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Audubon Acres
ADA Accessibility Notes
The Visitor's Center is ADA accessible, however, the grounds are not.
Chattanooga's oldest wildlife sanctuary, Audubon Acres preserves 130 acres of habitat and history in the East Brainerd neighborhood. Visitors seeking recreational opportunities can enjoy 5 miles of hiking trails and water access for tubing, swimming, and paddling. Tubes can be rented daily during the warmer months and kayaks are available by reservation on the weekends. A swinging bridge provides passage over South Chickamauga Creek and numerous picnic areas make the perfect lunch spot for all day outings.
History enthusiasts will find literature and displays on Native history along with one of the largest publicly viewable collections of local artifacts in the area. Historic Spring Frog Cabin is a stone's throw from the parking lot and the site of Little Owl Village is only a one mile hike from the visitor center. The Cherokee Arboretum loop winds along South Chickamauga Creek and identifies the scientific and Cherokee names for 50 species of native trees along with their herbal and medicinal uses.
Also open daily is the C.E. Blevins "Avian Jewels" Collection of bird egg replicas. The largest collection of reproduced bird eggs in the world, this display includes some 1,200 species from across the globe all sculpted from clay and painted by hand. Pieces range from the bean-sized eggs of hummingbirds to the football-sized shell of the Elephant Bird of Madagascar. An oversized Whooping Crane egg measures a whooping 9 feet tall.
How to Get There
Directions
From downtown Chattanooga: Take I-24 east to I-75 north to East Brainerd Rd. Go east to Gunbarrel Rd. and turn right. Follow Gunbarrel Rd. until it turns into North Sanctuary Rd. Continue on N. Sanctuary Rd. to the visitor center at Audubon Acres at the end of the road.
From Cleveland: Take I-75 south to East Brainerd Rd. and follow the directions above.
From Hixon: Take Hwy 153east to I-75south and follow signs to East Brainerd Rd. and follow directions above.
Physical Address
900 North Sanctuary Rd.
Chattanooga, TN 37421
Pet Friendly Notes
Because Audubon Acres was founded as a wildlife sanctuary, pets are not allowed.
Time Period Represented
1500's to present
Hours
9am to 5 pm Monday through Saturday, 1pm to 5pm on Sundays.
Seasons Open
Year-Round