Trail Review: Bay Point Loop Trail at Harrison Bay
Harrison Bay State Park is a beautiful state park only 25 minutes from downtown Cleveland. Harrison Bay became the first Tennessee State Park in 1937. Located in Hamilton County, the park name is derived from a large bay at the main channel of the Tennessee River that covers the old town of Harrison, and the last Cherokee Campground, according to the state park website. The parklands are historically significant because the Cherokee Campground consisted of three villages which were ruled by one of the last great Cherokee Chieftains.
If you like to mountain bike, boat, swim, kayak, camp, trail run, or hike, this park is for you! On a warm May Saturday, I headed over to Harrison Bay with my trail running shoes and my kayak for a hot, sunny day outside! I ran the Bay Point Loop Trail, which is marked as 4.3 miles, but my GPS said it was only 3.8 miles. To access the trailhead, take a left at the Y inside the park and head toward the visitor center and marina. Pass the boat put-in and the trailhead is on your right. There is plenty of parking right at the trailhead, as well as a trash can and some park information.
The Bay Point Loop Trail is a mostly-flat trail that is right by the water almost the entire time! The trails are similar in difficulty to Johnston Woods trails, mostly single-track with occasional roots and rocks. I loved that the trail was near the water because I caught cool breeze even though it was 80+ degrees outside! The dense tree cover also provides lots of shade. There were dogs, mountain bikes, and runners on this trail, but it never felt crowded. The trail didn't seem to cross any other trails, so following the red blazes on the trees was easy. I stopped to take a few pictures along the way, and at 3.8 miles I was pleasantly surprised to be done already!
The entire loop only has 125 feet of ascent in elevation, so it's a relatively flat trail. There were two parts of the trail that were on a wooden boardwalk to keep people raised off the low lying muddy areas, but they were really well maintained and easy to navigate.
I love that there are other outdoor activities to do at Harrison Bay that make the drive worthwhile. I followed up my run with a kayak on the water. Entrance to the park is free and it is much busier on weekends and in the summer.
I would highly recommend the Bay Point Loop Trail at Harrison Bay. I hope to visit again soon and try out mountain biking on this trail.