Devil's Backbone Hiking

A serene forest scene featuring a narrow dirt trail winding through tall trees with autumn leaves in shades of green, yellow, and red under soft sunlight.

Hiking at Devil's Backbone

The park has one primary trail, with a moderate to strenuous elevation change of 220 feet. The trail, known for its serene and quiet nature, allows visitors to view the ridges of the Tennessee Highland Rim, drop to a creek and hollow before hiking back up.

Along the trail, visitors will see a diverse range of tree species that make up the unique Western Highland Rim forest, and have the opportunity to view common woodland birds, whitetail deer, raccoons, box turtles, frogs, and other woodland wildlife.

Visitors should remember to recreate responsibly by bringing proper equipment, enough water, and practicing Leave No Trace principles.

Trails

Devil's Backbone Trail

Devil's Backbone State Park

Distance

3.50 mi.

Difficulty

—

Surface

Natural

The trail, known for its serene and quiet nature, allows visitors to view the ridges of the Tennessee Highland Rim, drop to a creek and hollow before hiking back up. Visitors should remember to recreate responsibly by bringing proper equipment, enough water, and practicing Leave No Trace principles.

Availability
Open

Allowed
Hiking

Trail Definitions

Cross Slope 

Describes the degree of incline from one side of the trail path to the other; measured as a percentage. Cross slope aids in water drainage and impacts the overall trail stability.  
Grade 

Describes the rise in elevation over a horizontal distance on the trail; measured as a percentage.  Higher percentages represent a steeper grade indicating a more challenging ascent or descent for hikers.   
Standard Ramp Grade

Serves as a reference guide for the grade of the trail.  Standard Ramp Grade is 8.3% across all trail assessments. 
Surface 

A characteristic of the trail expressed in terms of material type, grading, compaction, and roughness of the path. Possible surface types include soil, gravel, paved, and mulch.  
Tread Width 

Represents the horizontal distance from one edge of the trail path to the other; measurements can vary.  Tread width helps to determine the amount of space a hiker has to pass through. Obstacles on the trail can alter the remaining tread width.  
Trail Types: Loop

Trail returns at or near the point from which you started.
Trail Types: Network

Offers multiple route options within one trail, and each route is connected
Trail Types: Out and Back

This type of trail travels out to an endpoint where hikers turn around and travel back to the starting point.  
Trail Types: Stacked Loop

A loop trail contained completely within another trail.