Gorgeous Adventures
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Stay tuned! Additional events will be posted to the site over the month of February, including birdwatching hikes, a spring color cruise boat ride, and group hikes/rides at the Aetna Mountain Trails.
Grand Opening of the second phase of the Aetna Mountain Trails!
What: This celebration event will begin at 3:30 pm ET with a few words from our team, followed by the ribbon cutting and an inaugural group ride. The system will include roughly 8 miles of modern singletrack multi-use loop trails.
Where: Aetna Mountain Trailhead
When: August 21, 2026 at 3:30 pm ET
What to Bring: The trails will be opening to the public, so feel free to bring your hiking shoes or bike!
Costs: Free!
Bird Banding with TRGT - Fall 2026
Join us this fall 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 followed by a short hike into the property where TRGT researchers will be banding birds.
When: September 17, September 25, October 2, and October 16 from 7:00 (or 7:30 for later dates) to 11:00 am ET. The registration emails for each date will include the start time.
Where: Participants will meet at the Suck Creek Boat Ramp (across the street from 1901 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. If you have a pair of binoculars, feel free to bring them. TRGT will also have extra binoculars.
Age Restrictions: 10 and up
Costs: Free, but please register. Spots are limited to 12 people per trip.
Additional details can be found in the registration links below
Fall Color Cruises - 2026
Join us for a boat ride down the gorge at peak fall colors!
When: October 27 and October 28 from 5:00 pm - 6:30 pm ET
Where: Participants will meet at the Suck Creek Boat Ramp (across the street from 1901 Suck Creek Rd, Chattanooga, TN 37405)
What to Bring: Please wear weather appropriate clothing (it always feels colder on the boat!). If you have a pair of binoculars, feel free to bring them. TRGT will also have extra binoculars.
Age Restrictions: 10 and up
Costs: Free, but please register. Spots are limited to 12 people per trip.
Additional details can be found in the registration links below
Williams Island Cookout- Fall 2026
Join the Tennessee River Gorge Trust and Lodge Cast Iron at Williams Island for a fall cookout surrounded by the beauty of the Tennessee River Gorge!
Chef Kris from Lodge Cast Iron will be cooking up a delicious meal on the island with Lodge Cast Iron cookware from 4:30–7:00 p.m. The menu will include Cast Iron Phillies (with a vegetarian option), sides, dutch oven cobbler, and ice cream! Participants will be shuttled over to the island on TRGT’s boat followed by a short hike for a campfire style dinner.
Where: Williams Island; participants will meet at 613 Terminal Road, Chattanooga, TN at 4:30 pm to board the shuttle.
When: November 19, 4:30–7:00 p.m
What to Bring: Dress for the weather and bring your own camp chair.
Age: 10 and up
Cost: Free!
Please consider supporting the Tennessee River Gorge Trust and our work to conserve and care for the Tennessee River Gorge. Our suggested donation amount is $40 per person- Donate to TRGT here
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 3 weeks before the event. To register for this event, you must first create an account if you do not already have one. Follow this link 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: Dates include September 3rd, September 17th, and October 1st.
Where: Participants will meet at the TVA Boat Ramp off Raccoon Mountain Road by 6:00 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. All paddlers are required to use Outdoor Chattanooga kayaks as this ensures that all paddlers travel at a similar speed and that the kayaks can be loaded on the trailer.
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.
Past 2025 Williams Island Woodcock Walk Graphic
Williams Island Woodcock Walk - February 2027 (dates determined by birds’ arrival)
Trip Destination- Williams Island
When- This is a recurring event in February; final dates are announced in January based on environmental factors.
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.
Past 2025 Eaglet Watch Graphic
Edwards Point Eaglet Watch - March 2027
Trip Destination- Edwards Point
When- This is a recurring event in February; final dates are announced in January based on the status of the eagle nest.
Where - We will meet at a pull off along Edwards Point Road. Specifically near where Hassler Road meets Edwards point road (around these coordinates: 35.149, -85.369). Be on the lookout for a TRGT truck pulled off to the side of the road.
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 that can get muddy and long pants; we’ll be doing an intermediate 4-mile hike (2 miles each way). Please bring water and 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.