Chattanooga is taking yet another step to solidify their reputation as the South’s mecca of outdoor activity with the River Rocks Festival, a 10-day mountain sports fest that ties together hardcore and casual events of all disciplines with live music, demonstrations, and films. Asheville has a similar but smaller festival with the Mountain Sports Festival, but the Teva Mountain Games in Vail is the industry standard for outdoor sports fests, attracting the country’s biggest pros to compete in a variety of events. Chattanooga’s River Rocks makes use of the city’s natural resources, with events taking place on the rivers and mountains adjacent to downtown. From October 1st to the 10th, you can take rock climbing clinics, watch trials mountain bike demonstrations, catch a documentary about one of the South’s most beloved access groups, compete in the Stump Jump 50K, bike Raccoon Mountain, go spelunking, take a guided hike on the Cumberland Trail…the possibilities are endless. This is River Rocks’ inaugural event, so there are bound to be some hiccups along the way, but it’s refreshing to see a city devoted to promoting its outdoor resources.
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