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Nature Activities >>

There are numerous mountain biking areas in and around Knoxville. Click HERE for a complete list.

The Norris Watershed Trails are located just past the Rice Grist Mill in Clinton, TN.

The Norris Watershed Trails are a favorite of hikers, runners, mountain bikers and equestrians. Trail system consists of just under 30 miles of a mixture of single track and old dirt/gravel roadbeds. Winding on both sides of Lower Clear Creek Rd, trails begin just past the 18th century Rice Grist Mill and Crosby Threshing Barn. Old homesteads and cemeteries are prevalent throughout the area. One of the Watershed's best features is its ability to dry quickly after inclement weather making this the place to go when other trails are soggy. From moderate to strenuous, the trails snake up and over the hills and wind along the eastern shore of Norris Lake, offering spectacular views of the lake and its surrounding hills and valleys. From Highpoint Trail you can connect with the lake loop of the Norris Dam State Park Trails. When traveling along the old roads, be on the watch for occasional vehicular travel.

Hunting: this area is open to hunters and some trails will close during the season. Check with TWRA or the call the city of Norris for dates (865-494-7645). There is a nearby rifle range, so don't be too alarmed if you hear shots while riding the trails and you thought it was off-season.


Black Oak Ridge Conservation Easement (BORCE) is located behind K-25, on the far west side of Oak Ridge.

Park Size: acres
Natural Trail: 13.7 miles
Type: single track, dirt roads
Difficulty: moderate with some steep hills
Hours: dawn till dusk

Directions: Take I-40 to Pellissippi Parkway exit #376 towards Oak Ridge. Travel 6.4 miles and continue on TN-62 W for another 6.3 miles and turn left onto Oak Ridge Turnpike. Go 8.5 miles and turn right onto Blair Rd. The parking area will be on the left.

Mountain Biking: The singletrack trails are contour-routed to conserve momentum descending and for relatively easy climbing. The many small trees in the trail corridors and the sharp, off-camber turns, control speeds. The trail treads are sparingly benched, narrow and hard to master. Only riders with good maneuvering skills will be able to hold the speed potential of these singletracks. The gravel roads are generally hilly and are sharply steep, over 20% in many places. They can be crazy fast if you are fearless or foolish. The steep grades are prone to forming gullies in heavy rains and should not be ridden fast without pre-riding them. Though the roads are well maintained, they are changeable and the gravel repairs are often deep and loose. To maximize the single track to gravel ratio and avoid the steepest roads, the following 11.5-mile route offers 5.2 miles of single track and only 1320 feet of climbing: Ride west from the parking lot and stay on Dyllis Orchard Road, ride each of the single tracks out-and-back as you come to them. Return along Dyllis Orchard Road to the short connector crossing to West Ridge Road. Go left on the connector and right on West Ridge Road and take it all the way down the hill. Return to the parking lot via Twisted Beech Trail and Dyllis Orchard Road. Note the namesake tree on Twisted Beech.