This event was a little quiet, only reaching a few folks beforehand which means it was a group I was very familiar with, consisting of folks we’ve driven off pavement with before.

We started with a drive into Dalton to grab a donut (or three, but who was counting) at a place called Donut Palace. It was by no means the most glamorous pastry shop I’ve ever been in, and the ambiance was not exactly inviting, but the gentleman behind the counter was friendly and the donuts were decent. All that to say, it’s fine if you’re nearby, but I wouldn’t make a special trip.

From there we headed north crossing the state line and heading just outside of Chattanooga. We started off heading to a road that, at the entrance, looks like a residential road that would be pretty simple, but the friends who had done the trail quickly reminded us they recommended airing down, which we all did and were almost immediately grateful for. The road leads in with some simple dips and small rocks to journey over but soon leads to some more technical paths. There are options to bypass the harder spaces, and a few of our group opted to bypass the more rocky, challenging spot at the beginning of the road while others gave it their best shot, navigating large climbs and drops, especially for my nearly-stock first gen Xterra.

After everyone had made it through, some more easily than others, we continued down the path enjoying the mud and dirt until we wound up at another more technical part that kept our group busy for a while as everyone was guided to take the best path to maneuver their vehicles down safely. We met up with a few dirt bikers who were eager to watch us all descend the rocky hillside, then after many photos and much guidance, we wrapped up this road and jaunted a few minutes away to another which was far less technical and demanding.

This second road was much more like a gravel road until we hit the water crossings, of which there were many. There were many less photos snapped by myself for this portion until we reached the top as I had placed myself behind the wheel for once. The top of this trail was amazing, and while I was reminded of my unease while at great heights, I was more stunned by the absolute beauty tucked away off this less-traveled road. We took turns parking near the edge of the cliff for photos before airing back up to hit the road to downtown Chattanooga. After we wrapped up the dirt and gravel portions of our drive we took our muddy cars and tired selves to Community Pie for some pizza and adult cheese sticks, which was the perfect ending to an amazing day spent getting way out with lovely friends.