Howdy readers, City Editor Kristen here.

Nooga's own Reflection Riding recently began offering customizable, fully guided Behind the Scenes Experiences of their 300-acre campus — and we were some of the first to dive in.

These immersive adventures offer groups of up to 20 the opportunity to interact with the animals + environments of Reflection Riding in a whole new way by choosing three experiences from a list that includes:

Animal encounters
Wildlife area tours
Canoe trip
Exploration backpack
And more

What we tried:

We geared up for a guided canoe trip, an animal encounter (we couldn't pass up saying hi to Winnie, the barn owl), and the wildlife area tour.

I particularly loved taking in all the scenic views during the trip down Lookout Creek. The creek is peaceful yet booming with life — I saw countless turtles, alligator gar, and herons on my voyage.

It's a great opportunity to relax while learning about the creek's aquatic life with one of Reflection Riding's expert naturalists.

Meet some of Reflection Riding's native animal ambassadors, like Winnie the barn owl. | Photo by NOOGAtoday

What not to miss:

We highly recommend including an animal encounter in your adventure.

I was able to get face-to-face with one of Reflection Riding's native animal ambassadors, Winnie the barn owl. I learned about how Winnie came to the center, plus all kinds of fun facts about her species from an expert naturalist — did you know a barn owl can hear a mouse's heartbeat from 30 feet away?

Learn about how Reflection Riding is working to protect red wolves. | Photo provided by Reflection Riding

What we’re still talking about:

The wildlife area tour. Not only do you get to see some of Reflection Riding's native animals — like red wolves, Thor the sandhill crane, and an opossum — but you also learn about their conservation efforts. I loved hearing about the in-depth work Reflection Riding is doing to protect the red wolf species from extinction.

How you can experience this:

You can join in on the adventure by requesting a Behind the Scenes Experience online.

You'll select which experiences you're most interested in + fill out the remaining information, then Reflection Riding will reach out to help bring it to life. Note: You'll want to allow five business days in advance of booking your trip.

Things to know if you go:

Experience: Behind the Scenes Experience at Reflection Riding
Price: $125+
Website: https://reflectionriding.org/behind-the-scenes
Address: 400 Garden Rd. Chattanooga, TN
Hours: Sunday-Monday, closed + Tuesday-Saturday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
Social: Facebook | Instagram | YouTube