From Sidewalk to Singletrack

Eric Wiens

Planted this seed

Chattanooga has built a reputation as an outdoor destination, but for many residents, the true entry point into mountain biking is still missing. You can access incredible trails, but for a beginner they often feel intimidating, technical, and unforgiving. For some, that intimidation is enough to never try—missing out on the 100+ miles of singletrack within 30 minutes of downtown. For others, the opposite happens: they jump in too quickly, get in over their head, and have a negative or even unsafe first experience. Both outcomes lead to the same result: people disengage before they ever experience the joy of riding the mountains surrounding Chattanooga....

Create a vintage WPA-era national park poster illustration of a community project in Chattanooga, Tennessee, a National Park City surrounded by mountains, rivers, and forests.

Composition: Vertical 4:5 poster layout. Bold foreground focal element representing the project. Use either a natural landscape or urban environment, depending on the subject.

Title: From Sidewalk to Singletrack
Subtitle: National Park City

Typography: National park sans-serif, bold font. Sans serifs feel the pull of the Machine Age. Rough, worn, and perfectly imperfect. The individual letterforms do not strictly abide by all typographic rules, but this intentional imperfection adds to its charm. This typeface feels as if it was drawn by hand, just like the hand lettering in the vintage National Park posters. Just the title and subtitle, NO OTHER TEXT in the graphic.

Focus the composition on the project. "Chattanooga has built a reputation as an outdoor destination, but for many residents, the true entry point into mountain biking is still missing.

You can access incredible trails, but for a beginner they often feel intimidating, technical, and unforgiving. For some, that intimidation is enough to never try—missing out on the 100+ miles of singletrack within 30 minutes of downtown. For others, the opposite happens: they jump in too quickly, get in over their head, and have a negative or even uns". Location: 1503 Middle St, Chattanooga, Tennessee 37408, United States. Resources available: Trail builders, engineers, TVA connections, Mountain Bike coaches, program leaders, and community builders through the SORBA network, The enthusiastic parents of 62 kids signed up for a youth mountain bike program called the Tater Chips.

Style: WPA-era screenprinted travel poster. Bold graphic composition, simplified shapes, warm earthy color palette, dramatic light and shadow, mid-century screen print texture, minimal detail but strong silhouettes, layered depth, optimistic and heroic tone, clean vector illustration, retro travel poster design, subtle paper grain texture.

Area Geography: Chattanooga is defined by a dramatic transition from flat river basins to towering plateaus. It features sheer granite and sandstone cliff faces (famous for rock climbing) and hidden subterranean wonders like Ruby Falls. Just west of the Great Smoky Mountains, sharing that iconic blue-mist horizon.

Native wildlife and flora: box turtles, white-tailed deer, red-tailed hawks, eastern bluebirds, tulip poplars, dogwoods, rhododendrons, and mountain laurel.

Activities: Pick activities relevant to the project. People here enjoy mountain biking, hiking, rock climbing, kayaking, paddleboarding, trail running, fishing, rollerblading, white water rafting, and community gardening. Weave relevant activities and local nature into the scene.

City life: Chattanooga's urban core is compact, walkable, and layered — historic brick warehouses, Art Deco civic buildings, modern glass infill, pedestrian bridges, riverfront paths, and steep green bluffs all within a small footprint.

Flora & Water: The landscape is carpeted in dense deciduous forests of oak, hickory, and tulip poplars. No pine trees. Hidden in the folds of the rolling hills are moss-covered rolling brooks, limestone swimming holes, and tiered waterfalls that spill over rocky ledges.

Typography: National park sans-serif, bold font. Sans serifs feel the pull of the Machine Age. Rough, worn, and perfectly imperfect. The individual letterforms do not strictly abide by all typographic rules, but this intentional imperfection adds to its charm. This typeface feels as if it was drawn by hand, just like the hand lettering in the vintage National Park posters. Just the title and subtitle, no other text in the graphic.

Photos

1503 Middle St, Chattanooga, Tennessee 37408, United States

This system is organized around the Riverwalk corridor, with several high-potential anchor sites that can scale over time. An ideal first step is a pilot site along the Riverwalk at 35.02197584610327, -85.32287413054752. This location offers a highly accessible, city-owned opportunity to quickly demonstrate impact through natural-surface trails and an entry-level pump track, with room to expand into more advanced features. It is a low-barrier, high-visibility starting point that can build momentum for the broader vision. Potential locations for a larger, destination-style bike park include: - Hill behind Siskin Steel along the Riverwalk (35.03402557086562, -85.32362444263393) This site has exceptional potential, with ideal topography, direct Riverwalk access, and enough space to support a world-class bike park. Land ownership presents a challenge, but the upside is significant. - Walden’s Ridge Lower Trailhead (35.134992532579716, -85.3064626754292) This location offers a unique opportunity to connect directly into an existing trail system from a primary access point—similar to the model seen in Baker Creek Preserve. Land ownership is a challenge, but the connectivity is unmatched. - White Oak Park (City of Red Bank) A strong candidate due to its available space, favorable terrain, and proximity to Stringers Ridge. While it sits outside Chattanooga city limits, it presents an opportunity for regional collaboration to expand the reach and impact of the system.

Gardeners

Eric Wiens
Sunshine Loveless

Roots

SORBA (Southern Off Road Bicycle Association(not committed yet)
IMBA (International Mountain Bike Association)(not committed yet)

Guides

Sunshine Loveless
Kelly Brenna
David Johnson
Doug Carlson
Eric Pullen
Eric Wiens
Gail Loveland
Greg Laudeman
Heather Sellers
Ivanna Llibre
Luke Daniels
Luke Iverson
Patrick Kelly
Mike Gehard
Thomas Lamb
Benny Bradford

Fertilizer

Trail builders, engineers, TVA connections, Mountain Bike coaches, program leaders, and community builders through the SORBA network
The enthusiastic parents of 62 kids signed up for a youth mountain bike program called the Tater Chips

Water

Land is the #1 need - Many options for a larger anchor point bike bike are on private land.
Detailed design plans are #2 after land is acquired

Budget

$20,000

Obstacles

Land access – Securing the right location for a bike park is often one of the biggest challenges, requiring coordination across multiple parcels and agencies. However, in this case, we have a unique opportunity: Hamilton County-owned land along the Riverwalk that is ideally suited to launch a pilot bike park. This site provides immediate access, visibility, and terrain to get a high-quality, community-focused project off the ground. At the same time, the long-term vision for a full-scale regional bike park will require identifying and securing a larger parcel of land. The Riverwalk site allows us to build momentum, demonstrate impact, and grow community support while continuing to pursue a future flagship location. Funding – Developing a high-quality bike park requires capital for materials, equipment, and labor. While this is a meaningful investment, the project can be approached in phases and supplemented through partnerships, volunteer efforts, and grant funding. These obstacles are highly solvable. Cities across the country have successfully built community-focused mountain bike parks despite similar challenges. Examples include Knoxville, Bentonville, Nashville, Chattanooga, Asheville, and Austin. Many of these cities leveraged partnerships, volunteer labor, grant funding, and phased development to overcome land and funding hurdles—creating thriving bike park communities that attract riders of all ages and skill levels.

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