Howdy readers, City Editor Kristen here.
Nooga’s own Reflection Riding recently began offering customizable, fully guided Behind the Scenes Experiences of their 300-acre campus — and we were some of the first to dive in.
These immersive adventures offer groups of up to 20 the opportunity to interact with the animals + environments of Reflection Riding in a whole new way by choosing three experiences from a list that includes:
- Animal encounters
- Wildlife area tours
- Canoe trip
- Exploration backpack
- And more
What we tried:
We geared up for a guided canoe trip, an animal encounter (we couldn’t pass up saying hi to Winnie, the barn owl), and the wildlife area tour.
I particularly loved taking in all the scenic views during the trip down Lookout Creek. The creek is peaceful yet booming with life — I saw countless turtles, alligator gar, and herons on my voyage.
It’s a great opportunity to relax while learning about the creek’s aquatic life with one of Reflection Riding’s expert naturalists.
What not to miss:
We highly recommend including an animal encounter in your adventure.
I was able to get face-to-face with one of Reflection Riding’s native animal ambassadors, Winnie the barn owl. I learned about how Winnie came to the center, plus all kinds of fun facts about her species from an expert naturalist — did you know a barn owl can hear a mouse’s heartbeat from 30 feet away?
What we’re still talking about:
The wildlife area tour. Not only do you get to see some of Reflection Riding’s native animals — like red wolves, Thor the sandhill crane, and an opossum — but you also learn about their conservation efforts. I loved hearing about the in-depth work Reflection Riding is doing to protect the red wolf species from extinction.
How you can experience this:
You can join in on the adventure by requesting a Behind the Scenes Experience online.
You’ll select which experiences you’re most interested in + fill out the remaining information, then Reflection Riding will reach out to help bring it to life. Note: You’ll want to allow five business days in advance of booking your trip.
Things to know if you go:
- Experience: Behind the Scenes Experience at Reflection Riding
- Price: $125+
- Website: https://reflectionriding.org/behind-the-scenes
- Address: 400 Garden Rd. Chattanooga, TN
- Hours: Sunday-Monday, closed + Tuesday-Saturday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
- Social: Facebook | Instagram | YouTube
