In early June, the Chattanooga chapter of the Southern Off Road Bicycle Association opened the first phase of a massive trail-building project connecting the Raccoon Mountain trail system to the boat dock in the Tennessee River Gorge.
SORBA volunteers work to clear new trails on Raccoon Mountain.The first phase of the project is a two-mile section of trail that runs from the loop trail down to the parking lot at Massengale Point. The 500-foot elevation change on a five-to-eight percent grade on phase one will give cyclists the ability to work on climbing or descending on a top-quality multi-use trail.
When the entire project is completed, the new trail will give cyclists the challenge of a 1,200-foot elevation change and provide access to the parking facilities at the bottom of the mountain as well as water access.
"We will be connecting epic mountain bike trails with a 1,200-foot elevation gain or loss plus access to the water," says SORBA member Barry Smith, who has overseen the first part of the project, using a specially designed four-foot wide, 80 horsepower trail dozer to carve the trail. After the machine work, SORBA volunteers were brought in to finish the trail by hand and make sure they can stand up to heavy use.
"We see a lot of use in our trails, because they're so close to town," Smith says. "We really have to make sure they are really hard and durable." Smith says the access point to the new trail is well marked at both ends, which makes it easier for everyone to take advantage of the work he and other SORBA members have put in to open the first part of the project.
"I encourage everyone to go to Raccoon to see the new trails," he says. "It's really beautiful out there. When we get the trail all they way down to the river, it's going to open doors for huge multisport events."