SORBA Chattanooga announces a grand opening event to celebrate the completion of two new trails within the Raccoon Mountain trail system. Live Wire and High Voltage will add 8.5 miles to the existing system for a total of almost 30 miles.
The work is a result of the combined effort of almost 2,000 hours of volunteer work by SORBA Chattanooga, a $50,000 grant from the Lyndhurst Foundation, and approximately $150,000 in improvements to the Laurel Point area of the park by TVA.
The TVA improvements include a changing booth, bike wash, bike repair stand, a new parking lot, as well as all of the materials for the construction of a pump track.
“These new trails will provide riders with a combination of technical difficulty and natural beauty that is unmatched in the southeast,” said Erik Rippon, president of SORBA Chattanooga. “The elevation change from the boat ramp at the bottom to the top of Live Wire is 1,250 feet, which is about the same as Lookout Mountain, and provides riders with a new challenge and adds to the area’s compelling trail systems that attract riders from all over the country.”
The grand opening celebration is on June 7 at 10 a.m. at the new Laurel Point parking lot. There will be a short ceremony before three guided group rides disperse. A beginner level ride will tour the trials immediately surrounding Laurel Point. Intermediate riders will make a full lap round the top of the mountain. Advanced riders will make a lap around the mountain that includes the new trails. After the rides, a cookout lunch will be provided by SORBA Chattanooga. For additional information about the day’s festivities, contact Erik Rippon at president@sorbachattanooga.org.