more stats
2,963 ft
Distance
23 ft
Climb
-13 ft
Descent
00:06:05
Avg time
10 ft
Altitude change
526 ft
Altitude min
551 ft
Altitude max
526 ft
Altitude start
535 ft
Altitude end
0.3%
Grade
-2.9%
Grade max
6.9%
Grade min
1,135 ft
Distance climb
623 ft
Distance down
1,201 ft
Distance flat
00:06:05
Avg time

Bear Den Loop Details

  • Activities
    • Mountain Bike
    • E-Bike
    • Hike
    • Trail Running
  • Riding Area
    Defeated Creek Park
    Carthage, Tennessee
  • Difficulty Rating
    Green Rate
  • Local Popularity
    75 in Mountain Biking [+]
    • 70 in E-Biking
    • 5 in Trail Running
    • 5 in Hiking
  • Global Ranking
    #6860 in Mountain Biking [+]
    • #42105 in E-Biking
    • #374452 in Trail Running
    • #366484 in Hiking
  • State Ranking
    #39 in Mountain Biking · Tennessee [+]
    • #210 in E-Biking
    • #1,747 in Trail Running
    • #1,745 in Hiking
  • Hiking SAC Scale
    T1 Hiking
  • Trail Type
    Singletrack
  • Bike Type
    AM, XC
  • Climb Difficulty
    Green
  • Physical Rating
    Easy
  • Trail Visibility
    Always easy to follow
  • Season
    Closed the first weekend in December for an annual Youth Deer Hunt USACE hosts
  • Dogs Allowed
    Yes
  • eBike Allowed
    Yes
  • TTFs on Trail
    Skinny

The Bear Den Loop is a short, beginner-friendly singletrack loop on the Bear Wheels Mountain Bike Trail System at Defeated Creek Park on Cordell Hull Lake in Carthage, Tennessee.

Trail Specifications

• Type: Singletrack
• Length: Roughly 0.6 to 0.68 miles (about 2,963 feet)
• Difficulty: Easy / Beginner-friendly
• Elevation Change: Minimal change, with around 32 to 34 feet of elevation gain and loss
• Grades: An average grade of about 2% and a maximum grade of around 7%
• Access: Located near the paved parking area and trailhead by the Bear Waller Gap Hiking Trail and Defeated Creek Campground.

There are some great wood features on this trail to play on.

Overview

• Purpose: It serves as a gentle warm-up loop or an introductory segment before tackling the longer, more challenging loops in the system.
• System Context: The Bear Den Loop acts as a gateway to the larger stacked-loop trail network, which also includes the intermediate Black Bear Trail and the Grizzly Bear Trail.
• Maintenance: The trail is built and maintained by Upper Cumberland SORBA (UCSORBA) in partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineer

Access Info

Defeated Creek Trailhead in parking lot.

Tags
Skinnies

Trail Supporters

Local Trail Association

Traditionally Indigenous Territory

Recent Activity on Trail

Past Week
  • 0 rides
  •  
6 Months
  • 6 rides
  • 6 miles avg distance
All
  • 38 rides
  • Last: Oct 6, 2026
c1c2c3c4
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Status:
on May 10, 2026
Avg: 4.32 (3 votes)
Your vote: 0

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      Directions to bear-den-loop trailhead (36.303060, -85.910580)
      View on Discover Map

      Photos

      1 more »
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      mtb
      90 |
      Jun 5, 2023 @ 8:47am
      Jun 5, 2023

      Videos

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      Technical Trail Features (TTF)

      Routes with this trail

      37
      Bear Wheels Black bear and Grizzly Full Route Featured
      ★ 5.0 • 8 miles • 761 ft • 3 • Loop •
      The full mountain bike route at Defeated Creek Park (also known as the Bear Wheels Full Route) in...
      7
      Black Bear (lower loop)
      3 miles • 253 ft • 2 •
      Blue / Intermediate (great for beginners or average riders) Moderate overall physical rating with about...
      5.0 ★★★★★
      3 Ratings
      5 ★ 100%
      4 ★
      3 ★
      2 ★
      1 ★

      1 Review & Comments

      aawebster14 aawebster14
      Fun warm up section. A skinny is now located along the exit.

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      Nearby Trails

      Defeated Creek Park

      • By trail13tlTF Pro SORBAMIDTN & contributors
      • #458627 - 967 views

      Frequently Asked Questions

      ▼ Where is Bear Den Loop located?
      Bear Den Loop is located in Defeated Creek Park, Carthage, Tennessee, United States. It is part of the Defeated Creek Park trail network. The trailhead is located at coordinates 36.30306, -85.91058.
      ▼ How hard is Bear Den Loop?
      Bear Den Loop is rated as Green difficulty. The physical rating is Easy. The average grade is 0.3%. The climb difficulty is rated Green.
      ▼ What is the elevation gain for Bear Den Loop?
      Bear Den Loop has 23 ft of elevation gain. The trail has 13 ft of elevation descent. The elevation ranges from 526 ft to 551 ft.
      ▼ How long is Bear Den Loop?
      Bear Den Loop is 2,963 ft long. The trail type is singletrack.
      ▼ Are dogs allowed on Bear Den Loop?
      Yes, dogs are allowed on Bear Den Loop. Please keep dogs on a leash where required and clean up after them.
      ▼ When is the best time of year to ride Bear Den Loop?
      Based on activity log data, the most popular months to ride Bear Den Loop are:
      • November (5 activities)
      • August (4 activities)
      • March (3 activities)
      Check the reports page for current trail conditions.
      ▼ How do I access Bear Den Loop? Where is the closest parking trailhead?
      The closest parking and trailhead locations to Bear Den Loop are: View all parking locations in the area.
      ▼ How long does it take to ride Bear Den Loop?
      Based on recorded activities, it takes an average of 6 minutes to ride Bear Den Loop. The trail is 2,963 ft long. Actual times will vary based on fitness level, conditions, and pace. View recent activity logs for more details.
      ▼ How busy is Bear Den Loop?
      Bear Den Loop is a very popular trail. There have been 118 recorded activities on this trail. The trail has received 123 check-ins. View recent activity on this trail.

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