Tennessee River Gorge Trust

08/28/2026

Thank you to everyone who joined us in celebrating the opening of the second phase of the Aetna Mountain Trails!

This trail expansion was community driven from the start, offering a unique addition to our region’s existing trail network. If you don’t have any weekend plans yet, we know a good spot to ride or hike…. 👀

📷 Matt Hamilton with Chattanooga Times Free Press

08/19/2026

We hope to see you there!

Aetna Mountain’s trail system is expanding with nearly finished phase two trails by the Tennessee River Gorge Trust. These new adaptive mountain biking trails add four miles, incorporating beginner and intermediate loops, and will officially open August 21st at 3:30 p.m. from the River Gorge Drive...

08/18/2026

🤝Tag your ride or die who you’d fly into a mist net for if you heard them calling.

🪶Did you know…

📢Tufted Titmouse are highly social and vocal songbirds. Their vocalizations will often attract others into the area during bird banding operations and sometimes even lead to a flock of titmouse following our researchers back to the banding station. This behavior also makes catching multiple titmouse at once quite common.

📷 Ollie LaCroix

08/12/2026

The Aetna Mountain Trails map is about to get a lot bigger on August 21 at 3:30 pm!

Join us at the Aetna Mountain Trailhead off River Gorge Drive to celebrate the opening of a second phase of trails (4 additional miles). Be sure to bring your bike or hiking shoes. Festivities will begin at 3:30 pm on August 21 followed by a casual group mountain bike ride. Everyone is welcome to hike or bike the trails following a brief ceremony.

📷 Andy Ramirez

08/11/2026

Welcome the Gorge’s newest resident!

Last month, our team encountered this young’un taking a dip in the river near Suck Creek. Did you know, fawns retain their white spots for roughly 90-120 days as a form of camouflage imitating sun-dappled light on the forest floor? Plus, they are born with minimal scent to help avoid unwelcome visitors.

📷 Coral Quering

07/29/2026

Mark your calendars! New trails opening on August 21 at 3:30 pm EST.

The second phase of the Aetna Mountain Trails is almost complete! These new multi-use trails will add 4 miles, doubling the size of the Aetna Mountain Trails system. All new trails have been built to adaptive mountain biking standards and include both a beginner-friendly green loop and intermediate blue loop.

Thank you to the Riverview Foundation, Hamilton County Mayor’s Office , Black Creek Chattanooga , Gearhead Outfitters - Rock/Creek Outfitters, the Mingus family, and the Aetna Mountain Trails Ambassadors for making these trails possible!

07/17/2026

Definitely a red card…

We love that visitors felt a connection to this special spot in the gorge, but this iconic water oak at a popular TRGT destination was not the right canvas for J and H to memorialize their love.

We hope this incident serves as a reminder for others to leave no trace when exploring the outdoors on conserved land.

07/15/2026

You may have noticed that new benches and picnic tables have been showing up on Williams Island over the year.

Thank you to Archer Western for helping improve the Williams Island Campground!

07/10/2026

There are 7 iconic Tennessee River Gorge destinations packed into this vista! Props to the local experts that can name all 7 without reading the rest of the caption.

Starting from upstream headed downstream, this vista includes Williams Island, Signal Point, Julia Falls Overlook, Middle Creek, Edwards Point, Suck Creek, and Lawson Rock.

We hope you have the chance to visit one of these spots over the weekend!

07/04/2026

🇺🇸Happy Independence Day!🇺🇸

If you’re spending time outside this Fourth of July, keep an eye out for all the birds sporting our national colors.