Tennessee Blueway

        With the restored Walnut Street pedestrian bridge spanning the Tennessee River as a backdrop, National Park Service Director Fran Mainella dedicated Tennessee’s first Blueway in Chattanooga. The Tennessee River Blueway stretches nearly 50 miles from Chickamauga Dam past Chattanooga’s revitalized riverfront and limestone bluffs, around historic Moccasin Bend, and through the protected river gorge. Paddlers will find river islands, forests, historic bridges, wildlife sanctuaries, and primitive camping options along the way.

        The trace was developed by the Tennessee River Gorge Trust, the National Park Service’s Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance Program, the City of Chattanooga, TVA and other local stakeholders. EnviroLink Southeast is pleased to be a corporate sponsor of the blueway project and has assisted in the development of a brochure guide and map of the diverse river trail.

        NPS Director Mainella’s participation in the dedication led to the opportunity to explore the Moccasin Bend National Historic Landmark along with Congressman Zach Wamp who initiated and nurtured legislation to add Moccasin Bend to the national park system. Moccasin Bend is a national treasure having served as a witness to 10,000-year-old Native American villages, the Trail of Tears, Spanish trade and strategic Civil War sites. Friends of Moccasin Bend, a non profit advocacy group, has rallied strong support from diverse groups for the creation of a thoughtful Trail of Tears interpretive center at the riverfront gateway to the park.
        For further information on the Tennessee River Blueway or to receive a brochure guide and map, contact the Tennessee River Gorge Trust office at 423.266.0314. To contact Friends of Moccasin Bend visit http://www.chattanooga.net/fmbnp or call 423.209.6822. For information on developing a “blueway” trai in your area, contact the NPS, Rivers, Trails, and Conservation assistance at www.nps.gov/rtca.

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