This moderate 2.5 mile or 7.5 mile hikes begin and end at the Chattanooga Nature Center parking area. The trail starts out on a gravel road, and winds past the Chief Walkingstick cabin and continues along roadbed to the Humphreys House (a bit of Civil War history here). The trail then breaks out of the woods through a meadow @ the base of Lookout Mountain and continues on roadbed for a short while until we get into the woods again and take a woodland trail past the pavilion and a bamboo thicket- a hit with the summer camp kids. We take up roadbed again through the woods to the gazebo overlooking the siren pond, with its frog chorus. After a break @ the gazebo, those interested in a longer hike can continue along the Lower Truck Trail (road bed, very easy terrain with only one small hill) to Skyuka Springs- a 5 mile roundtrip walk following Lookout Creek. Those wishing to take a shorter route can continue along the Indian Profile loop back to the Nature Center. This includes passing by the Cherokee Eye (a bit of Native American Folklore) and a millstone brought by barge in the early 1800s. Civil War buffs can stop to study the interpretive markers along Lookout Creek as we follow it back towards the Nature Center. If we’re lucky we may spot a beaver playing along the creek bank The trail ends just outside the boardwalk, and those interested can stroll along it to a blue heron observation bench; and check out the tree house along the way as well. The hike is only a 15 minute drive from downtown Chattanooga.

This event is being produced by Caroline Woerner. Contact the event organizer via email for additional information.

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RiverRocks is a fun-filled, family-friendly, environmentally-conscious event that celebrates the Tennessee Valley’s incomparable natural resources, the health benefits of an active, outdoor lifestyle and Chattanooga’s commitment to environmental stewardship and land conservation.

Events and activities include rock climbing, trail running, kayaking, rowing, cycling, off-road biking, hiking and hang gliding for both expert and novice competitors as well as casual participants of all ages. The 10-day event will also feature entertainment such as live music, hot air balloons, river cruises and more. RiverRocks celebrates the majesty of the area’s mountains, rivers and forests by holding many of the festival’s events in some of the Tennessee Valley’s unsurpassed parks and conservancies. These natural resources inspire the kind of outdoor activities that promote healthy lifestyles.

But RiverRocks also exists to help save the abundant land and watersheds set aside through conservancies and land trusts for future generations. In fact, our goal is to ultimately redistribute 50¢ of every dollar collected by RiverRocks to non-profit trusts and conservancies right here in the Tennessee Valley.

Local land trusts and conservation organizations that will benefit from RiverRocks proceeds include the Tennessee River Gorge Trust, the Trust for Public Land, Lula Lake Land Trust, North Chickamauga Creek Conservancy, Cumberland Trail, Lookout Mountain Conservancy, Friends of Moccasin Bend and Reflection Riding Arboretum & Botanical Garden.