Tennessee RiverLine is “North America’s Next Great Trail System”
A project launched last year is hoped to create “North America’s next great regional trail system” and all of it right along the Tennessee River.
When complete, the Tennessee RiverLine will connect Knoxville with Paducah, Kentucky with a continuous system of hiking, biking, and on-water experiences. In all, the RiverLine will run 652 miles, connecting parks, shops, restaurant, hotels, and more in Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, and Kentucky.
The project is partnership between the University of Tennessee (UT), the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), and communities along the Tennessee River. It was initially conceived by a UT architecture student in 2016.
The RiverLine project hopes to increase public access to the river. With this, officials hope to help reconnect those in the watershed region with the river and to reconnect people and communities in the Tennessee River Valley.
For locals, the RiverLine could become part of a daily commute or exercise routines, the website says. Weekend warriors could do an extended section of the trail during a single trip. Finally, that they call “trail heroes” could “seek the ultimate adventure of conquering the entire RiverLine in one continuous trip.”
A new map shows all of the now-existing amenities along the trail.
