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House Mountain Loop

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Intermediate/Difficult Intermediate/Difficult
 4.4 (28)
  1. Areas
  2. TN
  3. …Eastern TN
  4. …Knoxville
  5. House Mountain State Natural Area
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“A great (but challenging) hike only thirty minutes from downtown Knoxville. ”

Max Willner
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Map Key

3.8

Miles

6.1

KM

Loop

2,063' 629 m

High

1,239' 378 m

Low

930' 283 m

Up

931' 284 m

Down

9%

Avg Grade (5°)

36%

Max Grade (20°)

Dogs Leashed

Features Birding · Fall Colors · Views · Wildflowers

The House Mountain State Natural Area opens at dawn and closes at dusk.

Overview

A strenous hike with roughly an 18% gradient that grants hikers a beautiful view of several mountain ranges in the area.

The only drawbacks to this hike concerns erosion from hiking/trail running. Please stay on the trail and avoid the temptation to cut switchbacks. The shortcut trails are well-worn in places, making it hard to tell where the real trail turns. Watch carefully for this, and try to follow the correct route to keep from worsening the erosion.

The state natural area is dog-friendly, although the trails are rather narrow and perhaps not ideal for two-way traffic with a dog.

Need to Know

This is a fairly strenuous hike with rocky outcrops that may prove difficult to traverse.

Description

Directions: Take I-40 East to Rutledge Pike, exit 392, and turn right off the exit. In ten miles, turn left on Idumea Rd. Turn left on Hogskin Rd and the House Mountain State Natural Area will be on the right.

Beginning at the House Mountain State Natural Area parking lot, hikers will take West Overlook Trail from the trail junction. In 0.8 miles, the trail will switchback to Crest Trail, roughly 1.5 miles in length. Following the mountain ridge, hikers can take Crest Trail to the West Overlook which provides a view of the Cumberland Mountains to the North and the Smokies to the South.

From there, Crest Trail continues uphill until it dead-ends at the East Overlook. The East Overlook is considered the more spectacular view of the two, offering a view of the Clinch and Unaka Mountain Range. Hikers will proceed to backtrack from the East Overlook to the trail junction at Crest Trail and Mountain Trail. Follow Mountain Trail back to the parking lot to conclude the hike!

Flora & Fauna

Hawks, grouse, woodpeckers, tanagers, turkeys, and many other birds.

History & Background

House Mountain's summit is the highest point in Knox County, at nearly 2,100 feet above sea level.
The House Mountain State Natural Area consists of roughly 525 acres, and was designated a state natural area in 1987.

Contacts

Land Manager: Knox County - Parks and Recreation

Shared By:

Max Willner with improvements by Jesse Weber
Full Details

Trail Ratings

  4.4 from 28 votes

#1

in House Mountain State Natural Area

#495

Overall
  4.4 from 28 votes
5 Star
50%
4 Star
39%
3 Star
11%
2 Star
0%
1 Star
0%
Recommended Route Rankings

#1

in House Mountain State N…

#16

in Tennessee

#495

Overall
23 Views Last Month
4,195 Since Nov 18, 2015
Intermediate/Difficult Intermediate/Difficult
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Photos

East overlook.
Nov 25, 2016 near Mascot, TN
Looking west from the East Overlook.
Nov 19, 2015 near Mascot, TN
Sentinels standing guard on the western ascent.
Dec 7, 2017 near Mascot, TN
The view from the House Mountain East Overlook.
Nov 18, 2015 near Mascot, TN
Nick hiking along the ridge of the Crest Trail.
Nov 19, 2015 near Mascot, TN
Hiking along the Crest Trail towards the East Overlook.
Nov 19, 2015 near Mascot, TN

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Current Trail Conditions

All Clear 2 days ago
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Check-Ins

Oct 28, 2022
x kegroller
Took longer than it should because of a fallen hiker in front of us, poor blazing, lots of leaf litter covering rocks and roots and finally a rescu… 4.6mi — 2h 43m
Oct 23, 2021
Isabelle Thibault
definitely some steep sections, great hike! 4.2mi — 1h 38m
Oct 14, 2021
Curt H
With Journey.
Sep 6, 2021
Aaron B
I climbed mountain trail, headed east on the crest trail, and took in the view. I then headed west and took the west overlook trail down. 3.8mi — 1h 45m
Dec 30, 2020
Chris Patton
Jun 12, 2020
Theresa Palandro
3.3mi
May 30, 2020
Chris Miller
May 29, 2020
Danny Chisholm
Pretty steep trail at places but not too long just pace yourself—beautiful overlook once you get there

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