Outdoor Chattanooga News And Events

Wednesday, November 11, 2015
Ruth Thompson

Here are upcoming news and events from Outdoor Chattanooga:

Free National Parks Entry for Veterans Day November 11

All US National Park entrance fees will be waived for all visitors in honor of Veterans Day on Wed., Nov. 11. Point Park on top of Lookout Mountain managed by Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park is the closest National Park to Chattanooga and is included in the fee-free day.

To find a National Park near you to visit on Veterans Day, or any other day, click here.

Look for the star * to see new events this week.

Street Cycling 101 November 16

Join us at Outdoor Chattanooga every 3rd Monday of the month for Street Cycling 101: How to drive your bike in Chattanooga. Our League of American Bicyclist Certified Instructors will teach you how to drive your bicycle safely in traffic. Participants need to know how to ride a bike to participate. Class meets at 6 p.m.on Mon., Nov. 16 at Outdoor Chattanooga. Call (423) 643-6888 or email Outdoor Chattanooga for more information and to get registered for this free class.

Interscholastic Climbing League Meet November 14 & 21

The Interscholastic Climbing League will hold it's first meet onSaturday, November 14 at High Point Downtown Chattanooga. The second meet will be held on Saturday, November 21 at High Point Riverside. For more information, email Outdoor Chattanooga or call (423) 643-6888.

Featured Community Events

Tallulah Falls Whitewater Release November 14, 15, 21 & 22

Looking to get out of town for the weekend to view the fall leaf colors and have an adventure? Head toTallulah Gorge State Park, just 3 hours from Chattanooga, to watch world-class kayakers navigate the Tallulah River. The Georgia Power Company releases extra water just five weekends out of the year, making it possible for experienced boaters to navigate the the Class IV-V rapids. Typical water flow on the River is 35-40 cubic feet per second (CFS), but on Saturday, the expanded water flow will be 500 (CFS) and on Sunday it is 700 CFS. Kayakers can be seen going over Oceana Falls from both the North and South Rim Trail at Tallulah Gorge State Park. They can also be seen going over Sweet Sixteen Falls from Tallulah Point Overlook. Tallulah Gorge State Park offers guided hikes to Bridal Veil Falls (rated strenuous) for $15 to watch kayakers brave the whitewater rapids. Campsites are also available with registration. For more information visit the State Park Website or call (706) 754-7970.

Upchuck 50K Trail Race

Wild Trails presents the 6th annual UPCHUCK 50K, a point-to-point trail ultra trail run on a technically challenging single track of the Cumberland Trail. The course has huge climbs and huge descents into Soddy Creek, Possum Creek and Rock Creek. This is an extremely challenging race and not for beginner ultra runners, so we suggest going to spectate. The race occurs Saturday, November 14 at 8 a.m.The Finish line is at 190 Depot Street Soddy Daisy, TN.

Tennessee Valley Heart Walk November 14

American Heart Association (AHA) is the largest voluntary health organization dedicated to defeating heart disease and stroke. The 2015 Tennessee Valley Heart Walk will be held on Sat., Nov. 14 at AT&T Field to raise awareness and funding for AHA in their mission to build healthier lives. The walk will be 3.5 miles and begin at10 a.m. You can still register to walk as an individual, create a team, or make a donation to support a team or participant. To find out more, visit the AHA Website.

Chickamauga Battlefield Marathon and 1/2 Marathon November 14

The 36th annual Chickamauga Battlefield Marathon, 1/2 Marathon, Jr. Marathon and 5K hosted by the Chattanooga Track Club will occur on Sat., Nov. 14. The start/finish is located at the 6th Cavalry Museum in Ft. Oglethorpe, GA. Races start at 7:25 a.m. There's still time toregister for the race (prices vary based on race selected) and volunteers are still needed to help with the race. All racers and volunteers get a race t-shirt and free pasta dinner the night before the race.

*Barn Nursery Citizen Forester Class November 21

Do you want to increase your awareness of the fundamental role that trees play in the local environment and get hands-on training in tree planting and care? Become a Citizen Forester! The Barn Nursery is offering the final of a 3 part workshop onSat., Nov. 21 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. The cost for the workshop is $20 and pre-registration is required. For more information on how to get registered for this class, call (423) 634-6839 or email ghyde@chattanooga.gov.

Community News

September 30, 2015 was a sad day for all of us that enjoy outdoor recreation in local, state and national parks. Congress let the Land and Water Conservation Fund(LWCF) expire, which for the past 50 years, provided an estimated $17 billion in funding to public lands across the U.S., without costing taxpayers a dime. Funding comes from royalties paid by offshore gas and oil drilling companies. In Tennessee alone, the LWCF provided nearly $189 million for public spaces projects. The negative effects won't be seen or felt immediately, but the loss may jeopardize the future of the outdoor spaces we have grown to love. If your interested in learning more about what you can do to help protect our parks for future generations, click here.

Raccoon Mountain will be closed Oct. 17- Nov. 21 for routine reservoir maintenance, which includes access to the boat ramp, biking and hiking trails.

T-WALL/PRENTICE COOPER will be closed Nov. 28 - Dec. 3 to recreation the for hunting.

ROCKTOWN will be closed to recreation Nov. 13-15 and Dec. 10-13 for hunting.
Passes are required for Rocktown and can be purchased here.