My husband and I enjoyed driving around the Reflection Riding loop, which is around 3 miles. It is a narrow gravel road. It's hilly and a bit washed out in a few areas, so a wheelchair wouldn't be able to navigate those sections of the road. I have a recumbent trike, and although I'm sure I could manage the flatter areas okay, I seriously doubt I could travel on the hilly and washed out areas. That said, it's a beautiful drive via a car or truck, and you can roll down the windows to take photos and breathe in the fresh air. You can also stop at several pull-offs along the way. Here are some photos of the driving loop:
There is an ADA-accessible trail, which I was thrilled to find. It starts out with slightly rough, but manageable, pavement, then turns into a wooden boardwalk as it goes over a swampy area. It has a gentle slope. Over the swampy area, there is a very cool treehouse that has a huge tree growing right in the center of it. You can enter the treehouse and look around inside it without having to leave your wheelchair. On past the treehouse is the canoe rental area, but that's as far as you can currently go. Unfortunately, the path continues on to the building where the animals are kept, and it's currently closed off due to damage of some kind. There is another path in the parking area that leads to the animal building, but it's made of wood chips and is not easily wheelchair-accessible. The gentleman in the office said that we were welcome to try to get my wheelchair down that path, but it would have been very difficult, if not impossible. That was pretty disappointing. I have sent a message via Facebook, inquiring when the ADA trail will be re-opened. Here are some photos of the open portion of the ADA trail, and the treehouse, which is accessible.
Above: Ramp down to the canoe boarding area. It appears to be accessible, but it is very steep.
We paid for a yearly membership, which means that we can access the park earlier in the mornings and later in the evenings than regular guests. However, this means that we would have to park outside the closed gate, and the road that leads into the regular parking area goes steeply downhill as soon as you pass through the gate. It would take a lot of strength, and a strong assistant, to navigate a wheelchair up and down this hill. Personally, I'd be afraid to try it. But as long as you come when the park is open, you'll be able to park in the regular parking area.
Even with the partially-closed ADA trail, I still feel that the yearly membership fee was pretty much worth it just to be able to drive around Reflection Riding Loop, and once the ADA trail is fixed, it will definitely be worth it. I am going to try to contact them and see if they have a timeframe for repairing the trail.
As of the date of this post, the current admission fee is $10 a person (non-member) for a day pass, and it's $50 for a yearly membership (2 people), but you can check their prices on their website below.
http://www.chattanooganaturecenter.org/www
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