Horseback Riding. A good way to experience the beauty in Chattanooga and the surrounding area is from the back of a horse. Tennessee ranks third in the nation in the number of horses owned with fifty percent of those horses used for recreational purposes. The sport is especially growing for the baby boomers, who now have the time and money to invest in their dream of owning a horse. Caught up in the stress of families and jobs, they find riding a trail with friends, or on their own with their equine companion, listening to the sounds of nature, relaxing. Many of the areas that offer the beautiful scenery and quiet forests are accessible only by foot or by horse. Persons who have physical limitations and cannot hike are able to enjoy the outdoors by riding a horse.

While there is limited riding within the Chattanooga area, the surrounding counties offer many opportunities. Because Chattanooga is on the borders of two states, most of these trails are within an easy hour's traveling distance. Prentice Cooper State Forest and Wildlife Management area in nearby Marion County offers 100 miles of multi-use trails and primitive camping. The Cherokee National Forest in Polk County covers thousands of acres that are laced with trails. You can experience a piece of history by riding the 12 miles of equestrian trails at nearby Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park in Georgia. Take in the spectacular views from the mountain tops at Crockford-Pigeon Mountain Wildlife Management in Lafayette, Georgia, where there are 100 miles of multi-use trails and a primitive camping area, and at the Cohutta Wilderness area, which is part of the Chattahoochee National Forest where there are established horse trails and primitive camping.