Donna Kridelbaugh

Sep 18, 2019

NRT Ambassador Review

Chickasaw Nature Trail is located within the Big Sandy Unit of the Tennessee National Wildlife Refuge on a peninsula that juts into Kentucky Lake. At the refuge entrance, you can pick up the"Back to the Old 23rd Auto Tour" brochure that guides visitors on a driving tour of the community that thrived here before acquisition of the land in the 1940s during construction of Kentucky Dam, using pictures of homesteads and other structures that once stood here. Stop #10 is the Chickasaw Nature Trail with a parking lot provided for access to the trail. It is an easy loop trail (1.5 miles round trip) that winds through a reforested portion of an old home site and gristmill with interpretive signage . There is a wildlife observation deck and other scenic and historic points close by. Another stop on the driving tour includes an historic church and cemetery, which is the only structure remaining in the area. This unit is in a less visited portion of the refuge, so it's nicely quiet and secluded and worth taking a day trip to explore further. As the area is a national wildlife refuge to provide protected habitat for waterfowl and other animals, there are special visitor guidelines in place to avoid disturbing wildlife. The area is only open during daylight hours and the trail may be closed during specific hunting seasons. It is recommended to contact the visitor center before heading out on the trail to plan ahead and prepare for your visit.