Audubon Acres has 5 miles of hiking trails. Most trails are short and interconnected so visitors can choose how long they want to spend. Most visitors allot 1-2 hours to explore, but may take more or less, depending on their preferences.
Popular Routes
Creek Loop (1.0 mi)
This peaceful loop takes you on a flat, pretty walk alongside the South Chickamauga Creek. During the spring and summer, wildflowers abound, and the fall brings a variety of colorful leaves. Take the Sarah Key Patten trail along the creek to the swinging bridge (0.53 mi). At the bridge, the trail continues straight alongside the creek and becomes the Dragging Canoe trail. Follow the trail past the open field down to the Ford of Youth (0.3 mi), then take a left on the Sequoyah Trail to return to the gravel road (0.2 mi).
Trek to Little Owl Village (1.9 mi)
This walk takes you to the back end of the sanctuary to the Little Owl Village, the site of a former native village that predated the Cherokees. There are no standing structures there, but it was the site of an archaeological dig several years ago (artifacts may be seen in the Visitors Center display). The history of the site may be found on a sign at the village site. Visitors may take one of several routes to get to Little Owl Village. The most straightforward is to take the Wonderland trail to the swinging bridge (0.2 mi), then cross the bridge and take a left to connect to the Little Owl Village trail. Continue straight for 0.6mi until you come to the Village site. From there, you can continue around the field on the Village Loop (0.27 mi) and connect back to the main trail. Visitors can backtrack on the same trails to return to the start.
Chickamauga Loop to Resurrection Rock (1.3 mi)
This pretty loop takes you along the creek, across the bridge, and up the hill to a large rock that overlooks the creek from a different perspective. It’s a great spot to sit and relax for awhile before continuing around the loop to return to the trailhead. Take the Sarah Key Patten trail along the creek to the swinging bridge (0.53 mi). Cross the bridge and take a right onto the Chickamauga Loop trail. Approximately halfway up the loop (0.3 mi), take a right to take the short spur down to Resurrection Rock (>0.1 mi). Return to the main trail and continue around the loop until you return to the swinging bridge (0.3 mi). Cross the bridge and take the Wonderland trail back to the trailhead (0.2 mi).
This peaceful loop takes you on a flat, pretty walk alongside the South Chickamauga Creek. During the spring and summer, wildflowers abound, and the fall brings a variety of colorful leaves. Take the Sarah Key Patten trail along the creek to the swinging bridge (0.53 mi). At the bridge, the trail continues straight alongside the creek and becomes the Dragging Canoe trail. Follow the trail past the open field down to the Ford of Youth (0.3 mi), then take a left on the Sequoyah Trail to return to the gravel road (0.2 mi).
Trek to Little Owl Village (1.9 mi)
This walk takes you to the back end of the sanctuary to the Little Owl Village, the site of a former native village that predated the Cherokees. There are no standing structures there, but it was the site of an archaeological dig several years ago (artifacts may be seen in the Visitors Center display). The history of the site may be found on a sign at the village site. Visitors may take one of several routes to get to Little Owl Village. The most straightforward is to take the Wonderland trail to the swinging bridge (0.2 mi), then cross the bridge and take a left to connect to the Little Owl Village trail. Continue straight for 0.6mi until you come to the Village site. From there, you can continue around the field on the Village Loop (0.27 mi) and connect back to the main trail. Visitors can backtrack on the same trails to return to the start.
Chickamauga Loop to Resurrection Rock (1.3 mi)
This pretty loop takes you along the creek, across the bridge, and up the hill to a large rock that overlooks the creek from a different perspective. It’s a great spot to sit and relax for awhile before continuing around the loop to return to the trailhead. Take the Sarah Key Patten trail along the creek to the swinging bridge (0.53 mi). Cross the bridge and take a right onto the Chickamauga Loop trail. Approximately halfway up the loop (0.3 mi), take a right to take the short spur down to Resurrection Rock (>0.1 mi). Return to the main trail and continue around the loop until you return to the swinging bridge (0.3 mi). Cross the bridge and take the Wonderland trail back to the trailhead (0.2 mi).
Frequently Asked Questions
Are bicycles allowed on the trails?
Because most of our trails run through the loose sandy soil of the floodplain around South Chickamauga Creek, bicycles are not a good fit for our trails and are not allowed in the sanctuary. Enterprise South Nature Park would be a better destination for cyclists. How far is the swinging bridge? The swinging bridge over the creek is roughly ¼ mile from the Audubon Acres visitor center. A round trip would be about ½ mile. How far is Little Owl Village? Little Owl Village is just under a mile from the Audubon Acres visitor center. A round trip would be about 2 miles. Is the swinging bridge the only place to cross the creek? If you want to keep your feet dry, then yes. You are welcome to use the shortcut through the Ford of Youth; however this is typically a knee deep crossing during the summer (deeper and just plain cold during the winter). The creek bed here is very rocky. Good water shoes (like Tevas, Keens, or Chacos) will make your crossing much more enjoyable. |
How difficult are the trails?
While most of our trails are very easy, we have trails to accommodate all levels of difficulty. There is very little elevation change on the Visitor’s Center side of the creek, making that side of the sanctuary well-suited to hikers looking for a leisurely walk. Across the bridge, hillsides provide opportunities for hikers seeking more of a challenge. The Overhill Trail leads hikers to the highest point in the sanctuary then drops down several switchbacks to reach the wetlands down below. Are the trails paved? All our trails have only natural surfacing. A short section of the Little Owl Village Trail is covered in gravel where the trail passes through a boggy area. Are any trails wheelchair accessible? Unfortunately, no. However, providing a wheelchair accessible trail at Audubon Acres is a high priority for us. If you or someone you know would like to make a contribution to help make that goal a reality, please contact us. Are the trails stroller friendly? Running strollers with large wheels would do well on the Wonderland & Yucca Trails (trails 5 & 6 on the map above). For most of the trails, however, a backpack or carrier for your child would be better suited. 
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