Trees and thick underbrush line dirt trails that wind up and down the hillside of Stringer's Ridge. An opening through the trees on the south side of the hill offer a panoramic view of downtown Chattanooga and the bridges across the Tennessee River.
It feels secluded, yet houses sit only hundreds of yards away, hidden by the thick vegetation and trees.
"I like the idea of preserving this land as a wilderness area," said Scott Seagle, a Chattanooga resident who hiked through the woods of Stringer's Ridge on Thursday afternoon.
The Trust for Public Land has been working for almost a year-and-a-half to preserve Stringer's Ridge as a wilderness park and is now $95,000 away from that goal, said Rick Wood, executive director of the Trust for Public Land.
The trust initially acquired the land for $2.5 million through pledges and commitments, and the Trust now within a stone's throw of that goal and hopes to have the whole package within three months, Mr. Wood said.
Chattanooga has pledged $500,000 toward buying the property and the rest is made up of private and nonprofit contributions, he said.
Acquiring the land began after a fight ensued when developers proposed building high-dollar condominiums on top of the ridge, which spans the northern portion of downtown Chattanooga's skyline.
In the past, Trust officials thought about selling a portion of the land for development if they weren't able to raise the whole financial package, Mr. Wood said. But pledges and a recent conservation easement of 55 acres by the Tennessee River Gorge have lessened that worry, he said.
"It's not looking like we're going to have to do it," he said. "We're so close."
A WALK IN THE WOODS
On Thursday, a group of about 30 people, led by Outdoor Chattanooga, hiked up Stringer's Ridge. The group headed up a trail to the top of the ridgeside and heard about some of the ecological systems in the area.
Ruth Thompson, events coordinator for Outdoor Chattanooga, led the hike. She said the group planned on doing at least a monthly hike up to the top of the ridge until it gets too cold to do so.
"One of the reasons we're doing this is to bring responsible users to the trail," Mrs. Thompson told the group. "People have been abusing this for years."
The group walked through the woods, seeing vistas of the city. Ms. Thompson said some groups banded together a few months ago and removed dumped tires and trash from the property.
FUN FACTS* Stringer's Ridge is named after Capt. William Stringer, a Mexican War veteran who died in 1860. Capt. Stringer is buried in a cemetery close to Stringer's Ridge.* In June 1862, Union troops fired for the first time into downtown Chattanooga from Stringer's Ridge, completely surprising Confederate troops.* Capt. Eli Lilly led the artillery troops who fired on the city from Stringer's Ridge in August 1863. Capt. Lilly, an Indiana native, later went back home and started a pharmacy, which became the Eli Lilly and Co. drug firm.* Col. John Thomas Wilder, who was Capt. Lilly's commander, saw potential in the area around Chattanooga. The Union brigade commander, also from Indiana, later moved to the area, prospected for coal, started an ironworks company and became mayor of Chattanooga.Source: Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military ParkA MORNING ON STRINGER'SThe Trust for Public Lands is planning an event from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, May 22, called "A Morning on Stringer's Ridge." Rick Wood, executive director for the Trust for Public Land, said there will be guided tours of the park, along with self-guided tours. Civil War historian Jim Ogden will also be on hand to talk about the area's history. Mr. Wood said it will serve as a way to "preview the property."
John Phillips, who lives in Trenton, Ga., but works in Chattanooga, said he remembered coming to the area in the 1990s. Back then, he said, he remembered seeing an old burnt-up Ford Mustang in the middle of the woods. Passing by an abandoned car seat on Thursday, he remarked that it might be the only thing left of the car.
"I don't hardly recognize anything," he said.
groups on hold
Several different organizations such as Southern Off-Road Bicycle Association and the Wilderness Trail Running Association, known as "the Boonies," have been cleaning and building trails on Stringer's Ridge.
Mark McKnight, a board member for the Boonies, said the organization helped pick up trash and install posts to keep dumpers out. Within a week, someone tore down the posts and dumped tires, he said.
"We pulled out hundreds of tires," Mr. McKnight said.
Jeffrey Schaarschmidt, president of the Chattanooga chapter of Southern Off-Road Bicycle Association, said the trail building is currently on hold until a master plan for the trails is finalized. Eventually, the Trust wants to build a parking lot and restrooms for the area, he said, so until that happens, they won't build a trail for fear there will be a paved lot over it.
"We're waiting for them to give us a green light," he said.
At some point, Mr. Wood said the plan is to turn the park over to the city or county.
"That is the hope and that is the plan," he said.
Larry Zehnder, the city's Parks and Recreation director, said there is no timeline on when that could happen. But he said it is still important for the area to be conserved.
"It's certainly more attractive that a large number of people will be able to come and enjoy rather than a select few who bought a condominium," he said.
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