Here are upcoming Outdoor Chattanooga news and events:
Rapid Learning Roll Practice Postponed Until Further Notice
The Rapid Learning Whitewater Program will have to suspend our weekly roll practice due to the closing of the Greenway Farm quarry to all programs and activities. We are working on finding out more information and how we can continue the weekly practice. Please bear with us. At this time, our Rapid Learning whitewater kayaking trips are still scheduled.
If you have any questions or concerns, please
email or call us at Outdoor Chattanooga. 643-6888.
Family Canoe Trip May 17
Load up the kids and explore the peaceful waters of N. Chickamauga Creek during our
family canoe trip on Thurs., May 17, from 6 to 8 p.m. We’ll launch at Greenway Farm and enjoy the evening breezes and wildlife on the creek. The trip is appropriate for adults and kids ages 5 and older when accompanied by an adult. Cost is $8 per person and includes all equipment and guides. Limit: 16 pp. Reservations are required. To reserve or learn more,
email Outdoor Chattanooga at 643-6888.
Free Bicycle Maintenance Clinic – All About Brakes May 17
The Trek Bicycle Store of Chattanooga will host a free
bike maintenance clinic at Outdoor Chattanooga, 200 River St. in Coolidge Park on Thurs., May 17, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Mechanic Taylor Keaton will focus the clinic on brakes: types, maintenance and repair. No reservations or bicycles are necessary. To learn more, email or call Outdoor Chattanooga at 643-6888.
Nickajack Bat Cave Kayak Trip May 18
Join Outdoor Chattanooga for a special kayak trip to
Nickajack Cave, a summer nursery for thousands of endangered gray bats. We’ll paddle across the cave’s inlet to watch clouds of foraging bats emerge at dusk. After dark, we’ll return by the light of our kayak running lights back to the put in. Cost is $35 per person and includes all equipment and guides. The trip is appropriate for adults and kids ages 14 and older when accompanied by an adult. RESERVATIONS ARE REQUIRED. Limit: 12 participants. To reserve a spot or learn more,
email or call Outdoor Chattanooga at 643-6888.
Chickamauga Battlefield Bicycle Tours Begin May 19
Outdoor Chattanooga will once again partner with
Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park for free, monthly bicycle tours of Chickamauga Battlefield, beginning on Sat., May 19, 9:30 a.m., from the Battlefield Visitors Center. Adults and kids ages 8 and older are invited to take a leisurely ride around the battlefield (approx. 5-6 miles) with a National Park interpretive ranger to learn about Civil War history. Bring your own bicycle or borrow one from the Outdoor Chattanooga mobile bicycle fleet. Riders must be at least 5’ tall to borrow a bicycle. To reserve a loaner bike, call the Battlefield Visitors Center at 706 866-9241. Helmets are required for all riders. Additional tours are scheduled for June 16, July 21, Aug. 18, Sept. 15, and Oct. 20.
“Two Winters in a Tipi”: An Evening with Mark Warren
Outdoor Chattanooga will host writer, composer and naturalist Mark Warren on Mon., May 21, from 6-8 p.m., for a free presentation about his book, “Two Winters in a Tipi: My Search for the Soul of the Forest.” After his home burned down, Warren moved into a tipi and lived off what he could hunt and gather in the N. Georgia woods for two years. Warren will talk about primitive survival skills and how people can rekindle a relationship with the outdoors. To learn more about the presentation,
email or call Outdoor Chattanooga at 643-6888.
Splash Into Spring Paddlesports Festival June 9
Outdoor Chattanooga will host
Splash into Spring, our annual paddlesports festival and demo day, on Sat., June 9, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at TVA Chickamauga Dam. The public is invited to learn about kayaking, canoeing, standup paddleboarding, dragon boating and even sailing. Participate in clinics, demo’s or just come to see what is available in the area. The event is free and open to the public. Exhibit spaces are still open for paddlesports clubs and outfitters. To learn more,
email or call Terri Chapin at 643-6888.
