BIKING AND BEER IN ANDERSON COUNTY

Few things seem to go together like biking and beer. What’s better than a challenging bike ride and a delicious craft beer afterward? Anderson County can offer you not only some of the best mountain biking trails in East Tennessee, but also one of the best local breweries around!

Let’s start with one of the best places to mountain bike in Anderson County – the Norris Watershed.

The Norris Watershed is a 2,300 acre land tract that offers about 30 miles of a mixture of singletrack and old dirt/gravel roadbeds. It’s bordered by Norris Dam State Park, TVA property and private property. The watershed offers almost 20 multi use trails all with varying degrees of difficulty, so there is something for all skill levels. One of the watershed's best features is its ability to dry quickly after inclement weather making this the place to go when other trails are soggy. To download a map of the Norris Watershed Trails, click here.

Norris Dam State Park has over 4,000 acres for visitors to enjoy. The park offers 11 mountain biking trails that border the Norris Watershed and cover approximately 22 miles. They range in length and difficulty, so we highly recommend looking at a map to see which trails work best for you.

A couple of our favorite trails: The Andrews Ridge Trail is 1.95 miles, passes through the forest and has a variety of terrain to ride over. Lake View Trail goes through the woods as well, but you’re right along the shoreline of Norris Lake, creating a serene 4.75 mile bike ride. Along the trail are remnants of the many old homesteads that once rested on the ridges before Norris Dam was built. For a map of Norris Dam State Park trails, click here or you can stop by the park office and pick one up.

And just a couple of miles down the road is Loyston Point, one of the most popular places in the area to mountain bike. From beginner to intermediate, there are trails that suit every skill and endurance level. A favorite trail among locals is the Loyston Loop Trail. It is a great trail for beginner mountain bikers and offers beautiful views of Norris Lake. To find out more about mountain biking at Loyston Point, click here.

So, you’ve gone for your ride and you’re ready for a cold beer. Where do you go? Clinch River Brewing is located in Norris, situated between the Norris Watershed Trails and Norris Dam State Park. The Brewery sits in an old TVA aquatics building with two quaint levels of seating and an adorable beer garden complete with a trout pond (very fitting as the Clinch River is located directly across the street).Clinch River Brewing is the only craft brewery in Anderson County and is definitely a must visit when you’re here, whether by bike or not. It has quickly become a favorite among locals and visitors alike.

There are 16 taps, 14 of those are Clinch River Brewing original creations, one is a delicious rotating Gypsy Circus cider or mead and the other is reserved for a rotating sour tap. There is a beer for every taste bud!

You may want a bite to eat after your bike ride too and Clinch River Brewing will not disappoint! Executive chef Brandon Cruze always keeps the menu exciting. Be sure to try the trout dip when you go! It’s delicious.