If a grassroots group can raise $175,000 by Jan. 1, a large swath of land in St. Elmo will be saved from development

Staff photo by Robin Rudd/ The fundraising festival in St. Elmo Park is highlighted by gear demos, vendor booths, food trucks, music and a hike to Glen Falls. Staff photo by Robin Rudd/ The fundraising festival in St. Elmo Park is highlighted by gear demos, vendor booths, food trucks, music and a hike to Glen Falls.

By Jennifer Bardoner December 24, 2019 3 min read

A grassroots group of St. Elmo residents is trying to conserve 65 acres of undeveloped property in the neighborhood.

To do so, they need to raise $175,000 by Jan. 1.

“I’m a St. Elmo resident and I noticed that the trail system I like to frequent to get me from St. Elmo into the [Chickamauga] national park, and [which] is the best access to Glen Falls – the majority of that trail system’s land is owned by one entity, which I came to discover was an investment group for builder company GreenTech,” said Crisler Torrence, who is now spearheading the effort to safeguard the land from development.

Running behind the community from Glen Falls Road to just beyond the southern spur of Michigan Avenue, the land contains the majority of what is commonly known as St. Elmo Trail. The wooded path runs from the terminus of Glen Falls Road and ties into the Guild Trail system near Ochs Highway, offering residents another entry point behind St. Elmo Park.

Photo Gallery

Grassroots group in St. Elmo

Contributed photo / Glen Falls and the area surrounding it could be conserved if a grassroots community group can raise the remaining $175,000 of the purchase price by Jan. 1.

Staff photo by Robin Rudd/ A game of musical chairs adds a competitive edge to the fundraising festival in St. Elmo Park Dec. 15.

Staff photo by Robin Rudd/ Festival-goers head out of St. Elmo Park for a guided hike up to Glen Falls. Resident Crisler Torrence heads the new Rock/Creek Adventures guide service and was able to combine that with his effort to conserve the land around Glen Falls. "In trying to spread the word about this fundraising opportunity, I thought, I can do guided hikes. It turned into this sort of festival fundraiser … and spiraled out of control in the best way possible," he said.

Contributed rendering / A map depicts the area organizers hope to purchase for conservation.

“It’s a great corridor to connect people from St. Elmo to the Guild Trail, and that’s a trail that we own,” said Robyn Carlton, CEO of the Lookout Mountain Conservancy, which is working with the neighborhood at their behest.