Chattanooga, TN - The Chattanooga chapter of the Southern Off-Road Bicycle Association (SORBA), the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), Outdoor Chattanooga and the National Park Service Rivers Trails and Conservation Assistance (RTCA) office will be celebrating the grand opening of the Raccoon Mountain Trail System, located at TVA’s Raccoon Mountain Pumped Storage Facility with an official ribbon-cutting on Saturday, June 2, at 1:00 PM (EDT).

Thanks to a unique agreement with TVA, SORBA-Chattanooga was granted permission to build this multi-use singletrack at the Raccoon Mountain Pumped Storage Facility.  With technical assistance from RTCA and Outdoor Chattanooga, this network of trails is seen as a benchmark for the development of accessible trail on public land.  Recognizing the potential for this project, the national Bikes Belong Coalition provided financial support with a $9,850 grant and volunteers from around the area have provided the labor needed to build this sustainable trail.  

This celebration is being held in conjunction with National Trails Day. The American Hiking Society's National Trails Day^® (NTD), held the first Saturday of every June, is America's largest celebration of trails and the outdoors. With more than 1000 events hosted by trail and community groups, public agencies, and businesses from coast to coast, there is something for everyone! Join the celebration on Saturday, June 2, 2007 for the 15th annual National Trails Day at Raccoon Mountain as these new trails are presented to the public with rides, refreshments and a special paddle on the Tennessee River Blueway, starting at the Raccoon Mountain boat launch. 

With the completion of the primary trail system, hikers and mountain bikers may now enjoy over 15 miles of singletrack trail that extends in a complete loop around the reservoir.  Designed for off-road bicycling, as well as hiking and running, the trail system will be generally appropriate for intermediate-level riders, with some sections for beginner and others for advanced riders. Using the road around the reservoir and other built features, the trail system has a “stacked loop” configuration that allows for many routes of varying difficultly levels.  The advanced sections, particularly, are loops off of the main trail.  Trey Commander, president of SORBA-Chattanooga, said that “it’s got something for everybody.  The amount and quality of trail will be unmatched in Chattanooga.” 

In 2004, SORBA announced the Singletrack Mind initiative, an ambitious plan to develop 100 new miles of singletrack within 10 miles of Chattanooga by 2010.  According to Greg Laudeman, Advocacy Coordinator for SORBA-Chattanooga, “many Chattanoogans are active mountain bikers, and many more would be if there were adequate opportunities to ride.”  Laudeman continued that “the development of new trails in a city that already has an outdoor disposition will have an immediate impact on the local cycling industry and tourism in general.  Fortunately, we have an unprecedented opportunity to build a high-quality trail system just 5 miles from downtown Chattanooga.”

This singletrack trail system complements the Tennessee Blueway, whch was established as a canoe and kayak trail in 2002. This Tennessee River trail begins at Chickamauga Dam, runs through downtown Chattanooga, around Moccasin Bend, and through the Tennessee River Gorge for 50 miles.  Designated a National Recreation Trail and part of the National Trail System, the Blueway and now the Raccoon Mountain Trail System provide unparalled opportunities for Chattanoogans and visitors to enjoy the outdoors.

For more information about mountain biking in Chattanooga, visit www.sorbachattanooga.org . 

 

All activities at the Laurel Point Recreation Area - All times EDT

Raccoon Mountain Boat Launch

Outdoor Chattanooga will host a free guided kayak trip for people aged 12 and over through the Tennessee River Gorge at 10:00 a.m.  The free two-hour downriver float is limited to10 participants. Outdoor Chattanooga will provide boats, guides, and transportation back to the launch site. Call (423) 643-6888 or email amy@outdoorchattanooga.com to reserve a spot or just bring your own boat to the TVA Boat Launch.

Directions to Raccoon Mountain:

 

Over the past decade, the Chattanooga region has gained a considerable reputation for its many outdoor activities and amenities, and for its environmental and conservation efforts. In May 2003, then Mayor of Chattanooga, Bob Corker, initiated a citizen-based process that established a Strategic Plan for Outdoor Recreation in the Chattanooga Region. This comprehensive initiative was shaped during a region-wide planning effort (October 2003 - January 2004), in which well over 1,000 citizens participated, sharing their ideas and concerns in a series of public meetings and work sessions.  Outdoor Chattanooga was formed as a direct response to this initiative. It was established as a regional mechanism with facilities dedicated to the recreational use, education, and stewardship of the region's natural areas.   For more information visitwww.outdoorchattanooga.com or contact Philip Grymes, Executive Director at (423) 643- 6888 or philip@outdoorchattanooga.com .

The technical assistance arm of the National Park Service, RTCA brings the expertise and insights of our National Park System to bear on local, close-to- home conservation and nature-based recreation efforts.  At the request of SORBA- Chattanooga, the National Park Service has taken an active role in assisting the group in planning and implementing its Singletrack Minds Initiative since 2004.  More information on RTCA can be found atwww.nps.gov/rtcaor by contacting Dr. Jeff Duncan, ecologist and recreation planner with the National Park Service, at (423)266-1150 or jeff_duncan@nps.gov.

The Southern Off-Road Bicycle Association is a non-profit, charitable organization who works with land managers in Tennessee to create trails for mountain bikers and other user groups to enjoy. Through advocacy, education, and recreation SORBA-Chattanooga carries out its mission to promote land access, trail preservation, and new trail development to enhance mountain bike touring, racing, fun, and fellowship for all mountain bicyclists in the southeast.  SORBA has over 2,000 members who help steward many miles of great trails in Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. The best riding in the southeast is found on trails maintained by our volunteers.   For more information go to www.sorbachattanooga.org

Construction at Raccoon Mountain began in 1970 and was completed in 1978.  The reservoir constructed at the top of the mountain has 528 acres of water surface.  The dam at Raccoon Mountain’s upper reservoir is 230 feet high and 8,500 feet long and is the largest rockfill dam ever built by TVA.  Once the upper reservoir is full, the pumped-storage plant can provide 22 hours of continuous power generation and the generating capacity of Raccoon Mountain is about 1,600 megawatts of electricity.  More information about the site is at www.tva.gov/sites/raccoonmt.htm or contact Sabrina Melton at slkuyken@tva.gov.