Supporting Chattanooga’s Green Spaces

Patrick Kelly

Adjunct Professor, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

 

 

When Patrick Kelly took a summer job as a lodge cook in Yellowstone National Park in 2003, he had no idea that it would lead to a 25-year career in the outdoors industry, from a stint in AmeriCorps to land management roles out West.

Since 2013, Kelly has served as stewardship director at Lula Lake Land Trust, and this year, he added a new role to his resume: adjunct professor. During the spring semester, he partnered with the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga to create a Trail Building and Management course – the first of its kind at the university.

From trail-building techniques to real-world applications, Kelly enjoyed equipping his students with skills they can put into practice. This included a semester-long project at Stringer’s Ridge, where the class designed and constructed a reroute of the previously closed Baldy Dash Trail. Sustainability was also a core focus of the course.

“It is vital that we find a balance between creating spaces for people to enjoy the natural environment and creating the least amount of disruption to the ecosystem,” says Kelly. “When designing a trail, we look for things such as sensitive species, invasive species, how we build near streams, and ways to minimize the overall footprint of the trail.”

While Kelly notes that trail building is hard work and “there is no way around swinging a tool for much of the day,” he adds that, “You’re usually in good company and spending your day outside in some of the most beautiful places you can imagine.”

Once the trail is opened, however, the work doesn’t stop there; Kelly emphasizes that trails can’t serve the community if they aren’t maintained. “If you take away the net from a tennis court or a backboard is broken off a basketball goal, you can’t play the game the way it was intended. It’s the same with trails. You can’t fully enjoy a trail if it’s overgrown and full of downed trees,” he explains.

Thankfully, Chattanooga has no shortage of devoted residents up to the task, including Kelly.

“Chattanooga is unlike any place I have experienced in terms of the variety of trails, terrain, and public lands managed by so many different organizations,” he finishes. “You can ride, run, or hike from downtown to the top of mountains, cross into different states, and even camp along the way if you want to. I think that’s pretty special.”

 

Andrew Jacks

Head Groundskeeper, East Ridge Parks and Recreation

 

 

Over the past 50 years, Camp Jordan Park has become a recreational staple in East Ridge. Operated by the East Ridge Parks and Recreation Department, the 275-acre park abounds in recreational opportunities for residents, including a 2-mile walking path, 18-hole frisbee golf course, 13 baseball/softball fields, 14 soccer fields, and more, with plenty of green space and nature access to spare. Helping to keep these spaces maintained and manicured is Andrew Jacks, head groundskeeper.

Jacks joined Camp Jordan Park in 2005 after holding previous roles in parks and recreation. As head groundskeeper, he is responsible for keeping the fields of Camp Jordan Park in shape behind the scenes so parkgoers can safely enjoy their favorite sports and hobbies amid scenic surroundings.

Open year-round, seven days a week, the grounds at Camp Jordan Park keep Jacks plenty busy, but he takes pride in keeping each and every field in pristine playing condition. While most of his time is spent on the soccer fields, which he mows three times every week, Jacks says that other workdays are devoted to fertilizing, weed control, aerification, and top dressing to ensure lush, green grass at every turn.

For Jacks, maintenance is a daily occurrence, and every season looks a little different. “Mother Nature is the biggest challenge, from too much rain to no rain and high temperatures,” he says. “You just have to be patient and work around her.”

In addition to maintaining existing fields, Jacks has helped create new ones. Since he started as head groundskeeper more than 20 years ago, he has been involved in installing nine new soccer fields at Camp Jordan Park – nearly doubling the original count. This accomplishment is no small feat, as Jacks describes the meticulous process of grading the land; ensuring proper drainage and irrigation; and laying the new sod.

These efforts haven’t gone unrecognized. In 2022, Jacks accepted the Municipal Sports Field of the Year Award on behalf of Camp Jordan Park from the Tennessee Turfgrass Association during its annual conference. This award not only recognizes distinguished sports fields across the state but the dedicated facility members who make them possible.

At the end of the day, Jacks says his favorite part of the job is simply seeing the park and its fields enjoyed by kids and their families, and he encourages everyone to “keep supporting the parks that are in your neighborhood.”

