The Tennessee River Gorge Trust celebrated the grand opening of the second phase of its Aetna Mountain Trail System on Aug. 21, marking the completion of an expansion that doubled the system from four to eight miles of multi-use trails.
The newly completed phase adds four miles of progressive, single-track trails designed for beginner- to intermediate-level hikers and mountain bikers. Located on 300 acres of conserved land near the Black Creek neighborhood, the Aetna Mountain Trail System provides a new opportunity for the Chattanooga community to explore and connect with protected land.
Q Strategies supported the Tennessee River Gorge Trust’s grand opening by developing and distributing a press release and coordinating media outreach surrounding the event. The team pitched the story to local media outlets, highlighting the trail expansion, its community-driven development and the Trust’s broader conservation mission.
The media outreach resulted in coverage from both WDEF and the Chattanooga Times Free Press. WDEF attended the grand opening and produced a television segment featuring interviews with Tennessee River Gorge Trust Executive Director Eliot Berz and footage from the newly expanded trail system. The Times Free Press also covered the opening in print and digital formats and produced a video from the event.
The coverage highlighted not only the addition of four miles of trails, but the community input that helped shape the project and the Tennessee River Gorge Trust’s goal of making conservation accessible to the public.
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