What began as a conversation in a living room in 1991 has grown into one of Tennessee’s oldest accredited land trusts, protecting more than 1,500 acres of land on Lookout Mountain and shaping generations of young conservation leaders.
Lookout Mountain Conservancy, known as LMC, is preparing to celebrate its 35th anniversary in 2026, a milestone leaders say reflects both long-term land preservation and an expanding focus on people, education and community engagement.
From grassroots organizing to accredited land trust
The organization traces its roots to growing concerns about unchecked development along Cummings Highway and Lookout Mountain in the early 1990s. At the time, residents worried that commercial sprawl – including adult motels, water slides and invasive kudzu – threatened the mountain’s natural character and long-term accessibility.
A group of concerned citizens, including John Wilson and Elizabeth Davenport, organized to respond. Their first land purchase totaled just 3 acres, but it helped establish what would become one of the first land trusts in Tennessee.
Over the decades, LMC expanded its footprint and mission. Today, the nonprofit manages 1,500 acres of protected land on Lookout Mountain and stewards an additional 19 acres of privately held land that is open for public use, including the Guild-Hardy Trail and Rockmont Park.
Rockmont Park, located in St. Elmo, is now home to the largest natural urban bouldering park in the South, along with a pollinator garden, food forest and trail access. The Guild-Hardy Trail, which stretches up the side of Lookout Mountain along the River to Clouds Route, is among the most heavily used trails in the Chattanooga region, with an estimated 70,000 visitors each year.
Investing via internships, education
In a recent annual report, LMC President and Chief Executive Officer Robyn Carlton described the organization’s work as both land-centered and people-centered.
“We’re conserving land while transforming lives,” Carlton says.
A key part of that work has been LMC’s partnership with The Howard School, which led to the creation of a nationally recognized internship program focused on conservation, leadership and workforce development. The program provides paid internships to high school and college students, many of whom are first-generation college students.
In 2025, LMC supported 17 interns, including students from high schools and colleges across the region. College student-interns maintained an average GPA of 3.23, and the program reported a 100 percent high school and college graduation rate among participants.
Interns play a visible role in LMC’s public-facing work, from trail maintenance and park stewardship to leading tours and assisting at events.
Community engagement and impact in 2025
During LMC’s 12th annual Shrimp Boil fundraiser in July 2025, four interns led guided tours through Rockmont Park and along the Guild-Hardy Trail. As the group stopped along the trail, one visitor asked who maintains the area. All four interns raised their hands.
“We do,” they replied.
The 2025 Shrimp Boil drew teachers and administrators from The Howard School alongside business owners, creatives, parents and foundation leaders. Interns served food, greeted guests, offered tours and took the stage to dance, reinforcing the event’s role as both fundraiser and celebration.
“LMC is more than just conservation; it’s about transformation,” one intern said during the event.
In addition to internships and events, LMC’s 2025 impact report highlights a wide range of programming and improvements. The organization initiated zoning and architectural work to transform the Sexton property into a new intern meeting house and attainable housing community for educators from The Howard School.
LMC also collaborated with the Southern Off-road Bicycle Association on a mountain bike workshop, which concluded with SORBA donating new bicycles to interns. At Rockmont Park, the organization unveiled a newly expanded parking lot, adding more than a dozen paved spaces to accommodate growing visitation.
Community outreach extended beyond recreation. In 2025, LMC volunteers helped serve Thanksgiving dinners to 27 families in Alton Park, and planted 22 bushes and fruit trees in Rockmont Park’s Food Forest on land that previously housed a methamphetamine lab.
More than 1,000 volunteers contributed time and labor to LMC projects throughout the year, and Boulderfest, the organization’s annual climbing competition, drew more than 60 competitors.
As LMC looks ahead to its 35th anniversary, Carlton emphasizes that the milestone belongs not only to the organization but to the community that has sustained it.
“Our anniversary is yours, too,” she says. “We’re all walking each other home.”
Planning is underway for anniversary events that will reflect on LMC’s past, present and future, with details expected to be announced in the coming months.
Source: Lookout Mountain Conservancy