Give the Gift of Adventure!

Outdoor Chattanooga News & Events December 2017

Outdoor Chattanooga's newsletter highlights the awesome outdoor activities happening in and around Chattanooga that will connect you to the outdoors and inspire you to come out and play with us!

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Outdoor Chattanooga Events

Outdoor Chattanooga Website Redesign Survey

Our website is nearly 5 years old! That's a major milestone in world wide web years. And, although we're proud of our creation, we also know we're overdue for an upgrade and redesign of our beloved site. We would love to have your input to help us make the new site the best it can be. Ultimately, we want you to be able to find the info you're looking for quickly and efficiently so you can get outside sooner. Click here to take the survey and tell us what you like, don't like and would like to see on our new site. We can't wait to show off the new, reimagined us, when the time is right.

Rapid Learning Whitewater Kayak Program Practice Session

Tuesday, December 5th 7:00-9:00 p.m.

Outdoor Chattanooga's Rapid Learning Whitewater Kayak Program continues through the winter months at the Hulsey Wellness Center at Southern Adventist University in Collegedale, TN. No reservation or experience required. The first class is always free and includes all equipment and instruction. There is a $2 pool use fee charged by the Wellness Center. Please bring cash. Additional sessions: Feb. 6, March 6, and April 3. For more info email Outdoor Chattanooga .

Winter Workshop Series: Wilderness First Aid

Thursday, January 18th and 25th 6:00-7:30 p.m.

Outdoor Chattanooga's Winter Workshop Series returns in 2018 to offer a series of classroom based, outdoor education and skill building workshops that are free and open to the public. All ages are welcome. Reservations or experience NOT required to attend. We start the series with a 2-part introduction to Wilderness First Aid on Jan. 18 and 25th ( **Non-certification course**). Wilderness first aid training prepares you for how to handle emergencies in the woods until you can get to definitive care. **These workshops are not for certification, but do offer insightful discussions for training and practice purposes. Jan. 18 - Part 1: Participants will gain a better understanding on how to assess, treat, and contain emergencies related to soft tissue injury, fractures, trauma and building splints. Jan. 25 - Part 2: will cover emergencies related to environmental disasters, exposure, survival hacks, and hypothermia. Come for one or both. For more info email Outdoor Chattanooga or call 423.643.6888 to learn more.

Additional Winter Workshops occur Thursdays, 6:00-7:30 p.m., Jan. 18 through March 1st at Outdoor Chattanooga, 200 River St. in Coolidge Park. Click here to learn more.

More Outdoor Chattanooga Events

Community Events

Mainx24

Saturday, December 2nd 7:00 a.m. - Sunday, December 3rd 7:00 a.m.

Mainx24 is a 24-hour long festival celebrating Main Street and the surrounding Southside, held every December since 2007. Mainx24 features programming all day long, from parades to music, to friendly competitions by bike, big wheel and chili cook-offs. Mainx24 is free and open to the public and has something for everyone. A schedule of events is available here.

Christmas at Red Clay State Park

Sunday, December 10th 6:00-8:00 p.m.

Christmas at Red Clay State Park is an opportunity to learn about how the Cherokee and the Settlers in this area celebrated the holidays. Take a walk through time and see the park as it was seen through the eyes of the historic figures that lived in the area. This living history event includes singing traditional songs, cooking over the fire and learning about the traditions of the past. This event is free and open to the public. Advance reservations required. Click here to learn more and reserve online.

Chilhowee New Year's Eve Ride

Sunday, December 31st 9:00 a.m.

Join SORBA Chattanooga for a New Year's Eve Group Ride on Chilhowee. Come see where the roots of Chattanooga Mountain Biking were founded and learn more about the Ocoee area all while celebrating another year on two wheels! Group will meet at the Clemmer Trailhead or at the Chilhowee Campground at 9:00 a.m. on Sunday, December 31. Ride is weather dependent.

More Community Events

This Month's Local Outdoor Adventure

Giving the Gift of Adventure

Outdoor Chattanooga's Local Giving Guide

Tis the season for gift giving. This holiday season, how about gifting an outdoor adventure or experience instead of traditional gifts wrapped in boxes under the tree. The Scenic City offers a plethora of outdoor activities for that special someone on your gift list. Not only will you give them a gift to remember, you'll be supporting a local business or organization. In compiling this list, we came to realize even more now than before how awesome it is to live Chattanooga! It truly is the Best Town Ever!!

Here's Outdoor Chattanooga's gift giving recommendations:

For the curious climber: Give them a gift card or membership to High Point Climbing or Tennessee Bouldering Authority (TBA), two local climbing gyms that will introduce them to the sport or keep them active during the winter months.

For the serious cyclist and much loved mountain biker: Gift them with a SORBA Membership, IMBA Membership, or GA State Parks Season Pass so they can give back to and get out on the trails they love.

For the perpetual paddler: Gift them with gift cards or future SUP/Kayak rentals so they can paddle on peaceful waters, L2 Outside or Rusty's Kayaks. For those paddlers that seek a little more adventure and adrenaline; Outdoor Chattanooga's Rapid Learning Whitewater Kayak Program may be the perfect fit.

For the wanderlust water lover: Look into these local companies to help plan your next water adventure. Scenic City Safari Shuttles and Outfitters, River Canyon Adventures, or Chattanooga Paddleboards. A little further out on the Hiwassee and for those that want to brave some rapids there's Hiwassee Outfitters or Webb Brothers.

For the watcher of wildlife: Sandhill Crane Cruises on the Tennessee River Gorge Explorer, Chattanooga Zoo Membership, Reflection Riding Arboretum and Nature Center, Chattanooga Audubon Society, Tennessee Aquarium.

For the happy hiker: GA State Parks Season Pass to access all the great trails at Cloudland Canyon State Park on Lookout Mountain.

For the consistent commuter: Gift them with a Bike Chattanooga pass or membership so they can commute around town.

For the adrenaline junkie: Chattanooga Skydiving Company, Lookout Mountain Hang Gliding, Ruby Falls Zipstream, or Ocoee River Whitewater Rafting Outfitters

If you're set on giving a tangible gift that can be unwrapped, try shopping at a local consignment shop such at Gear Closet or Four Bridges Outfitters.

Did you know that you could support several local non-profits when you shop online at Amazon? All you have to do is pick the charity, go shopping and make your regular purchases through smile.amazon.com and Amazon will donate 0.5% of eligible purchases to that charity.

Lastly, you could consider making a donation to any of these local non-profits in your loved one's name and help spread good cheer for conservation all through the year.

Lookout Mountain Conservancy

Lula Lake Land Trust

TenneSEA - Kids for Clean Water

Tennessee River Gorge Trust

Trust for Public Land