Can I Ride at this “Riding”?

Neigh. The word “riding” in Reflection Riding does not refer to horses.

John & Margaret Chambliss and Harold & Marie Humphreys bought several farms they described as “abused” in the 1900s that became the grounds for the Reflection Riding campus we all know and love today. The founders were influenced by English landscape designer Thomas Whately's writings, and their goal was to establish a landscape space with beautifully framed views.

The couple named the land Reflection Riding to distinguish it from a park or a garden. In a riding (a term rarely heard today), the road itself is not the attraction—its draw is what it takes you to and the views it provides along the way.

Thomas Whately’s work also influenced Frederick Law Olmsted, who designed Central Park and Prospect Park in New York City, the National Zoo in Washington, D.C., the grounds at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, N.C., and many other national treasures.

Chattanoogan Roland W. Olmsted, distantly related to Frederick and also versed in landscape design, encouraged Harold Humphreys and the other founders when the project felt overwhelming. In appreciation, they named one of the most scenic views at Reflection Riding “Olmsted Outlook” (pictured here, where we have a bench to enjoy the view).

Now you know that riding wasn’t riding. But there was a time, from the 1950s until recently, when visitors could ride on these roads—not on horseback, but in cars. We hope you, like us, prefer to appreciate the tranquility of Reflection Riding without horsepower.

John and Margaret Chambliss  out for a stroll on their farm, circa 1950.