More Events
Scenic City Trail Marathon and Half Marathon May 19
The Raccoon Mtn. trail system will be busy with 500+ runners on Sat., May 19 for Rock/Creek’s
Scenic City Trail Marathon and Half Marathon. One of the largest trail marathon events in the southeast, the event attracts racers from as far away as Colorado and Washington State. Meanwhile, registration has closed for June’s Chattanooga Mountains Stage Race, but you can still register for the Rock/Creek Stump Jump 50K or 11K on Oct. 6. But hurry, the event fills fast.
Children’s Hospital Dragon Boat Festival May 19
Fifty community and corporate teams will compete in the
Children’s Hospital Dragon Boat Festival on Sat., May 19 at Chickamauga Dam. Teams of 20 people will paddle 40’ boats to raise funds for the Children’s Hospital Foundation.
The event is free and open to spectators.
Chattanooga Tour de Cure May 19
Ride your bicycle to help cure diabetes at the annual
Chattanooga Tour de Cure on Sat., May 19, beginning at 7:30 a.m. at Finley Stadium. Ride 10, 18, 24, 62 or 100 miles as part of a fundraising team. Online registration is still open. For more information,
email or call event manager Wendi Mullins at
(865) 524-7868 ext. 3343.
IHN 5K Run and 1K Walk to End Homelessness May 19
The
Interfaith Homeless Network will host their annual 5K run and fun run/walk to end homelessness on Sat., May 19, 9 a.m., beginning at the TN Riverpark’s shelter #3.
Register online or beginning at 8 a.m. on the day of the event. To learn more,
email race director Jane Webb.
Viola Valley Half Marathon May 19
The inaugural
Viola Valley Half Marathon & Breakfast and Bluegrass Festival will happen on Sat., May 19, 8 a.m., in Viola, TN. The running course starts on the square in Viola and winds through the rural countryside of Warren, Grundy and Coffee counties.
Scenic City Triathlon May 20
Multi sport athletes can swim, bike and run downtown Chattanooga during the annual
Scenic City Triathlon, Sun., May 20, beginning at 8 a.m. in Coolidge Park. Competitors will swim 800 meters, bicycle 11 miles on open roads and run 5K over downtown bridges.
Online registration is open.
Competitive Trail Ride at Hidden Hills May 20
Hidden Hills Farm & Saddle Club invites riders of all disciplines and riding experience to a Competitive Trail Ride on Sun., May 20. This ride is an untimed trail ride with six judged trail obstacles on the farm’s trails. Prizes will be given in 3 divisions: Junior (up to age 17), Pleasure, and Open (more challenging obstacles). Pre register on the
Hidden Hills Website. For more information, call 488-3993.
Web Hit of the Week
Medicine Bow explores earth lore in the N. Georgia mountains.
Last Week’s Web Hit
Have you tried the
Mountain Goat Trail in Sewanee?
Upcoming Events . . .
June
1 Bike2Work
1-3 TN Valley Canoe Club Paddle School
2 Downtown Kayak Adventures Begin
National Trails Day
Bicycle Demo Day at ESNP
4-8 Kids 4 Clean Water Summer Camp
7 Bicycle Maintenance Clinic: Derailleurs
7-11 Racquets on the Riverwalk
9 Splash Into Spring
Riverbend Adventure Challenge
10-15 TWRA’s TN Outdoor Youth Summit
11-15 Kids 4 Clean Water Summer Camp
13 Street Smarts Cycling Seminar
14 Moccasin Bend Bicycle Tour
13-16 Chattanooga/Cleveland Charity Horse Show
15-17 Chattanooga Mountains Stage Race
16 Battlefield Bicycle Tour
21 Family Canoe Trip
22 Bat Cave Kayak Trip
25-29 Appalachian Adventure Summer Camp
July
8 Chattanooga Waterfront Triathlon
19 Bicycle Maintenance Clinic: Suspensions
23-27 TN River Gorge Adventure Summer Camp
August
4 Still Hollow Half Marathon/10K
11 Chattanooga Mud Run
16 Bicycle Maintenance Clinic: Wheels
25 Raft for the Cure