2024  Tennessee
Mountain Laurel
Hiking Marathon

Now in its ninth year, the Tennessee Mountain Laurel Hiking Marathons kicked off March 16th with a group hike up Bridge Trail, 1 mile, with visits to Upper and Lower Melton Mill Falls.  The hike will continue to Point Trail, 4.4 miles on the Obed Wild and Scenic River area. 

Participants can register for the marathons until April 15th and hike to their selected goal up until the Tennessee Mountain Laurel Festival date of May 18th.  Hikers can select a marathon goal of half marathon (13.1 miles), full marathon (26.2 miles), or ultra marathon (100+ miles).  The list of sixty-three trails, over 300 miles, spans three state parks, two national parks, and four state natural areas.  The trail list includes short trails starting at half a mile to longer trails up to twenty-plus miles, rated from easy to strenuous, allowing the marathons to provide an opportunity for all hikers to achieve their goal. Hikers can also count “Ranger Led” miles toward their marathon goal whether on the trail list or not. 
Hike MoCo, under the sponsorship of Morgan County Tourism Alliance, organizes the marathons and works with the hikers throughout the marathons by scheduling hikes, answering questions, and providing helpful information on the trails.  Hike MoCo encourages hikers to share their trail pictures on the Hike MoCo Facebook group and document their adventure.  The goal is to get people in the woods, moving, and enjoying the beauty and solace the woods has to offer. 

In addition to enjoying the adventure, cleaning the trails as we go is a requirement, whether hiking the marathons or any other group hike.  Hike MoCoians routinely carry an extra bag or two for collecting garbage found on or around the trails.  Trash pictures are posted on the Hike MoCo Facebook group also, to help promote the “Leave No Trace” principle.
Morgan County has so much natural beauty for all to enjoy, the marathons may be the incentive for people to venture beyond their yard and discover that peace and beauty.