The Tennessee River Gorge Trust (TRGT) is thrilled to announce the addition of a new mountain biking trail system in the Tennessee River Gorge to help continue making Chattanooga the best outdoor town around! This project has been made possible by support from our community and partners. The first phase of the Aetna Mountain Trails opened in the fall of 2023 which offers roughly 4 miles of multi-use trail. Upon completion of all three phases, the trail system will ultimately offer 10+ miles of high-quality singletrack trails atop Aetna Mountain for mountain bikers, hikers, and trail runners.
A big thank you to Black Creek, the Lyndhurst Foundation, Tower Community Bank, Chattanooga Tourism Co, Rock Creek, Fox Factory, the International Mountain Biking Association, RH Aviation, and many individual donors for making this project possible!
Current Layout of Phase I Trails
Conceptual Design of Entire Trail Layout
Project Updates
Construction of Phase I Trails: June 2023- The International Mountain Biking Association’s Trail Solutions crew= completed trail construction over the summer of 2023. Meanwhile, the TRGT team completed signage, trailhead infrastructure, and minor trail work.
Grand Opening of Phase I Trails: September 2023- TRGT is opening the first phase of the Aetna Mountain Trail on September 29, 2023! There will be a brief event at 2:00 PM ET and the trails will be officially open to the public following the event.
Fundraising for Phase II: April 2024 and on- We have officially kicked off fundraising for Phase II of the the Aetna Mountain Trails. We are currently 25% of the way towards our fundraising goal thanks to a grant from the Riverview Foundation. To donate to Phase II, use this link or click the button below. Thank you for your support!
Directions to Trailhead
The trailhead is roughly 0.5 miles up the mountain past 2924 River Gorge Drive. This address for a model home before you reach the trailhead parking lot. Continue up River Gorge Drive until you reach the trailhead parking lot at a hairpin curve.