The Fiery Gizzard trail near Tracy City Tennessee is one of the premier hikes of the Southeast and has been listed by Backpacker Magazine as one of the top 25 hikes in the United States.
Dramatic waterfalls, scenic views and astounding rock formations reward those willing to take on the challenging terrain and distance required to complete this hike. The seriousness is reflected in signage posted by the managing authority warning people in several places not to overestimate their ability.
The odd name comes from the American Gizzard Shad fish that populated the stream which runs along the trail. The previous turbulent nature of the water is thought to have given rise to the 'fiery' preface.
Much of the area including the trail was tended to by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in the 1930's. A monument to honor their memory and service stands in the trailhead parking lot of the Grundy Forest State Natural Area. Our day's adventure began at first light. With the early morning temperature below freezing we very much appreciated the heated bathrooms!
The entire Fiery Gizzard is a point-to-point trail that runs 12 1/2 miles from the north trailhead at Grundy Forest to the south entry point at Foster Falls campground. To avoid setting up a car shuttle we elected to do a loop by going south halfway on the Fiery Gizzard trail to Ravens Point then returning north on the Dog Hole trail.
AllTrails data shows this loop as 9.6 miles but my Garmin GPS recorded a total close to 11.6 miles. Some of that might be due to GPS drift but the almost 8 hr trip suggests the real distance is somewhere in between.
This is truly an all-day experience with moments to stop, explore and ponder at almost every turn. Almost immediately upon crossing the first bridge you come upon the "Chmineys", rock towers that are just begging to be climbed.
All along there are overhangs, moss covered walls, waterfalls and icicle-draped walls.
The Fiery Gizzard portion of the hike is characterized by numerous 'boulder fields' which consist of watermelon sized rocks. Other challenges are significant roots on steep trail sections. These obstacles really give your stabilizer muscles a workout!
Bright sunshine, clear blue skies, an expansive vista, warm lunch and hot coffee were well deserved rewards at Ravens Point.
The return trip along Dog Hole trail was much easier in terms of terrain. The path was more of a standard single track trail with few obstacles. There was much to see along the way back including an abandoned 50's or 60's era Plymouth. We couldn't surmise how it got there, no roads or even wide paths were anywhere to be found. In addition it seemed to have been almost completely stripped down with even the engine removed.
Dog Hole trail runs predominantly along the top of the ridge from Ravens Point so there were many view points to gaze down on from whence we came. The trail eventually drops back down to meet up with Fiery Gizzard with one last waterfall before the climb back up to the starting point.
A great day and great hike!
