Volunteers are planning to revamp signage at Stringer’s Ridge, and they want your input.
Hill City resident Caitlin Crawford, who lives near the city-owned park, is working with a couple of other volunteers on the project, which is also the first step toward re-establishing the Friends of Stringer’s Ridge group.
Stringer’s Ridge fast facts
- It’s located off Cherokee Boulevard in North Chattanooga.
- You can hike, mountain bike, trail run + it’s a short walk to one of the coolest overlooks of downtown Chattanooga.
- It’s family-friendly.
Survey says?
Before replacing the signage, organizers want to gather as much feedback as possible about what the 92-acre park needs.
They’ve created this survey, which will be available for about two more weeks and has already garnered more than 200 responses, Crawford said.
So far, some of the main feedback includes adding or upgrading to have:
- Durable signs with “You are here” markers
- Signs about dogs-on-leash requirement
- Signage at neighborhood access points
- Overlook-specific signage
Bonus: Crawford also mentioned this project, which will ultimately connect Stringers Ridge and White Oak Park in Red Bank. And, if you’re looking for other hiking ideas, check out our recent article about winter hiking here.
Friends of Stringer’s Ridge
Until recently, the Friends of Stringer’s Ridge group, which advocates for patrons of the park, had fizzled out. The group slowly became inactive about two years ago, Crawford said.
And there is about $2,500 leftover in group funds that need to be used, so Crawford and the other organizers are putting that toward the new signage.
Through this project, Crawford is hoping to rebuild an active “friends” base. That way, when someone sees an issue — like a tree down on a trail — they can contact the friends group, who know the proper channels to get the fix.
In the survey, there’s a place for people who want to be updated about Stringer’s Ridge or volunteer in the future to share contact information.
Quoteworthy
“We have lots of great parks in Chattanooga. This one is literally untouched forest. You feel like you’re out in the country, even though once you get out, you can walk 15 minutes down one road and be downtown.” – Caitlin Crawford
Poll
