Chattanooga Special Places: Maclellan Island

Have you ever heard of a Rain Shadow Desert? This natural anomaly is normally seen in areas that lie in the shadows of mountain ranges. Death Valley and the Argentinian Deserts of Patagonia and Monte are the examples that most people know but Chattanooga has its own and everyone who has driven over the Veteran’s Bridge has experienced one without even knowing it! 

Maclellan Island is a great example of this phenomenon and the things that create it.

Since these topics are a part of the learning alignments for successful students, Chattanooga’s “rain shadow desert” represents a great opportunity for families to learn together while having a whole lot of fun!  Whether you get there with the Chattanooga Ducks, by boat, kayak, SUP rental, or your own mode of travel the island is an exciting adventure.

Maclellan Island is an 18.8-acre refuge with a 2-mile hiking trail that loops around its perimeter.  In our city’s history it has been called Audubon Island, Maclellan Island, Chattanooga Island, Crutchfield Island and Ross’ Landing Island.  Above it looms Veterans Bridge, a single steel girder structure performing the natural work of a mountain range.  With a span of 420 feet, the bridge’s width forms a barrier preventing rain and moisture from reaching earth and creating a narrow strip of desert that bisects the historic island.

Archeological digs have produced relics dating man’s history on the island back to twelve to fifteen thousand years ago.  Gorgets, jewelry pieces, and remains revealed by floodwaters gave evidence to sites from the Paleo-Indian Period (circa 14,000-8,000 BC), the Archaic and Mississippian Periods (circa 1,500 – 1,335 BC) and the Woodland Period (circa 405 BC). 

The Cherokee, following in the tradition of the “Long Man,” whose head lay in the mountains and whose thoughts spilled from it like water, settled on the banks of flowing water and in the valleys of majestic mountains.  Cherokee history is etched into Maclellan Island, seasoned by Hernando DeSoto’s soldiers, the French merchants who used the Tennessee River Gorge as a trade route and the pioneers and soldiers who all discovered the Valley and its beauty trying to go other places. 

In 1887 Thomas Maclellan founded Provident Life and Accident Insurance Company and his son Bob, Robert J. Maclellan, became one of eight men known colloquially as the “Guinea Table.”  These men met at the Mountain City Club, shared fellowship and were avid city boosters, both philanthropic and fearful regarding progress and its impact on their community.  The “Guinea Table” was replaced by public and private partnerships that changed the city’s landscape and inspired a new generation of development and engagement. 

The Maclellan family’s charitable giving has supported numerous local and national programs, including the McCallie School, the Chattanooga Christian School and the Character Education Program in Hamilton County public schools.  In 1954 their philanthropy extended to blend the environment and education when Bob Maclellan gave the island in the downstream third of the Tennessee River to the Audubon Society so that the land might be preserved and shared.

Families today can learn about rain shadow deserts, see ecology in action, meet a lot of neat wildlife, see Osprey nesting platforms, a Great-blue Heron rookery and, most importantly, enjoy an adventure that celebrates the spirit of education, engagement and a lifetime of learning and exploration - together.  It’s one thing for a child to learn about something from a book, another to explore a topic in a classroom and a whole different level of learning and engagement to dive into a world of fun learning with their family.

Thanks for joining us and please enjoy these links as you plan your adventure having fun and learning here in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

How to get there:

Chattanooga Ducks http://www.chattanoogaducks.com/

SUP - http://www.l2outside.com/

Outdoor Chattanooga - http://www.outdoorchattanooga.com/land/maclellan-sanctuary-at-audubon-island

Audubon Society - http://www.chattanoogaaudubon.org/audubon-island.html

What it costs - http://www.chattanoogaaudubon.org/audubon-island.html

What to look for:

Osprey Nesting Platforms

Great-blue Heron Rookery

Rain Shadow Desert

Explore more historic photographs online with the Chattanooga Public Library: http://chattlibrary.org

Where to go to learn more:  http://www.chattanoogaaudubon.org/audubon-island.html

What to pack:  There are primitive campsites available with rentals through the Chattanooga Audubon Society.  For day trips be sure to pack plenty of bug repellant and sunscreen.  What a great place for a picnic and an afternoon adventure!

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Jennifer Crutchfield is the Director of Public Relations at WTCI, author of “Chattanooga Landmarks,” a relocation agent for global families and mother to Will, George and Max.  Share your favorite landmark with her at jennycrutchfield@gmail.com.