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Elsie A Holmes Nature Park is a hidden gem in Ringgold! The entrance, gravel parking lot, rough trail map, older service buildings and even the sparsely managed trail and blazes, all disguise the wealth of flora to be found at the water’s edge once you reach the river that runs through the valley.
A smooth trodden trail runs river side of the South Chickamauga Creek whose banks are bursting with a dozen varieties of wild flowers. From Prairie Trilliums and Glade Phlox to Virginia Bluebells and Butter Weed. And don’t be fooled by the creek name, it’s over 50’ across at this point and definitely should be treated as a year around, fairly faster moving river.
Some of the trails leading down to the creek are uneven, washed out or steep and covered in loose gravel and are likely not the best for those who aren’t sure footed. The Ridge Loop Trail option (Blue) is designated wheelchair accessible which is suitable for, wagons, baby carriages or prams.
Be aware that the west branch of the High Water Trail (Yellow) is currently roped off between the Main Loop trail (White) and the Big Rock Trail (Red) due to a washed out foot bridge.
The bathrooms at the parking lot are lit and relatively clean. With running water and toilets that flush.
The stated hours on the sign say 6pm daily, but hours differ by time of year. My last hike here was April 2, 2022 and the park was open until 8pm according to Google Maps and I found this to be true as I stayed...
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Trails are NOT kid friendly. They can be young adult friendly, but are absolutely not in the condition for kids or older dogs.
The destroyed bridge connects the white trail with the orange trail. I read all about a destroyed bridge, but I didn't find which trail it was along.
We took the green trail up. The green tail is overgrown in places along the river, can feel almost vertical at times, and would be dangerous to descend from the opening furthest to the left.
We took the white trail down. It winded so it wasn't too steep but it was still moderate difficulty due to erosion, loose slippery gravel, and large networks of roots. The view along the river was pretty and we enjoyed seeing the bat cave across the river.
The party structure and the playground at the top was nice. It would make for a pretty event spot in the woods (bring mosquito spray).
All in all, it's a decent place for a solid workout; it's just not as described by AI.
I'm a hiker who enjoys ascension, but I'll have to leave hubby and the dogs...
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OMG THANKYOU SO MUCH for changing the hours beyond 5pm!!! I kinda wrote this place off after my last review but a friend brought me back and I'M SO GRATEFUL YOU EXTENDED THE HOURS!! Seriously thankyou so very much for letting us hike here after 5pm!♡♡♡♡♡ I've been here since 5pm and it seems like that's really the sweet spot for ppl getting off work wanting to do some quick cardio in a peaceful (relatively safe) forest environment near home. Again THANKYOU SOOO VERRRRY MUCH!!! I'm changing my rating from 3 to 5 STARS!☆☆☆☆☆ because yes Yes YES!
*My Review From 7y Ago : GREAT place for a short steep hike BUT I can rarely go here because the hours they're open I'm at work. 9-5. We would love to go for a nice...
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