Durham Mine Trails Ribbon Cutting

By LYDIA BERGLAR
News Editor

Photo by Lydia Berglar

Photo by Lydia Berglar

Lula Lake Land Trust (LLLT) and outdoor enthusiasts celebrated the newly installed Durham Mine Trails on March 18 with a ribbon cutting, live band, and trail challenge. Mike and Nancy Robinson said, “We’ve lived here most of our lives. We’ve been coming to and been members of LLLT for many years. We appreciate that this group has trails of all ranges. There are a lot of fun things going on right in our backyard.”

LLLT purchased nearly 490 acres of Durham property in 2019 and installed 12 miles of trails. Executive Director Cody Roney thanked several nonprofits and local businesses as well as the 250 volunteers who helped build the trails. She explained the history of the Durham mining community, reporting that the mines were active from 1860-1924 and the town was said to have a workforce of 30,000 and even had electricity before Chattanooga.

The trails will be open from sunup to sundown, like the Cloudland Canyon trails, and the parking lot will have a $5 donation box. For more information about Durham’s mining history and these trails, visit www.lulalake.org/durham-trails.html.

Photo by Lydia Berglar