 2.5 the trail turns sharply to the right again and this is where you will begin a one mile ascent to the top of the ridge via switchbacks – again, there are some places where it looks like people have tried to cut through the woods to make the hike shorter, but please try to stay on the designated trail. Once you get to the top, after passing through a short, rocky passageway you will come to a three-way junction (~ mile 3.5)
[If you wish to visit Buzzard Point (which I highly recommend) you can go left or straight at the junction and they will both lead to an old dirt road – take a left on the old dirt road and it will come out to Buzzard Point, which offers incredible views of the TN valley. Visiting Buzzard Point adds on about a mile total (0.5 from the junction to the overlook, 0.5 back) of extra distance but is highly worth it. To get back to the main trail just return the way you came until you reach the three-way junction again.]
To continue on towards Snow Falls you will want to follow the trail to the right (to the left if you’re returning from Buzzard Point) that goes along the ridge line. At mile 4.0 the trail opens up to an area with telephone towers and a rocky path. You’ll continue straight, following the white trail markers/orange ties to return to the forest path.
At mile 4.4 you’ll cross an ATV road but continue straight to follow the trail – remember to pay attention, the trail isn’t super well marked at this point and there are a few side trails that could be confused for the main one. A short while later you should begin to hear water and at mile 4.8 you will have to cross a wide, but typically shallow creek.
Shortly after crossing you will come to a section where the trail spreads out into multiple trails, but they pretty much all lead to the falls. Just continue to head towards the sound of rushing water and you should find it just fine. The view from the top of the falls is ok, but it’s pretty easy to get down the bottom so you have a better view and
can get in the water, which is much more rewarding after almost 5 miles of hiking.
Once you’ve spent some time relaxing at the falls and are ready to head back, you’ll just follow the same path that you took to reach the falls. However, if you didn’t visit Buzzard Point on the way to the falls, it’s worth the extra distance if you have time to stop on your way back.
PROS:
- Amazing fiews of the TN valley from Buzzard Point
- Hikers are sparse past the 2 mile mark of the trail
- Pet friendly (pets must be on leashes)
- Many places to get in the water to cool off
- Often times you’ll have Snow Falls to yourself
- Multiple hiking trails to choose from
- Several great places to camp overnight
CONS:
- The trail can be tricky to follow in certain sections
- Most of the elevation gain happens in a one mile section of switchbacks
- The parking area can get crowded from people doing the shorter hikes or swimming in the creek (get there early in the day to avoid this)
