How to Spend the Day at Reflection Riding: For Outdoor Adventurers
The most common question we get at Reflection Riding is, “what should we do while we’re here?” Our team put together some great options for how to make the most of your time on our beautiful campus… depending on what you’re interested in. This week, we’ve got some great suggestions for outdoor lovers. We’ve got lots of members and visitors who are looking for an outdoor adventure when they come to Reflection Riding. We’re here to deliver your in-town outdoor adventure every day. If you’re up for less of a stroll through the woods, and more of an outdoor challenge, read on!
For Outdoor Adventurers:
The Hike to Skyuka Springs from Reflection Riding is a beautiful one, mostly flat, and with the length a bit of a challenge for most of us. At around eight miles total, this is a hike you’ll never forget. From our parking lot, follow the lower road to the Siren Pond, then cross through the gate onto National Parks land and keep going till you hit Skyuka Springs. You’ll follow Lookout Creek along the base of Lookout Mountain and end at the gorgeous springs. The trail looks and feels different in every season. Don’t forget to download a free trail map, and fill up your water bottles at the Welcome Center before you go.
Learn how to bird with us! You can book a guided birding tour and have one of our naturalists escort you around our campus in search of the dozens of bird species we see everyday. From Red Headed Woodpeckers to Eastern Bluebirds to Yellow-Rumped Warblers and Summer Tanagers, you just never know who you’ll find flying around our property. You can also borrow our binoculars, offered in partnership with the Chattanooga Chapter of the Tennessee Ornithological Society, to explore on your own.
Have you ever paddled Lookout Creek along Reflection Riding’s campus? If not, it’s a real treat. From Reflection Riding’s put-in, you can borrow a canoe and head south along our property for about a mile and a half. At some times of the year, you’ll find the area teeming with birds… especially herons. Creek access is weather dependent, so give our Welcome Center team at (423) 821-1160 a call before you head out to see what the conditions are like.
Keep an eye on our events and programs page for new adventures! Every week or two, new programs and events pop up on our website, some of which are perfect for the outdoor adventurer. At various times throughout the year, we offer tent camping, night hikes, outdoor yoga, weed wrangles, and much more. We include these options in our weekly newsletter too.
What’s your favorite outdoor adventure at Reflection Riding? Post your ideas to our Facebook or Instagram page… we’d love to hear from you and offer a new outdoor adventure we haven’t thought of yet!
Next week: ideas for thrill seekers at Reflection Riding!