Williams Island Woodcock Walk - Winter 2026

• Trip Destination- Williams Island 

• When- February 20 & 25 from 5:45 pm – 8:00 pm EDT 

• Where - Participants will meet at Baylor School (171 Baylor School Road, Chattanooga, Tennessee 37405) at 5:45 pm EDT. TRGT staff will meet participants in the small gravel lot just before the guard shack then head to the TRGT boat.

• Costs: Free! Spots are limited to 16 participants per trip. Please consider donating to support our conservation work.

• Age Restrictions: 10 and up

• What to Bring- Please wear closed toe shoes and long pants (we’ll be doing an easy 1-mile hike), and please bring a flashlight and water. If you have a pair of binoculars, feel free to bring them. TRGT will also have extra binoculars.  

• What to Expect- The group will ride over to Williams Island in the TRGT boat followed by an easy 1-mile hike to the northern tip of Williams Island. Our goal is to observe male American Woodcock doing their fascinating courtship displays for the inspecting females. As with any other wildlife, they don’t always “read the script”, so we never know what we’ll find until we arrive. Thanks to our staff scouting ahead of time, we do feel confident that participants will find courting woodcock.  

Edwards Point Eaglet Watch - Winter 2026

• Trip Destination- Edwards Point

• When- March 13; meeting time will be posted soon!

• Where - Meeting locations will be posted soon!

• Costs: Free! Spots are limited to 16 participants per trip. Please consider donating to support our conservation work.

• Age Restrictions: 12 and up

• What to Bring- Please wear closed toe shoes and long pants; we’ll be doing an intermediate 4-mile hike (2 miles each way). Please bring water and feel free to bring binoculars. TRGT will also have extra binoculars.  

• What to Expect- The group will meet off Edwards Point Road then hike to the point where TRGT staff will set up a spotting scope and binoculars to observe the adults visiting their nest and feeding young. As with any other wildlife, they don’t always “read the script”, so we never know what we’ll find until we arrive. Thanks to our staff scouting ahead of time, we’re confident the eagles will be in the area.  

Bird Banding with TRGT - Spring 2025

Join us in 2026 on March 20, April 17, April 24 as our research team captures and bands wild birds at our Bird Observatory.

Participants will go for an early morning boat ride to the remote Bird Observatory where TRGT staff will be banding birds.

• When: March 20, April 17, and April 24 from 7:00 AM to 12:00 PM ET

• Where: Participants will meet TRGT staff to ride our boat to TRGT’s Bird Observatory at the Suck Creek Boat Ramp (Suck Creek Rd, Chattanooga, TN 37405).

• What to Bring: Please bring your own water, wear weather appropriate clothing and closed toed hiking shoes as you will be in the woods.

• Age Restrictions: 10 and up

• Costs: Free, but please register. Spots are limited to 12 people per trip.

• Additional details can be found soon in the registration links below

Birdwatching Hike with TRGT - Spring 2025

Join us in 2026 as our research team lead guided birdwatching hikes in the gorge!

• Stay tuned for event details and registration!

Sunset Kayak Tours- Fall 2026

Kayak through the Tennessee River Gorge with Outdoor Chattanooga and members of the Tennessee River Gorge Trust. This leisurely paddle is beginner friendly and a wonderful way to experience the Gorge at sunset. Not to mention, participants will get to paddle an incredible section of river in Chattanooga’s own backyard with experienced guides.

Participants will be able to register when seats open 2 weeks before the event. To register for this event, you must first create an account if you do not already have one. Follow the link below to create your account. You can then follow one of the registration links below to sign up for your preferred date and learn more information. Sunset Kayak events can also be found on the Chattanooga Parks & Outdoors site under ‘Programs/Event Registration’ -> ‘OC Programs’ -> ‘Explorer’ tab.

• When: Fall dates will be published in Summer of 2026

• Where: Participants will meet at the TVA Boat Ramp off Raccoon Mountain Road at 6:30 PM EST (the boat ramp can be found on Google Maps under "Boat Ramp, TVA Racoon Mnt. pump Station"). The boat ramp is directly downstream of the TVA Raccoon Mountain Pump Station.

• Gear: Hat, sunscreen, water bottle, small bag or way to keep car keys safe, water-friendly shoes/sandals, clothes that can get wet. Outdoor Chattanooga will provide kayaks, paddles, and life jackets.

• Shuttle: Outdoor Chattanooga will shuttle participants back to their vehicles at the launch site after the paddle.

• Age Restrictions: 14 and up

• Paddle Length: The paddle is 4.4 miles downstream and roughly 2 hours on the water. The trip will begin at the Raccoon Mountain Boat Ramp and end at Sullivan's Landing on Highway 41.