URBAN WILDERNESS

In 2007, 92-acres of wilderness atop Stringer’s Ridge on the north side of Chattanooga was saved from a 500-condominium development. This hidden treasure is surrounded by housing subdivisions that can only be seen from within the historic property when spring’s green falls away.

The forest is dense and the trails well marked. Wandering along the tightly-treed paths made me feel as though I was alone in an ancient wilderness, except for the distant city sounds of sirens and traffic filtering through the foliage.

Slowly being consumed by the forest, scattered ruins in the wilderness are a reminder of how close this jewel of preservation came to being decimated by developers.

A creative solution to graffiti has been implemented by friends of the environment that live nearby and utilize this area often. I met neighborhood resident Nadeen, who told me “Springer’s Ridge was flooded with hikers, mountain bikers and runners during the peak of the Covid quarantine.” I hiked four-miles of trails on a beautiful Saturday morning and encountered a total of nine people.

Springer’s Ridge overlook deck is a star attraction, with a sweeping view of Downtown Chattanooga just 2-miles away. During the Civil War battle for Chattanooga, Union troops shelled the City from the four, wooded hilltops along Springer’s Ridge. You’ll need a good zoom lens or binoculars to pick out the “Scenic City’s” famous landmarks from here.

The John Ross Bridge on the left was built in 1917. On the right, Walnut Street Bridge was built in 1891, is half-a-mile long and one of the longest pedestrian bridges in the world.

The prominent-pointy-paned tops belong to the Tennessee Aquarium, which has its own Groundhog Day celebration with Chattanooga Chuck and home to more than 12,000 animals, representing 800 species.  

Home to the Chattanooga Lookouts minor-league baseball team, this view AT&T Field is hard to beat. The ballpark’s outfield fences stop at the edge of a steep drop behind the trees.