TVA Hickory Bend trailhead

"I hiked 2.65 miles round trip as shown in the photo. Total elevation gain was 463 feet. About the first mile was on an access road, then it turned into a normal hiking trail, which dead ends to another access road, at which point I turned around. I didn’t have any issues with the ticks that other people mentioned, but I went in mid-March."

"This is a great walk if you're looking for something simple. Would also be a great space for some simple trail running. Elevation gain isn't huge and it's on the flatter side but by no means flat. You enter the TVA area by way of a corridor which is very clearly marked. Once you get into the TVA area, there's a few paths. The one to the right takes you down to the water. I didn't see another trail so we went back the same way. We explored another trail on the way back but it ended up blending into the forest so we turned around again. There was another trail to the left in the area where you forst enter the tva area but we didn't have time to check that one out."

"Fairly remote trail along Melton Hill Lake that is well traveled to the gate at the one mile mark. It is occasionally brush hogged and dead trees are cut up and removed from the trail. Blue boundary markers clearly mark public access. It's almost 4 miles out and back from the trailhead if you continually veer right, with lake access for dogs. There's a shorter 2.5 mi loop if you turn left at the sign about quarter mile past the gate. Inbreeders leave trash at the trailhead, but that's anywhere you go along Melton Hill Lake. it's not an eventful hike and has limited parking. It's closed for seasonal deer hunts."

"The first part of the trail is an access road/corridor with private property on both sides to get to the TVA property. When you get to the top of the first hill you turn right and stay on the road, but it is confusing because a trail crosses the road between the two pieces of private property on either side of the road. Stay on the road. There are two small loops, including the main trail on the TVA property, but the one closer to the water is less clear, even in winter. I'd heard the trail can get pretty overgrown, and the insects (ticks, chiggers) can be pretty bad, but in the winter, it seems like a decent trail, though do check for ticks afterward. The vegetation was just starting to leaf out in places and there is a good chance the place may soon be overrun with poison ivy. There was also a game camera down by the water, but not sure if it is TVAs or a hunter's."

"Beautiful trail just kind of eerie. I did this by myself. Yea I recommend taking bug spray and warning little and big spiders. Be careful with copperheads as well. This trail takes you all the way to mentor hill lake, not at all that bad of a hike."