Hogskin Branch and Rogers Creek Overlook via CT - N Chickamauga Creek

This roughly 7 km / 4.3 mile outing in North Chickamauga Creek Gorge State Park is a good medium-grade hike for walkers who want a mix of creekside scenery, short but punchy climbing, and a rewarding overlook without committing to the full, much longer Cumberland Trail segment. The route is typically started from the Montlake Road Trailhead at 354 Montlake Road, Soddy-Daisy, Tennessee 37379, about 15 miles / 24 km north of downtown Chattanooga. Tennessee’s park information places the gorge access off US 27 via Thrasher Pike, Dayton Pike, and Montlake Road, and the Montlake Road trailhead address is published by Tennessee State Parks. (tn.gov)

From the trailhead, the path heads out on an old mining road and quickly reaches the Hogskin Loop junction at about 0.1 mile / 0.2 km. For a hike of around 7 km, the usual choice is to bear right on the Upper Loop, which climbs the escarpment more directly and avoids the steeper creekside ascent used by the Lower Loop. The first part of the walk gains height quickly, and although the total elevation gain is only around 200 metres / 656 feet, much of it is concentrated in short sections that can feel steeper than the overall numbers suggest. Expect uneven dirt, gravel, embedded rock, roots, and occasional slick stone, especially after rain. (cumberlandtrail.org)

What the route feels like

The opening climb rises through forest onto an old bench road created during the area’s coal-mining era. That gives this hike an interesting rhythm: short, energetic climbing followed by easier walking on old grades. Around 0.6 mile / 1 km, the Upper and Lower Hogskin routes reconnect, and beyond that the trail continues through a landscape shaped by both geology and industry. The Cumberland Trail Conservancy notes crossings of Hogskin Branch, old mine features, and the remains of a coal tipple farther along this corridor, so even on a shorter out-and-back or lollipop-style day hike you are moving through a place where natural gorge scenery and industrial history overlap closely. (cumberlandtrail.org)

If your version of the walk continues beyond the loop toward the overlook, the terrain becomes more varied. The trail passes beneath sandstone escarpments, over rocky tread, and through narrow spots before reaching elevated viewpoints over the gorge. One of the standout scenic points on this section of trail is Boston Branch Overlook, reached at about 2.0 miles / 3.2 km on the north-to-south Cumberland Trail description, where broad views open across North Chickamauga Creek Gorge toward Soddy-Daisy and the tributary ravines. On shorter hikes in this area, many walkers turn around at or before one of these overlook points to keep the total near 7 km. (cumberlandtrail.org)

Landmarks, scenery, and what to watch for

Hogskin Branch is one of the defining features early in the hike. Depending on recent rainfall, it may be a gentle rock-hop or a wet, slippery crossing that demands patience and careful foot placement. Tennessee State Parks specifically warns that the rock and boulder crossings here can be slick, and trekking poles are a smart choice if balance on wet stone is not your strength. (reserve.tnstateparks.com)

The wider North Chickamauga corridor is known for waterfalls, plunge pools, bluff lines, and deep creek scenery. AllTrails lists Hogskin Branch Waterfall among the notable sights in this section, along with other waterfalls and viewpoints farther out on the longer trail. Even if your route stays closer to the 7 km mark, you still get the character of the gorge: hemlock-lined drain