About Us

Making the outdoors a welcome home for all Chattanoogans and guests.

 

Established in 2004, Outdoor Chattanooga is a unique division of the City of Chattanooga’s Parks and Outdoors Department. Our mission is to spark a contagious love of the outdoors through adventure and action sports, nature exploration, and community partnerships.

Our role is to connect you with Chattanooga’s outdoor scene! There’s so much to see and do in the Scenic City, that it can be a little overwhelming finding the right information on how to get outside and play. We’re here to help. Search this site by activity or location to find detailed information about the places to run, climb, paddle, hike, bike, and more, all within an hours drive of Chattanooga.

You’ll find plenty of outdoor activities that you can do on your own or with local outfitters and guide services. Or, check out Our Programs and calendar of events for the special programs and events we offer throughout the year that are designed to introduce the public to a variety of outdoor activities and improve outdoor skills. You can also visit us at our LEED Gold certified facility in Coolidge Park, which contains two classrooms, a large central lobby with a traverse climbing wall and office space for our staff. Here you can pick up brochures and pick our brains about all the amazing outdoor spaces, places and activities that Chattanooga has to offer. The Bike Chattanooga station that sits in front of our building offers a car-free alternative and ‘wheelie’ fun way to see the City.

Meet the Team

Terri Chapin Profile Photo

Gail Loveland Barille – Director

Gail Loveland Barille joined Outdoor Chattanooga in 2022, inspired by the opportunity to provide more entry points for people of all backgrounds and abilities into outdoor spaces. She brings with her over 25 years of experience working in outdoor recreation, inclusion, and youth development and a portfolio of nationally recognized adaptive recreation programs, events, and facilities. Gail’s background is highlighted by her time leading adaptive recreation programs and in partnerships with the Boys and Girls Club, Conservation Legacy, the National Park Service, the US Forest Service and a variety of other national outdoor and community leaders. You can find her and her family daily on a trail, waterway, or greenway; adventuring with a variety of backpacks, helmets, camping, and paddle gear. A proponent of enjoying rest as much as activity, Gail also spends time listening to Chattanooga’s local music, checking out the variety of food, and exploring the diversity of our region’s plants, insects, birds, and animals.

Terri Chapin Profile Photo

 Terri Chapin – Recreation Program Coordinator

Terri Chapin joined Outdoor Chattanooga in 2010 as Outdoor Programs Coordinator.  She holds over 25 years of experience in teaching youth and adults a broad range of outdoor skills and has dedicated her career to adventure-based education. Managing and developing outdoor educational programs, experiences and building outdoor community is her focus and passion. Terri built her love of the outdoors in the mountains and on the rivers in 27 states and 2 countries, specializing in whitewater kayaking where she literally cut her teeth leading whitewater river trips.  Inspired by the power of experiential education she earned a Master’s in Recreation Management and an undergraduate degree in Therapeutic Recreation from Ohio University. When not in the office, Terri can be found biking, kayaking or exploring the next adventure.

James Eubank Profile Photo

Kirsten Maynard – Recreation Program Specialist

Kirsten is a Chattanooga native, who grew up enjoying the outdoors through play and exploration.  After suffering a brain injury, in college Kirsten pivoted back to her roots and found healing and a career passion in facilitating outdoor experiences for others.  After graduating from The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga with a bachelors in Sports, Outdoor Recreation, and Tourism Management, she made her way west to explore Colorado. During this time, Kirsten gained experience in program coordination, logistics, and informal education, with special focuses in ecology, teambuilding, and all things rope. Through these experiences, she discovered her devotion for creating sustainable and connected communities through outdoor programming which led her to join Outdoor Chattanooga in March of 2023. When not outside, you can find Kirsten tending to her plants and animals, or spending time with her nephews.

Terri Chapin Profile Photo

Will Meyer Outdoor Recreation Specialist

Will joined Outdoor Chattanooga in 2024 as a part-time Outdoor Recreation Specialist. Will has a diverse background in outdoor recreation and is an experienced rock climber, whitewater paddler, mountain biker, hiker, angler, and naturalist. Will also holds a bachelor’s degree in Biodiversity, Conservation, and Natural Resources from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Environmental Science (conc. Aquatic Ecology). As a result of this combination of education and outdoor experience, Will’s
expertise lies at the intersection of outdoor recreation and conservation. His passion for the outdoors is matched by his commitment to promoting sustainable recreation practices that help
preserve natural landscapes for future generations to enjoy. When not working, Will enjoys exploring the region’s wild places (often with a rod or pair of binoculars in hand), learning more
about local ecosystems, and sharing his knowledge with others to foster a deeper connection to nature.

