The Nickajack Naturalist

Update: Opposition Revived to Hixson Development

                                                                     From Nooga.com and The Chattanoogan

  Some Hixson residents are again expressing opposition to a major propoposed development at Hwy. 153 and Boy Scout Rd. after getting word that the developer plans to resubmit his application to the Planning Commission.    Read more.   Click here for an article from The Chattanoogan.

Nickajack Cave Rescue Revisited

  In 1992, a Bryant, Alabama man and two friends swam under the fence blocking the entrance and into Nickajack Cave.  He became seperated from his friends, who made it out, and trapped in the cave.  After an epic rescue operation which involved lowering the water level of the lake, he was rescued over 15 hours later.  The story is recounted in a recent article in Get Out Chattanooga.

The entrance of Nickajack Cave. 

  

New Web Page Features TVA Trails

  TVA has launched a new web page which features 31 recreational trails on TVA land totalling 137 miles.  The list includes the reservoir the trail is located along, trail length and dificulty, and uses (hiking, biking,etc.), along with a trail map and driving directions for most trails.  There is also a regional map with clickable icons for each trail.  Trails located in the South Cumberland region include:  Big Ridge Small Wild Area near Chickamauga Dam, the Fiery Gizzard Trail at Foster Falls, Cave Mountain and Cooley Cemetary Trails near Guntersville Dam, three trails on Watts Bar Lake, the Raccoon Mountain trails, and the Little Cedar Mountain Trail on Nickajack Lake.  Click here to view the web page.   

Bob Butters

View from Saddlehorn Rock Overlook on the Fiery Gizzard Trail near Foster Falls.  While part of the South Cumberland State Recreation Area, Foster Falls is also a TVA Small Wilds Area.

Little Cedar Mountain, a TVA day use area on Nickakjack Lake, has a 3 1/2 mile hiking trail system.  

New Lookout Hiking Club Plans Fall Hikes

                                                                     From The Chattanoogan

  The newly formed Lookout Hiking Club is planning two fall hikes on Lookout Mountain.    Read more. 

Hiketoberfest Highlights Cumberland Trail on Signal Mountain

                                                                         From Nooga.com

  Hiketoberfest on Sunday, October 14 offers an in-depth introduction to the wilds of the Cumberland Trail, a trail system that traverses 190 miles of the Cumberland Plateau from Cumberland Gap National Historic Park in Kentucky to its southern terminus on Walden's Ridge.  Read more.

Fall is Prime Time for Chattanooga Area Hiking

Hiking along the Bluff Trail on Lookout Mountain.

                                                                    From timesfreepress.com

  Outdoor enthusiasts are flocking to the Chattanooga area.  With the summer heat fading, it's a perfect time to take advantage of the area's many hiking trails.  A Times Free Press Facebook poll asked readers to name their favorite spots.   Read more.