St. Elmo, a charming walkable neighborhood at the base of Lookout Mountain, is home to gems such as Little Coyote, a Michelin star restaurant, the Old Wauhatchie boulder field (the South's first and largest urban natural bouldering park), and the Incline Railway. Residents already enjoy safely walking and biking the length of St. Elmo via the Virginia Avenue Greenway, which connects to the TN Riverwalk.
Building just the first mile of the ChickChatt could connect St. Elmo and Walker County, Georgia. Learn more about the Model Mile.
Heading south from St. Elmo, we reach Flintstone, GA, also known as Chattanooga Valley. The views of Lookout Mountain from the valley are beautiful and the ChickChatt would unlock access to this region by foot. Bikers already love this route; it is part of USBR 21 and has been used as the Chattanooga Ironman bike route.
This portion of the ChickChatt Greenway, built along the unused TAG rail line, would expand outdoor access in a beautiful region that currently has very few public green spaces.
Between the towns of Chickamauga and Fort Ogelthorpe lies the woods, open greens, and winding pathways of the Chickamauga Battlefield Park, part of the the Chattanooga and Chickamauga National Military Park. This park contains around 50 miles of hiking trails, some paved.
The ChickChatt Greenway would open up car-free access to the Battlefield for the wider region.
Located near the nation's oldest and largest military park, the city of Chickamauga is steeped in history. It is full of charm and small-town appeal, with many small shops, restaurants, and museums.
Chickamauga has recently created a walking and biking path connecting the city to the Battlefield Park. The ChickChatt would build on this success and give Chickamauga further access to outdoor recreation: west towards Lookout Mountain and north towards Camp Jordan Park and the TN Riverwalk.
Tucked along a river gorge between two mountains, Chattanooga is known as "a city in a park." Upon receiving North America's first official designation as a National Park City, many locally-led initiatives to connect people and nature are popping up all over the city. In short, it's already a beautiful place and it's becoming more beautiful all the time.
Chattanooga has worked hard to create public green spaces and pathways within the city, but travel between Chattanooga and nearby Georgia is still limited to car traffic only. Both the residents of Chattanooga and of northwest Georgia would benefit from the connectivity that the ChickChatt Greenway would create.
Photo Credits: Catoosa County Chamber of Commerce
Described by Southern Living as a "quiet Georgia getaway," Ringgold is famous for being the site of the wedding of Dolly Parton and Carl Dean. Ringgold is a lovely place to visit, containing such gems as the Train Depot Opry, the Georgia Winery, the Old Stone Church Museum, and many delightful shops and restaurants.
Ringgold has recently been investing in public green spaces, including the Ringgold Nature Trail and Creek Walk, which connects the historic downtown to the beauty of South Chickamauga Creek. Both Ringgold and the wider area would benefit from a spur trail connecting Ringgold to the ChickChatt Loop.
The ChickChatt loop would connect people to existing green spaces and trails:
Detailed maps of the ChickChatt route can be found in this feasibility study.
An overview map can be found here.
We are the Friends of the ChickChatt Greenway: a coalition of neighbors, businesses, landowners, and leaders who want to see the ChickChatt realized.