Duration

2 Hours

Departs

Daily at 9:00 am and 1:30 pm

Order By Telephone

$52.00 - Call 423-648-4372

Order Online

Date:  Time:  9:00 AM 1:30 PM

Adult $45.00 Child(Ages 6-11) $24.95 Child(Under 5) $0.00

 

Cancellation Policy

Site Facilities

Audubon Acres, also known as the Elise Chapin Wildlife Sanctuary, contains 120 acres of natural preserve along the Chickamauga Creek. A log cabin on the property known as "Spring Frog Cabin" is said to have been the home of Drowning Bear, a Cherokee full blood who was removed on the Trail of Tears. The site has a staffed visitor center with exhibits. The sanctuary is certified on the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail, and is owned and operated by the Chattanooga Audubon Society, Inc.

Spring Frog Cabin

The historic log cabin appears to have been built in the mid-1700's when the Chickamauga Cherokee first settled along South Chickamauga Creek.  The cabin was named for Spring Frog, a Cherokee naturalist; the cabin was later occupied by the Walker Family, specifically Robert Sparks Walker, local naturalist, author, and poet who founded the Chattanooga Audubon Society.  Over the years, Cherokee and white settlers who farmed the property had modified the cabin.  The cabin has been restored and is furnished to depict the typical 19th century pioneer home.

Cherokee Arboretum

The site contains approximately one mile arboretum trail features trees and other plants labeled with their scientific, common, and Cherokee names written in Cherokee syllabary.  Trees are labeled with plastic engraved signs attached to them.  In addition, signs on posts appear in front of the labeled trees which describe the various uses native people made of the plants.  The trail was developed to interpret the forest in the context of American Indian culture and regional history to give visitors a glimpse into the life of the people who once lived, hunted, and gathered in the forests, meadows, and along the banks of South Chickamauga Creek.

Little Owl Village

Little Owl Village is an archaeological site that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  The site was the location of a Mississippian Era Native American village in the 1400's and 1500's.  This village is believed to be the location of the first contact between local Native Americans and Spanish explorers.  Archaeological field studies have located the site of a winter dwelling that had been burned at the approximate time of the contact with the Spanish, information consistent with the journal accounts recorded by members of the Tristan de Luna expedition.

Exhibits

At Audubon Acres, visitors can learn about the typical agricultural life and level of acculturation experienced by the Cherokee at the time of removal. The visitor center has exhibits on the Trail of Tears Brainerd Mission site, and on Cherokee culture.