Early Forest : Tree Photography and Information: Reflection Riding Arboretum Review

Reflection Riding Arboretum & Botanical Gardens
Chattanooga Nature Center
Chattanooga, TN
Location: 400 Garden Rd Chattanooga, TN 37419 (MAP)
Phone: (423) 821-9582
Website: http://www.reflectionriding.org/ , http://chattanooganaturecenter.org/index.html

Date Visited: 02 Feb 2009

My family & I visited the Chattanooga Nature Center & the massive 300 acre Reflection Riding Arboretum on a warm February day. Visitors can expect to pay $7 per adult for admission to the Nature Park & Arboretum, or just $6 per car for the arboretum alone.

Our visit started at the Nature Center where there is a gift shop, nature exhibits & native wildlife including crows, snakes & more.

Outside of the nature center there is a small constructed wetlands demonstration area with information where visitors can see a wetland in action.

Constructed Wetlands Exhibit

Signs Trail markers direct visitors to several points of interest.

Our first destination was an impressive tree house built above a swampy area not far from the Nature Center. The ground was wet from recent rains but our feet stayed dry upon the raised boardwalks.

The Discovery Forest Tree House is in an Overcup Oak that is over 100 years old

Our next stop through the nature park was to the "Wildlife WanderLand", an informal zoo for native animals. Animals included eagles, hawks, owls, assorted woodland animals & endangered Red Wolves.

Red Wolf

After visiting the animals we set out for the Arboretum. To traverse the incredible 300 acre grounds we had to take our car. While it remains very pedestrian friendly, cars share the trails in a leisury drive with plenty of places to pull over and explore the property.

Most of the grounds offer wide open spaces & spectacular views. Scattered patches of trees and a variety of microclimates offer a huge diversity of growing conditions for trees of every type.