 

Barry Smith

Owner, Barry Smith Trails

 

 

Before it turned into a successful business, trail building was something Barry Smith regularly did on a volunteer basis, from helping build bike racing tracks as a boy to partnering with SORBA Chattanooga to create a trail system on Raccoon Mountain.

“I found the trail building work to be enjoyable and rewarding,” say Smith. “Word of mouth locally and regionally began to spread, and after a couple of years, I was able to get paid for the work.”

Smith founded Barry Smith Trails in 2005, specializing in building natural surface hiking and mountain biking trails. Since then, he has contracted on projects at Enterprise South Nature Park, Cloudland Canyon State Park, Stringer’s Ridge, Southern Adventist University, Walden’s Ridge Park, 5 Points Trail System, and a recent addition to the Aetna Mountain Trail System, among many others. “With help from my passionate crew, we have constructed somewhere in the neighborhood of 500 miles over the past 20 years,” estimates Smith.

While others commute to work via car, Smith and his team can be found bushwacking through dense woods for miles on foot to access their worksites, often with wildlife to keep them company.

“We have seen most every animal that lives in the Southeast,” says Smith, recalling, “I once stirred up a yellow jacket nest from under a log, and when I hurried to get off the machine, I had a rattlesnake on the ground waiting on me. I took the rest of the day off to let things calm down out there.”

Smith and his team pride themselves on their low-impact approach and aim to design trails that blend with the natural environment. When it comes time to build out the trail, Smith turns to tried-and-true methods, sharing, “We construct our trails with water management and erosion control in strong consideration using some old-school Civilian Conservation Corps bench-cut techniques combined with today’s mechanized power to produce a rolling contour trail design that sheds water frequently.”

This process involves using mini excavators to cut the path and then following behind on foot with hand tools to prune roots and lay rocks. After waiting for a rainy day to compact the soil, the trail is ready to open to the public: Smith’s favorite part, as his hard work becomes a place for families to unplug, have fun, and spend quality time together in the great outdoors.

 

Jeffrey Grabe

Parks Director, Red Bank Parks and Recreation

 

 

When Red Bank established its first Parks Division in 2023, Jeffrey Grabe was selected to lead the new department as parks director. Equipped with a degree in outdoor recreation management and prior experience leading outdoor programs, Grabe helps guide the long-term vision for the city’s parks, trails, and recreation system, from overseeing routine maintenance to partnering on major projects.

Fueling Grabe’s work is a heart for his community. “I enjoy creating spaces and opportunities that bring people together, whether that’s through a new trail, a community event, or a park improvement project. Seeing residents of all ages using and enjoying these spaces is incredibly rewarding,” he shares.

Behind each park and trail are years of work that Grabe explains happen before construction ever begins.

“Creating a new park or trail takes three things: time, planning, and funding,” he shares. “Fortunately, we have a roadmap to guide those decisions. In 2024, Red Bank adopted its first ever Parks Master Plan, which helps us prioritize projects, identify community needs, and make strategic investments in the future of our parks, trails, and recreational spaces.”

Community engagement is an important part of this process, as Grabe operates a Parks and Recreation Advisory Board comprised of 10 residents to learn what outdoor experiences matter to the community. He adds that environmental stewardship is also key.

“We strive to balance providing public access to nature with protecting the natural features that make those spaces valuable in the first place. Thoughtful planning helps us ensure that recreation and conservation work hand in hand rather than competing with each other,” says Grabe.

A recent project Grabe helped oversee was the Godsey Ridge Trail System, which added 1.5 miles of multi-use trails for the community to enjoy – at no cost to Red Bank, thanks to a Tennessee Department of Health grant that he says “transformed a vision into a tangible recreational asset for the community.”

To residents looking to support their outdoor spaces, Grabe encourages them to “simply get out and use them.” He explains, “When residents regularly use local parks, trails, playgrounds, and other amenities, it demonstrates that these spaces are valued, loved, and needed.”

“Ultimately, the projects I’m proudest of are the ones that create opportunities for future generations. Whether it’s building a trail, developing a long-term plan, or laying the groundwork for future funding, the goal is always to leave Red Bank with a stronger parks and recreation system than when we started,” he finishes.

