Haw Ridge Park

Distance: 28+ miles

Rating: moderate, technical (avoid when wet)
Elevation: 795' to 1140'
Surface: dirt
Restrictions: No motorized vehicles; closed 3 fall hunt weekends
Access: From I40, take 162 North toward Oak Ridge (Pellissippi Parkway). After crossing Melton Hill Lake take the first exit to TN 170, Edgemoor Rd heading east. See area map or MapQuest or Google map/topo. The main parking area is at the west end of the park at the kiosk in the last gravel lot 0.7 miles from 162 on right (south), get Google directions . Other trail heads are on Old Edgemoor Road, where the Anderson Country Life Development Center is located. There is limited parking at the east end of Old Edgemoor Road. The east end of Old Edgemoor Road is connected ("unimproved") with Oak Ridge's Melton Lake Greenway (0.6 miles). (If the lake level is higher than 794' then parts of this section are submerged.) This section will be paved as part of Melton Lake Greenway phase IV which will extend 8' asphalt from the bridge to the west end kiosk (2.2 miles).
Maps:

update of Chris Pyles trail map (jpg, 180k) 5/25/05
Chris Pyle's detailed map (pdf) 376KB (1/10/04) and hi-res jpg version 2.7MB (revised 1/10/04)
Joanne Grime's trail map (330K) 8/16/02
Dunigan's trail map(24K, revised 10/10/07)
topo map (100K, revised 10/1/02)
USGS Quadrangles: Clinton and Lovell
We have GPS waypoints (.gpx), maps, and driving directions for some of the trail heads at trail-head parking.
Jim Koehler's trail map over aerial image 8/02 (450K),
Google map/image/topo/terrain
View aerial image of Haw Ridge Park (zoom and pan)
In 2005, picnic tables were constructed along Red Shore Trail (Eagle scout project), and in 2008, a bench was installed along East Shore (City of Oak Ridge and Friends of Haw Ridge).
Geology of Haw Ridge Park
Haw Ridge wildflowers

Maps are usually available at the kiosk at the west parking area. There are numbered posts throughout the park and listed on several of the maps above. If you need emergency service, call the Oak Ridge Police at 425-4339. The Park is in Oak Ridge and Anderson County, a 911 call may go to Knox County.

In the fall 2007, the area is closed Nov 10-11, Dec 1-2, Dec 15-16 see deer hunt map.

Emergencies: Haw Ridge Park is in the Oak Ridge City limits (Anderson County). Your 911 calls may be fielded by Knox County. For emergency assistance, it is best to contact the Oak Ridge Police Department at 425-4339.

Description: Haw Ridge Park, across the lake from Bull Run steam plant, offers a variety of trails and former jeep roads for the hiker, trail runner, or experienced mountain biker. The 780-acre Park was a playground for jeeps and motorcycles until it was closed to motorized vehicles in the winter of 1987. Now it is a mountain biker's playground, offering roller-coaster like trails. The only entrance fee is the climb over Haw Ridge that greets you at each entry point. The west entrance is most popular but rocky for the first half mile. Once inside the park, you can test your thighs on steep, technical climbs, or test your nerves on descents with gradients in excess of 70 percent. Some trail sections have rocks, roots, and ruts. There are some scenic and relaxing 7.5 miles single-track trails along the shore of the lake, and if you would rather push than pedal, you can ride the trails along the western two thirds of the ridge line. Trail signs are color coded (green easy, blue intermediate, black hard), see trail summaries below.

Haw Ridge Park is an Oak Ridge City Park under the jurisdiction of the Parks and Recreation Office. The land was donated to the City by TVA in 1972, for recreational use only. The Park is used by hikers, joggers/trail runners, canoers (5 miles of shoreline, see Haw Ridge canoe trail and proposed Pellissippi Blueway), nordic skiers, geocachers, and horseback riders as well as mountain bikers. Volunteers perform trail maintenance and marking. You can help by joining the Friends of Haw Ridge. The Park is closed for deer hunting one weekend in November, and two weekends in December each year.

Pictures: Spring ride up the Saddle Trail and start of Twister and picnic point and Kris Lights photo album

Maintenance request and projects
If you find a problem (downed tree, erosion, etc) in the Park, please fill out this form. This page also describes areas needing work. We need your help! Don't build new trails or structures without approval from the City!. Thanks.

Upcoming Events 2008

National trail day, June 7
NORBA mountain bike race, June 15
trail run, 5 pm, August 8 (?)
mountain bike race, Hill of Truth, Nov 1 (?)
Completed in 2008:
shoreline cleanup, TVA river rescue, April 5, 9 am, kiosk
FOHR meeting, LDC, April 10, 7:30 pm
trail run, 8 am, April 13
FOHR meeting 7:30 pm @ LDC, January 10
SMHC hike, 9 am kiosk, January 20 and 9 am January 9
Tennessee Trails Association hike, February 17

Completed in 2007:

ultra trail run 50K, September 22, more info
FOHR meeting 7:30 pm @ LDC, October 11
12 hour race, October 27, race info part1 and part2 and race map (7M) or gif (200k) and results
Smoky Mountain Hiking club hike, Jan 21, 9 am
shoreline cleanup, March 31, 9 am, kiosk
FOHR meeting 7:30 pm @ LDC, July 12
trail run, August 3, 5:30 pm, more info and results

For info, results, pictures,etc. on past events visit HawRidge.org and join the Friends of Haw Ridge Park forum group there.

