The National Park Service advises the beginning of repair work on the Jackson Gap and John Smartt Trails on the south end of Lookout Mountain. This project is supported through an anonymous donation that was filtered through the Lookout Mountain Conservancy and the National Park Partners in order to utilize the Southeast Conservation Corps to complete the project. This two mile section of trail runs from a connecting trail on private land (Covenant College) to the John Smartt Trail and Upper Truck Trail intersection.
The park is using an agreement with the Southeast Conservation Corps to have students rebuild the trails and help make them sustainable for multi-use. One mile of the John Smartt Trail and one mile of the Jackson Gap Trail are designated in the Lookout Mountain General Management Plan Amendment to become multi-use trails for hikers and bicyclists, which will then allow them to connect to a regional trail system.
The Southeast Conservation Corps will begin this project on June 18, 2018, and it is scheduled to continue for eight weeks. During this time, the one mile section of the Jackson Gap Trail and the one mile section of the John Smartt Trail will remain closed to all foot traffic for the safety of workers and visitors alike.
For more information about Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, please contact the Lookout Mountain Visitor Center at 423- 821-7786, the Chickamauga Battlefield Visitor Center at 706-866-9241, or visit the park’s website at www.nps.gov/chch.