 

Robert Windham

Land Manager and Public Access Coordinator, Tennessee River Gorge Trust

 

 

A childhood interest in the natural sciences led Robert
Windham to pursue higher education and a career centered on the outdoors. “I was first introduced to trail stewardship during college courses and later through an internship with the Tennessee River Gorge Trust, and that hands-on field work shaped my graduate focus around biology and conservation-driven land management,” he shares.

Now, as land manager and public access coordinator for the Tennessee River Gorge Trust (TRGT), Windham’s primary duties include the maintenance and improvement of its community access sites as well as planning and developing new ones. These include the Pot Point Nature Trail, Ritchie Hollow Trail, and the developing Williams Island Trail. A recent addition to this lineup was Phase II of the Aetna Mountain Trail System, completed in August of 2026, which added 4 new miles of adaptive multi-use mountain biking and hiking trails.

Windham shares that trail building requires thoughtful planning from start to finish, from identifying suitable land where there’s community demand to designing the trail, fundraising, securing permitting, and then beginning the final build. “For any developing project, meticulous planning goes into the design and route of a new trail to ensure we minimize any impact on sensitive habitats and species,” he adds.

Conservation is at the forefront of the work Windham does, and he says these public access sites are pivotal to TRGT’s efforts to teach the community about conservation work, regularly hosting guided bird or wildflower hikes, volunteer days, and hands-on educational programs.

To keep these sites ready for educational and recreational activities alike, Windham and his team conduct trail maintenance year-round, including storm cleanup, managing overgrowth, and overseeing ongoing trail improvements.

To support land managers in taking care of local trails, Windham recommends, “Always practice leave-no-trace principles and help carry out trash if you find any. If there’s ever a trail survey posted at the trailhead, don’t be shy to share constructive criticism or report trail conditions such as downed trees or eroded trail tread.”

Ultimately, Windham says that this work is important, “so that anyone and everyone, across all ages and skill levels, can get outside and enjoy the beautiful land around us. Our parks and trails also help support a healthy community and provide avenues to foster a greater appreciation for the outdoors along with the shared responsibility for protecting our natural landscapes.”

 

Mason Price

Land Manager, Lula Lake Land Trust

 

 

A summer interning at Lula Lake Land Trust turned into a full-time career for Mason Price.
“I wanted to spend my days outside and contribute to work that made our local community better, something with a tangible impact. I couldn’t have found a better spot,” he shares.

Today, as Lula Lake’s land manager, Price describes himself as the “lone set of boots on the ground” for the nature preserve, helping to manage over 3,500 acres of conservation land and maintain 40 miles of recreational trails.

“Every day is spent outside in the field, balancing short-term tasks like cutting grass or clearing downed trees, while continuing progress on long-term projects like new trail construction or boundary marking,” shares Price.

While he’s often the only employee on the job, Price says he’s hardly alone. “I try to learn the name of every snake, salamander, turtle, or bird I encounter. Even after five years, I’m just scratching the surface!” he says.

Trail building is Price’s favorite task, and he credits his work on the Durham Mine Trails for teaching him everything he knows. Without access for heavy equipment at certain sections, he and his team spent countless hours hand digging trails that connected to the 15-mile network and even built a bridge using a nearby tree and stones.

Having seen firsthand the work that goes on behind the scenes, Price encourages people to use their local trails. “Trails that get neglected eventually get abandoned. It would be a shame to let all the hard work it took to build a trail go to waste,” he explains. “With Chattanooga’s reputation as the Scenic City, it’s important that visitors see that we care about our trails.”

For locals looking to give back, Price says, “Volunteer! I’m lucky enough to get to do this full time, but it takes so many volunteers to maintain a trail network, whether it’s a weekend trail-building event or just hiking with a pair of loppers in hand.”

“When people tell me about riding on trails I’ve helped on, it’s deeply rewarding for me and makes all the hard work feel worthwhile. Especially when friends of mine send pictures of their little shredder riding the kids’ trails we’ve built. Some of my favorite memories as a kid were riding mountain bikes with my dad. I love seeing the next generation find that stoke, and maybe it’s the first spark for the next generation of trail builders,” he finishes.