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 - March 13 2026

• Trip Destination- Edwards Point

• When- March 13; 8:30 am to 11:30 am EDT

• 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.  

David Haskell Speaker Event- March 27, 2026

Join us for a free event with award-winning author and biologist David Haskell as he speaks about his new book, How Flowers Made our World: The Story of Nature’s Revolutionaries!

• When: March 27 6:00 - 7:00 pm EST

• Where: University of Tennessee Chattanooga Fine Arts Center

• Costs: Free, but donations to TRGT are welcomed!

• No registration needed

• For additional information: Please email Catherine-Meeks@utc.edu

This event is sponsored by the University of Tennessee Chattanooga Environmental Studies program and the Tennessee River Gorge Trust.

Bird Banding with TRGT - Spring 2026

Join us in 2026 on March 20, April 17, April 24 and May 14 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 (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.

• 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 Hikes with TRGT - Spring 2026

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

• When: May 22 and 29, 2026 from 7 AM EST to 10 AM EST

• Where: Each day will be at a different location. On May 22, we will be birding Williams Island. On May 29, we will be birding Aetna Mountain Trails.

• 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: 12 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

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.