Mark McKnight photo
Trail running
The smooth trails at Stringer’s Ridge attract Chattanooga runners.
Chattanooga runner Brian Costilow prefers a roots-gnarled path in the woods over pavement any day.
“In trail running, you have to pay attention to your surroundings,” he says. “You get to see and feel more than you would otherwise. The longer you run, the more that experience becomes you.”
As a ten-time veteran of the grueling Leadville 100 ultra-marathon in the Colorado mountains, the athlete feels most at home on the endless trails of Tennessee’s Cumberland Plateau. Years of logging miles have turned him into an expert on these rugged ridges, which he shares with RootsRated.com, a free Chattanooga-based online resource bent on getting people outside to play. Here Costilow breaks down the basics on trail running in and around the Scenic City:
Get in gear: Trail running is one of the most pure forms of outdoor adventure: It requires next to nothing, other than motivation. All you need is a good pair of trail-running shoes and a water bottle. Shorts with pockets for food and fuel and a synthetic, sweat-wicking T-shirt also come in handy.
Best beginner trails: An urban trail system in the heart of Chattanooga’s North Shore, Stringer’s Ridge offers quick access and smooth, easy-to-navigate trails on rolling hills. The main 3.2-mile outer loop spins off into a web of interior trails. Raccoon Mountain, a popular mountain biking spot managed by the Tennessee Valley Authority, offers relatively smooth trails on top of the mountain—aka no big climbs or descents to tackle, plus views of Chattanooga and the Tennessee River Gorge.
More trails to try: Mullen’s Cove Loop, in Prentice Cooper State Forest, follows the course used for March’s annual Rock/Creek River Gorge Trail Race, a 10.2-loop trail with beautiful Tennessee River Gorge bluff views, flowing streams, waterfalls, lush rhododendron, hemlock, and hardwood forests. The Cumberland Trail is a beautiful, super-technical trail, full of rocks and roots, that provides a complete perspective of the gorges and sandstone walls of the Cumberland Plateau. When completed, the trail will traverse the entire length of the plateau, connecting Signal Point in Chattanooga to Cumberland Gap in Kentucky. Down on Lookout Mountain, a web of trails wrap around Chattanooga’s most prominent landmark, from Sunset Rock at the top to Reflection Riding Arboretum & Nature Center at the base. Try the Guild Hardy, Big Daddy Loop, or Skyuka Springs for trails that are a bit more forgiving and accessible.
For more information, including driving directions, see rootsrated.com/chattanooga-tn/trail-running.