Developments

If you are concerned about the future of Haw Ridge Park or have suggestions for improving the Haw Ridge experience, visit Friends of Haw Ridge Park

Trail summaries (Rating colors: Easy Moderate Difficult ) (trail signs are color coded)

Trail	Miles	Description
Doug's trail	0.6	is actually a series of interconnecting fairly level single tracks in "middle earth".
East Edge trail	0.6	starts off of East Ridge trail across from Bull Run steam plant and edges along the shoreline til it rejoins East Ridge trail.
East Ridge trail	0.9	starts east from Rainbow and then climbs up the ridge and descends down KaBoom to the pavement at the eastern end of Old Edgemoor Rd.
East shore	1.3	goes east from the Silo along "side hill", sharing the trail with Rainbow to post 2. East shore follows the eastern shore of the Park and joins the East Ridge trail.
Easy trail	0.5	starts just west of five points off of Lake Rd and the trail out to Briar Loop and Red Hill. Easy trail is a fairly level single track that connects to the Power Line at post 5.
I trail	1.0	climbs steeply from Lake Road and winds back toward Middle Road with a steep descent and other steep climbs before exiting close to five points (post 4).
Jump loop	0.4	starts from the southern tip of the Power Line Road and swings back east. (unmaintained)
K2	0.4	climbs steeply from the jeep road from the LDC and then descends to Roller Coaster.
Lake Road	2.2	starts just east of the west parking area, crosses the creek and swings left toward the soccer fields before turning back west and climbing across the limestone. Lake Road crosses the ridge leaving the rocks and descending toward the lake. The double-wide trail runs easily til it climbs Red Hill. The Lake Road terminates at "five points" (post 4) on the power line.
Low gap trail	0.6	leave the northern end of Saddle Trail and climbs through a gap to descend down to Roller Coaster.
Mer trail	0.3	(aka, Skinny D) climbs from East Ridge trail up to the ridge line to a connector that joins the Power line Rd at post 1 to the East Ridge trail.
Middle Road	0.7	turns east off of Lake Road at post 8 and speeds to its junction with the power line at post 3.
Old Edgemoor Road	1.0	is an old, flat, dead-end, paved road connecting Edgemoor Road to the Lake and the Melton Lake greenway. Limited parking at west and east ends.
Pond trail	0.6	extends Southshore along the eastern shore of the park and along the dike around the pond (Isthmus trail), joining the Silo trail at post 12.
Power Line Road	1.6	starts at the bar gate at the farm on Old Edgemoor Road and climbs the Hill of Truth and then descends the red clay under the power line to the southern tip of Haw Ridge.
Rainbow	1.2	climbs from the Silo up the Devil's Staircase, around by Screamer (post 11), and then descends and climbs as it parallels the power line with several spurs that go west out to the power line. Rainbow terminates at the top of the Hill of Truth on the Power line road.
Red Hill	0.5	descends south off the top of Red Hill on Lake Road and crosses the logs over the swamp before winding its way to Briar loop and Easy trail. Post 6 provides another entry from Lake Road to the Red Hill trails.
Red Shore	0.7	runs along the shore line bypassing the Red Hill climbs, intersects Lake Road and Red Hill Trail, passes picnic point
Ridge trail	1.4	starts off of Lake Rd and follows the ridge of Haw Ridge with steep ridable descents including the Darwin trail and the K trail (0.3) at post 14. Ridge trail descends steeply to Roller Coaster.
Roller coaster	1.4	is an old motorcycle trail that climbs and descends on the south face of the ridge off of Middle Road.
Saddle trail	0.8	starts off of Old Edgemoor Rd. near the east end of the soccer fields. The trail climbs over the ridge at post 15 and descends into a lush creek bed, connecting with Middle Road at post 9.
Silo trail	0.3	heads east from five points (post 4) to the old farm silo.
Soccer trail	0.8	leaves the Lake Road and winds through cedars and hemlocks along the rock outcroppings at the north base of the ridge. The trail climbs above west pond and passes below east pond before joining the Saddle Trail.
South shore	0.8	starts at post 5 at the southern end of Easy trail and winds through cedars and beech trees along the southern shore of the Park.
Twister	0.4	drops to the south off of Lake Road and twists its way back to Lake Road.
V trail	0.6	climbs steeply from the Lake Road over the ridge (post 13) and descends lushly back to Lake Road at post 10.
West point	0.4	is a spur that leaves Lake Road and climbs steeply to a cedar barrens making a small loop out to the power line. Some large old cedars populate the cedar barrens.
West shore	0.9	trail edges around the shore line on the western point.

Here is waypoint file (.gpx) of trail posts. See EasyGPS.com.

There are several geocaches hiding in the Park. Can you find them with your GPS?

Current Oak Ridge weather and webcam, and recent hourly data and historical climate data.
Oak Ridge webcams or regional webcams

For more info on Oak Ridge, visit the Oak Ridge Visitors Bureau.

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