Southeast Tennessee has plenty of off-the-beaten-path gravel roads, but the greatest concentration (and the best place for gravel grinding adventure) can be found in the Cherokee National Forest (about an hour from downtown Chattanooga). There are numerous places to enter the forest, but here are a couple of options for parking. You can also find an extensive list of gravel bike routes in and around the forest at TennesseeGravel.com. For more relaxed gravel trails, check out the Eureka Trail and the Brainerd Levee.

Cherokee National Forest
Thunder Rock Recreational Area
3171 Hwy 64 | 423-338-3300

Cherokee National Forest
Sugar Loaf Boat Ramp
Sugar Loaf Road

Reliance Boat Ramp
Thunder Rock Recreational Area
115 Ellis Creek, Reliance, TN 37369

Eureka Trail
1400 E. Madison Ave., Athens to Engelwood, TN | 423-744-2702
Cityofathenstn.com/trails/eureka
Following a former railroad bed, this gravel trail winds nearly 5 miles through the woods and rural landscape before ending at the outskirts of Englewood, Tenn.

Brainerd Levee
Trailheads @ Shallowford Rd. and Camp Jordan Park
City of Chattanooga Parks | 423-425-6311
The greenway that runs atop the Brainerd Levee is an easy ride for beginners and families. The trail is 5.5 miles from the trailhead at Shallowford Road in Brainerd to Camp Jordan Park in East Ridge. The trail is gravel for 3.5 miles and paved for 2 miles.