The Southern Trails

Henry Horton State Park is a 1,523 acre park situated on the serene Duck River located in Chapel Hill, Tennessee. The park offers a variety of different activities that are fun for all ages. Kayaking, canoeing, lodging, and hiking can all be done at this beautiful park. Many lodging options are available here including a beautiful lodge with its own giftshop and restaurant, eight cabins, 56 RV campsites, and many other group and backcountry campsites. Dogs are also allowed on most of the park, but must be kept on a leash.

The trail we chose was the Spring Creek and Wilhoite Mill Loop, which is also the name in the AllTrails app. This combines the Whilhoite Mill loop and the new Spring Creek Trail. This trail is a lightly trafficked 2.4 mile loop trail that features the serene Duck River and is suitable for all ages and skill levels. We took the whole family with us on this trip, and everyone thoroughly enjoyed it. Our dog, Kona even enjoyed swimming in the creek.

This trail has many cool features. It has new wooden bridges that lead to a serene creek, the gorgeous Duck River, ruins of an old mill, and a grove of cedar trees. You’re sure to find something that will amaze you. While it is beautiful most days, I would not recommend going after rain. This trail can get extremely muddy, so be aware of recent rain storms. The only complaint I would have would be the noise from the nearby road. It ruins some of the “peacefulness” that this trail provides.

When we went, it was the height of the pandemic in 2020 and a lot of amenities and buildings were closed, including the restaurant. We do plan on going back there to attempt to get the full experience of Henry Horton State Park. I would love to stay at the lodge or a cabin and try the new restaurant and even more beautiful trails. I would recommend this park and trail for all hikers and families. It was a beautiful park and I can’t wait to go back.