Bledsoe Creek SP: High Ridge and Shoreline

Bledsoe Creek SP: High Ridge and Shoreline Loop

Bledsoe Creek State Park is a beautiful park with woods, river access, and camping. The High Ridge and Shoreline Loop takes you through a good section of the woods and to the waterline with a chance to see wildlife. There are parts of the hike that should be accessible for all skill levels.

Getting Started

There are several places to park around Bledsoe State Park that give access to this loop but we started out near the playground on Raccoon Creek Lane. From this starting point the trail starts out mostly paved and would be a good spot to start if you are on a lower skill level. There is also a wooded dock that takes you over the water for some great views from here.

If you are not looking for a huge incline later in the hike I would suggest taking the loop clockwise. If you go counter clockwise (The East to North following the shoreline) you will have to go up the biggest hill on the hike instead of the coming down it.

May Wix Trail

The May Wix trail is the paved section of the Bledsoe State Park Loop. While it was paved that didn’t mean that it was lacking beauty. The trail meanders through the woods which had just dropped their leaves.

This mile long trail doesn’t have much as far as elevation or difficulty goes until it crosses over the the park entrance road. The section we took was about two-tenths of mile and we were lucky enough to see a family of deer enjoying a little late breakfast.

After you cross the main road into the park the trail gets to be a bit more of a trail. After the road is a third of a mile on more of a dirt trail with a small hill that gets up to an 8% grade in incline. It is a short hill and not much of a problem. You will then come to a junction where you can head back to the visitor center or move forward on the High Ridge Trail.

High Ridge Trail

The High Ridge Trail is a longish, one mile, section of the loop. This is the most rustic feeling section of the trail that puts you through the woods for the entire walk. You will also see a bit of elevation gain on this section of the trail that you didn’t see earlier.

I found the High Ridge trail to be beautiful in the fall but I think just a few weeks earlier with all the leaves changing would have been a bit better. With the leaves down the trail became a little challenging to find under the blanket of brown leaf.

The High Ridge trail also connects to the Owl Ridge trail but we didn’t try that one.

The Hill

This loop has a very steep hill that has earned its own subtitle! The hill that connects the Shoreline and High Ridge trails can be a bit challenging. It has an elevation gain of 100 feet in just a tenth of a mile and has a consistent grade in the 17-18% range. There are some steps built into the hill to make a bit easier but it will still be a challenge going up or down. If you have followed me and taken the loop clockwise you will be heading down. If you have started on the Shoreline then you will need to climb up the hill! Good Luck!

Shoreline Trail

If you went clockwise around the loop the Shoreline Trail is a beautiful reward for making down it down the hill. If you went counter clockwise you are in for a bit of a workout! The Shoreline trail follows the water for 1.4 miles and has my favorite views of the hike.

While the Shoreline trail is on the longer side it really isn’t too challenging. There are a couple of small hills or undulations but the trail is mostly flat giving you a chance to really enjoy the views of the water.

The trail will also take you by several of the campsite at Bledsoe Creek but for the most part is a nice relaxing end to the hike filled with trees and water views.

Video of Bledsoe Creek

I have put together a couple of videos of the hike. This first one is more of a narrative version of the hike:

Next up is a raw, time-lapse version of the hike that I like to call the hikers edit. The hikers edit is to give you a feel of what the trail itself looks like. If you enjoy either of these videos I would love it if you subscribe to my YouTube channel. It is free to subscribe and you will get notified when I upload new content.

Distance and Elevation

If you don’t have the AllTrails app you might want to check it out, I really love mine. It records your progress and is a great way to search for hikes that are nearby and gives you difficulty measurements. According to AllTrails today’s hike was around 3.41 miles and had a total elevation gain of about 259 feet including undulations. That put the high point at around 581 feet. I was also moving for a total of 1 hour and 34 minutes.

I am a Pro member of Alltrails and love it. If you are interested in the platform, please consider using my affiliate link for AllTrails. It gives me a small commission with no extra cost to you.

Effort

If you take this loop clockwise the effort level is mitigated a bit. The staircase is a real challenge to go up but luckily we took it on the way down. Otherwise the elevation gains were pretty spread out and the trail took mostly a walk in the woods feel.

Terrain

The terrain changes a bit depending on where you are in the hike. There are some parts that are paved and some wooden bridges. Most of the “rustic” sections are well defined dirt trails with a few rocks and roots thrown in. It was a little more challenging in the fall with a lot of leaves down to see the trail and identify some of the rocks and roots.

Access

Bledsoe Creek State Park is located at 400 Zieglers Fort Road in Gallatin, TN. There are several different parking areas at the park with access to picnic areas, camping, and other activities. The loop trail I took is accessed from several of these parking lots. Restrooms are also spaced around the park although not on the trails. There is currently no fees to enter the park.

Wrapping up Bledsoe state pa

I really enjoyed my hike at Bledsoe Creek State Park. It checked a lot of boxes for me personally. I got to hike with my Mom for the first time and took my first hike in Tennessee since starting the blog.

From a hiking standpoint this trail is really nice because it gives the best of two worlds. It has a wooded section where you can immerse yourself in the woods and then it also has a shoreline section where you are walking next to a beautiful river.

The loop also isn’t very challenging unless you want it to be which makes it nice for more people to be able to enjoy. Overall, a really pretty and nice place to hike.

I have added this hike and all of my hikes to my interactive map page that you can find here. If you have a suggestion or comment you can email me at fatmanlittletrails@gmail.com or follow me on any of the below social media platforms. Happy Hiking!

Gallery of Bledsoe Creek State Park