Tours & Activities - Thursday, September 19

The UTC History Department is excited to welcome SLSA conference attendees to Chattanooga, and will be sponsoring four free outdoor activities on the afternoon of Thursday, September 19^th. See the activity descriptions and details below.

Please reserve your spot by emailing Michael-D-Thompson@utc.edu !

As of Thursday 9/12, we currently have 2 spots open for kayaking, 5 for hiking, and 5 or more for the historical walking tour.

#1 - Walking Tour: “The History of White Supremacy and Anti-Racist Resistance in Chattanooga”

Description: The People’s History of Chattanooga Project and CALEB (Chattanoogans in Action for Love, Equality, and Benevolence) offers a walking tour titled “The History of White Supremacy and Anti-Racist Resistance in Chattanooga” that covers history from the founding of the city in the 1830s through the modern day. Topics include enslavement in early Chattanooga, the Civil War, Reconstruction, the establishment of Jim Crow, the 1911 change in city government, white supremacist violence, the Civil Rights movement, the Wilson Pickett riots, the 1980 Klan shooting on MLK Blvd., Brown v. Board of Commissioners of the City of Chattanooga, and more.

Details:

• Guide: Michael Gilliland – public historian, activist, and Organizing Director of CALEB
• Meet outside the main entrance to the Read House conference hotel at 2:00pm
• Duration: approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes
• Covers the distance of five city blocks
• Wheelchair accessible with stops mostly on wide sidewalks

#2 - Guided Hike on Lookout Mountain

Description: Join Outdoor Chattanooga for a leisurely-paced guided hike on Lookout Mountain, from the historic Cravens House to the expansive views of Sunset Rock. This 1.5-mile one-way hike is rated as moderate, with a gradual uphill climb.

Details:

• Meet outside the main entrance to the Read House conference hotel at 11:30am
• Transportation to and from Lookout Mountain provided
• Duration: approximately 3 hours (including transport to and from the trailhead)
• Limited to 20 participants

#3 - Guided Kayak Paddle on the Tennessee River

Description: Join Outdoor Chattanooga for a beginner-friendly kayak paddle on the Tennessee River from Coolidge Park on Chattanooga’s Northshore around Maclellan Island located in the heart of downtown. Outdoor Chattanooga staff will provide basic kayak and river safety instruction, and guide this leisurely-paced paddle tour. All equipment is provided, including flotation devices and stable 12-foot Wilderness Systems Pungo recreational kayaks.

Details:

• Meet outside the main entrance to the Read House conference hotel at 1:30pm
• Transportation to and from Outdoor Chattanooga provided
• Duration: approximately 3 hours (including transport to and from launch site)
• Limited to 10 participants (for a safe 5:1 participant/guide ratio)
• Appropriate for ages 14 and up