Chattanooga Parks and Outdoors

In celebration of National Therapeutic Recreation Month, we honor Chattanooga Therapeutic Recreation Services for nearly 20 years of breaking barriers. As a unique part of Chattanooga Parks and Outdoors, TR makes our city more adaptable and accessible for individuals with disabilities. Our Delaney Holman has more in our link in our bio. Check out their latest newsletter: Link in bio. This is what Chattanooga National Park City does.

It’s hot. Here’s your solution.

Calling all vendors! What you have been asking for has arrived! Vendor applications for POPS on the River are now live! We have two separate vendor applications- one for creative, and one for food/drink. Applications are open May 15th - June 15th. Click the link in our bio to get started! POPS on the River will take place in Coolidge Park the evening of July 2nd. We can't wait to see you there!

Today we celebrate 24 reasons why our parks are so great, and each reason is DeeDee Toney! Today marks twenty-four years of dedicated service to our city and our community. As a Crew Supervisor in our River Parks, DeeDee has spent nearly a quarter of a century ensuring that our waterfront spaces remain beautiful, safe, and welcoming for every resident and visitor. While her professional expertise is evident in her work, it is her spirit that leaves the most lasting impression. DeeDee is, to put it simply, a bright light. She leads with a kindness that is felt by everyone she interacts with, and her commitment to the stewardship of our parks is nothing short of inspirational. DeeDee, thank you for twenty-four years of hard work, leadership, and heart. You make our team, and our city, better every single day. Please join us in thanking DeeDee for her incredible service!

Parks and public art make for great memories! Congrats Melisa Bravo from Tyner and Debra Garcia from Central! Public Art Credit: Artist: John Petrey Artwork:Rhino Pull Toy/Blue Boy Pull Toy #1, 2011 Medium:Cast resin, copper, and patina Chattanooga Office of Arts, Culture & Creative Economy

Please do not feed any wildlife in our parks! Feeding wild animals can cause physical harm to the animals, expose humans to harmful diseases, and lead to dangerous human-animal interactions. For example, when geese are fed bread it can lead to a condition known as angel wing. Bread is like junk food to geese - high in carbohydrates and significantly lacking any nutritional value. If they develop angel wing, the condition can be fatal. When animals start to associate people with food, they get comfortable getting closer to humans than usual and will often start acting aggressively in their pursuit of food. For the protection of yourself and the wildlife in our parks, please refrain from feeding wildlife. We work to maintain our parks so that there are plenty of natural food choices for our resident animals to enjoy. To read more about the dangers of feeding wildlife, click the link in our bio. https://www.fws.gov/story/hidden-harm-feeding-your-local-wildlife

Is this thing on? Not yet, but if you get us to 10k interactions with this post (likes, comments, shares), we will officially turn on the Coolidge Park Fountains this weekend! Perfect timing for the incoming heat wave. The ball is in your court, you know what to do. 😎

Dust off your boots and get ready for the ultimate Tatertown Showdown at Carver Park! Inspired by the Spring 2026 SECC Urban Forestry Crew, Chattanooga Tree Project is hosting a high-stakes competition to see who can save the most ground from the invasive Chinese Yam. The challenge is simple: you’ll have exactly one hour to remove as much Yam as possible from our restoration buffer. The top harvester will be crowned the official Tatertown Champion and walk away with a custom, original work of tater-themed art to commemorate their victory. We’re kicking things off on Saturday, May 16th, from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM at Carver Park, located at 600 N. Orchard Knob Rd. Don’t worry if you’ve never pulled an invasive plant before; we’ll start with an in-depth introduction to species identification and the best manual removal techniques to get you ready for the fight. To keep you fueled up, we’ll have fresh bagels and hot coffee waiting for you, and we will provide all the necessary supplies. Just make sure to show up in your best "western gear" that you don’t mind getting dirty. That means long pants, long sleeves, and closed-toed shoes for safety. We can't wait to see who takes the title!

A great day at East Side Elementary! We joined Hamilton County Mayor Wamp, Principal Wilkey, Trust for Public Land, students, and families for the ribbon cutting on Chattanooga’s new community schoolyard. This space will be a hub for learning, play, and neighborhood gatherings for years to come. Thank you to Trust for Public Land and all our partners for making it possible! Learn more here: /our-mission/schoolyards

Have you ever heard of the term “cue to care”? This term was coined by Joan Nassauer and this approach encourages incorporating characteristics that demonstrate that the native landscaping is thought out and cared for. Native gardening and landscaping is more dynamic than traditional gardening with more layers and biodiversity. Native landscaping is not traditionally mowed, trimmed, and pruned so it is important to incorporate signs of human care to help the mind process that this type of gardening is purposeful. Some ways to incorporate “cues to care” include pathways with borders, layered planting for the eyes to follow, placing chairs and sitting spots amongst the garden, bird baths and feeders, and informational signs indicating that you are managing your yard for wildlife habitat and green stormwater infrastructure. To learn more about "cues to care," landscaping advice, and to read Joan Nassauer’s original article, visit the "cues to care" post on our Facebook page.

There's a lot of work happening at Stringer's Ridge this week! We will have crews out repairing the flooring of the Spears Ave Trailhead the afternoon of May 12th and the morning of May 13th. Please be advised the restrooms will be unavailable during repairs. This is in addition to the ongoing paving project paving the high ridge trail to the overlook.

Dear Moms, To all the incredible mothers who fill our parks with laughter, energy, and love, you are our true heroes. Thank you for choosing our playgrounds, trails, fields, courts and green spaces to create beautiful memories with your families. We also want to give a special thank you to the wonderful moms on our own team, your dedication, heart, and hard work make everything we do possible. We honor you today and every day. Happy Mother’s Day!