About Us

Established in 2004, Outdoor Chattanooga is a unique division of the City of Chattanooga’s Parks and Outdoors Department. 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.

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 Us

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

 Margaret Asher – Outdoor Recreation Specialist

Margaret joined Outdoor Chattanooga in 2023 as the Outdoor Recreation Specialist. Like most, she is a Chattanooga transplant that was drawn to the city because of its outdoor adventures. Growing up the best place to find her was outside if that was from playing in the dirt to kayaking down the closest river. Margaret graduated from The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in 2021 with a bachelors in Sports, Outdoor Recreation, and Tourism Management. With her degree and certifications she set off to Colorado to be a backpacking guide and once her season ended she came back to Chattanooga to serve with AmeriCorps. During her time in AmeriCorps she found her passion for Outdoor Education and has continued to do so through Outdoor Chattanooga. If you cannot find Margaret in the office she is probably rafting down the Ocoee or skiing the closest mountain. 

James Eubank Profile Photo

Shelby Cundiff- Customer Relations Specialist

Shelby joined Outdoor Chattanooga in December of 2023, she grew up in Johnson City, TN and though she left at the ripe adventurous age of 18, the song Wagon Wheel followed her overseas.  She has lived in Spain, Turkey, and most recently moved to Chattanooga from Utah where she lived for five years and she developed a love (addiction?) to rock climbing.  She brings to the team a Wilderness First Responder Certification, an extensive Trauma-Informed Nature Programming background, an endless amount of sass, and a passion for connecting the outdoors to every individual.  You’ll see her mostly at local events working our booth and on our social media platforms.  If you can’t find her at an event or in the office, she’s probably out climbing a rock in Leda, Chattanooga; Potrero, Mexico; or (her favorite) a tower near Zion.  All she asks is please just wait to send her mom pictures of any adventures until after she’s back home safely.

Terri Chapin Profile Photo

Saylor Kokoski- Recreation Specialist 

Saylor joined Outdoor Chattanooga early in 2024, he grew up in Clarksville, TN, and was always outside running around with his friends. He came to Chattanooga to climb rocks and get a bachelor’s degree at UTC.  He’s now a senior studying Sports, Outdoor Recreation, and Tourism Management and will be graduating in May 2024. While at UTC, he has worked as a Trip Leader for the outdoor department leading students on a wide rage of trips including backpacking, fly fishing, hiking, caving, climbing, canoeing, and mountain biking. When not at work or in class, you can find Saylor bouldering at Stone Fort, fly fishing in North Carolina, or wet exiting a whitewater kayak.

James Eubank Profile Photo

Anthony Beasley- Part Time

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.

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.

Find Us on Facebook

This message is only visible to admins.
Problem displaying Facebook posts. Backup cache in use.
Click to show error
Error: The user must be an administrator, editor, or moderator of the page in order to impersonate it. If the page business requires Two Factor Authentication, the user also needs to enable Two Factor Authentication. Type: OAuthException
--

By continuing to use the site, you agree to the use of cookies. more information

We use cookies to personalize content, to provide social media features, and to analyze our traffic. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media and analytics partners who may combine it with other information that you've provided to them or that they've collected from your use of their services. You consent to our cookies if you continue to use this website.

Close