James Eubank Profile Photo

Chris Thompson- Program Transportation

Chris joined Outdoor Chattanooga in December of 2024. When he’s not wrestling trailers and gear like a pro at Outdoor Chattanooga, Chris can be found casting his line and pretending he doesn’t know why the fish aren’t biting. A master of transportation logistics, Chris ensures every piece of equipment gets to its destination—sometimes with less grace than he’d like, but always with a lot of enthusiasm. If there’s a trailer to be hauled or a fish to be caught, Chris is on it, probably with a snack in hand and a “who’s ready to fish?” attitude.

James Eubank Profile Photo

Chloe Krueger- Community Activator

Chloe joined Outdoor Chattanooga in 2024 as community activator. She brings to the team a background in business and has worked in a variety of industries from finance to specialty outdoor retail. After several years of traveling every weekend to Chattanooga to rock climb, she moved to the area in 2011. Outside of climbing, Chloe loves to garden and has spent a few seasons working at an urban farm as well as a medicinal garden. Chloe is most looking forward to fostering opportunities for folks where leaving their comfort zone and creating new connections improves how they interact with the world around them.

James Eubank Profile Photo

Anthony Beasley- Part Time Outdoor Recreation Specialist

Anthony Beasley has worked for Outdoor Chattanooga for over 7 years. He’s also a Behavior Specialist with the Hamilton County Department of Education. After experiencing the benefits of being outside himself, including finding an outlet for his emotions, he knew he wanted to introduce more of the outdoors to his community. Hear his story and meet some kids from the newest Outdoor Chattanooga program, the Outdoor Leadership Club.  Check out this video if you’d like to learn more about him.

James Eubank Profile Photo

Autumn Jones – Part Time Outdoor Recreation Specialist

Autumn joined Outdoor Chattanooga in 2024 as an Outdoor Recreation Specialist after completing her internship with the city through the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Sports, Outdoor Recreation, and Tourism Management to pursue a career that allows her to spend more of her time outside. She enjoys hiking and camping in and around Chattanooga, with some of her favorite spots being Virgin Falls in Tennessee, Cloudland Canyon in Georgia, and Max Patch in North Carolina. In her free time, Autumn loves to read, cook, and care for her houseplants. She enjoys working with Outdoor Chattanooga to make the city’s many green spaces more accessible for all, while spreading the love of simply being outside.

We’re so grateful for each of you!

We are very lucky to have an incredible team of part time staff, temporary staff, and volunteers.  We wouldn’t be able to do half of what we do without each and every one of you. 

Philip Grymes Profile Photo

In Memory of Philip Grymes, Director of Outdoor Chattanooga

The legacy left by Philip can be seen throughout Chattanooga in the faces of the residents and visitors who come to enjoy the built and natural resources for outdoor adventure.  Philip Grymes joined Outdoor Chattanooga as the Executive Director in 2006 and excelled in promoting Chattanooga and the surrounding area as an outdoor recreation destination.  During his 15 years with Outdoor Chattanooga, he was instrumental in bringing several large scale events to Chattanooga, such as Head of the Hooch and Ironman. He also found support for the development of grassroots events such as Swim the Suck and Chattajack, to name only a few.  Philip’s adventurous spirit will live on with Outdoor Chattanooga with the mission to continue to inspire, educate and break the barriers of participation in outdoor recreation, for everyone. 

Outdoor Chattanooga's Strategic Plan

Outdoor Chattanooga was born to make outdoor recreation an attractive, healthy and distinguishing lifestyle for Chattanooga’s residents and visitors.  After 20 years with that vision, this year we want to offer you a 2024-2028 Strategic Plan to celebrate wins, to be transparent about our current areas of growth, and to outline our goals moving forward.

We want to make Chattanooga a happy, healthy, safe place for everyone. We see that for decades, the rich biodiversity and recreational opportunities Chattanooga has to offer have not been available to everyone. Our promise moving forward is to focus on reducing barriers and increasing inclusivity so we can “meet you at your front porch” to get outside.  

Find Us

Contact Us

Phone: (423) 643-6888

Email: info@outdoorchattanooga.com

Contact Us

Our Partners

So much of what we do wouldn’t be possible without the support of our partners.

City of Chattanooga Seal
Outdoor Chattanooga is a unique division of the City of Chattanooga’s Parks & Outdoors Department. Established in 2004, our mission is to make outdoor recreation an attractive, healthy, and distinguishing lifestyle for Chattanooga’s residents and visitors, which, in turn, will maintain and enhance the value of the region’s resources, and help grow the region’s economy.
Friends of Outdoor Chattanooga Logo
Friends of Outdoor Chattanooga, Inc., was incorporated in December 2007, and designated as a 501(c)3 charitable organization to support the City of Chattanooga’s Outdoor Chattanooga division with its mission. Friends of Outdoor Chattanooga is a volunteer run organization that relies completely on the financial support of private citizens, grant funding agencies and the business community. Specifically, Friends of Outdoor Chattanooga works to preserve, protect and promote outdoor recreation opportunities through education, activities and events.

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