This is the final part of a two-day series taking a look at how Chattanooga became an outdoor destination.
Former Chattanooga mayor Bob Corker looks back proudly at the growth of the outdoor culture in the Scenic City.
"Our community is renowned," said Corker, now a U.S. senator, who worked to raise Chattanooga's image as an outdoors city when he was mayor. "People have bought in, and they have come from around the world."
But that doesn't mean the outdoors community doesn't think there is work to be done.
Some argue Chattanooga is at a pivotal moment. The initial phases are done: Trails have been built, land has been conserved and world-class events have come. Now it's time for a cultural shift, they say.
"Chattanooga is in a group of very few cities that no matter where you are, you can get to natural resources within 15 minutes. Very few cities can say that," Rock/Creek co-founder Dawson Wheeler said. "I'm super proud with what Chattanooga has done, but resting on that, I think, would be a d–– shame."
Chattanooga still ranks as one of the most unhealthy cities in the country. Its residents are among the fattest, and smoking remains a problem across the state.
In this 2011 staff file photo, while on a trail that overlooks downtown Chattanooga, local outdoor advocate Jim Johnson speaks about how he played an essential role in saving the Stringer's Ridge woodlands by donating a substantial amount of his own money to preserve the property.Local outdoor leaders have discussed ideas on how Chattanooga takes the outdoors to another level, reaching more citizens to create a healthier city. That group includes Wheeler; Jim Johnson, trail advocate, former Chattanooga Bike Club president and president of Biketoursdirect.com; Ruthie Thompson, Thrive Regional Partnership and former Outdoor Chattanooga events coordinator; Chad Wykle, current Rock/Creek co-owner; and Andrew Bailey, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga sports and leisure professor.
The first step is education and getting more people involved, Wheeler and Thompson said.
"It's done by getting people out. It's a lot harder than when we were kids because we didn't have smartphones and all the toys kids have today," Thompson said. "It comes down to getting kids outdoors. I firmly believe once you get someone outdoors, they'll be hooked."
And that education process involves more than just teaching children, Wheeler said. It involves a cultural shift among corporations in the area. Wheeler pointed to studies showing that corporations that promote healthy living and volunteering usually have happier employees.
From there, outdoor leaders are looking to connect trails for residents to recreate and travel safely on bike or foot. But before that can be done, the group believes outdoor leaders need to come together with officials and figure out what Chattanooga wants to look like and how to best manage growth.
"We're at a critical moment, where we have to decide where we want to go," Bailey said. "Now is the time we have to decide what we want to look like."
To do that, they need new leaders to emerge.
"We're ready for 2.0, but we need a champion," Wykle said.
Johnson, a Chattanooga transplant, believes he can be one of those champions.
His Chattanooga-based company leads bike tours throughout Europe, and he sees vast potential in the city. He is attempting to turn that potential into a world-class town that rivals the top cities in Europe. He donated $50,000 to build trails on Stringer's Ridge, developed a plan outlining the future of trail connectivity in the region and has helped acquire grants for area projects.
"Almost from day one, I heard again and again the phrase 'Chattanooga Way,'" he said. "That inspired me. People would do amazing things whether it was time, money or energy. People in this town would do what it took to get things done."
Johnson is attempting to connect the area with paved trails and greenways through grants, partnerships and Rails with Trails – a national campaign to build recreational paths alongside existing railways or on top of old rail systems.
From there, Johnson's goal will be to connect the region through designated bike routes – mapped routes of bike-friendly and easy-to-follow roads.
The system would provide safe routes for people to travel between Chattanooga, Knoxville and Nashville (Chattanooga is already connected to Atlanta). Ultimately those routes could connect to the U.S. Bike Route System, billed as the "Interstate highway system for bikes." The system has a goal of 40,000 miles of designated, interconnected bike-friendly roads and trails in the U.S. Nearly 12,000 miles of the route has been approved through 25 states.
"This region is every bit as attractive as the most popular cycling regions in Europe," Johnson said. "The potential here is huge."
Contact Mark Pace at mpace@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6361. Follow him on Twitter @themarkpace and on Facebook @Chattanooga Outdoors.