| 463 | Tennessee Riverpark | 2011-08-29 |
Saturday, Amy and I went to Chattanooga for a wedding. We spent the night and woke early Sunday for a bike ride on Chattanooga's Tennessee Riverpark greenway. It was our first visit to the park.
Starting at Ross Landing, near the Aquarium, we traveled upstream to Chickamauga Dam. The ride took us longer than expected because I kept stopping to take pictures or to investigate. For a one time visit, there was almost too much to see.
We thought it was a great overall experience. It was perhaps the best greenway that we have traveled. We did have perfect conditions, though - it was early morning with cool temperatures, blue skies and low humidity. Good weather makes almost anything better; but the trail still had a lot to offer.
Bicyclists taking a break
A few pathway notes ...
Downtown parking is limited and is not free.
It is probably a better idea to start at the Dam or another of the many other trailheads. There was ample parking at the other locations.
Restrooms and water were available at every trailhead (about every mile or so).
There were emergency call boxes every mile.
Maps were located on the kiosks at the trailheads.
There were no printed maps of the path available.
Picnic areas, rest areas, or overlooks were never far away.
The path was busy and at times even crowded; but it was a cool weekend morning.
The greenway is a Park. It passes through some commercial, industrial, and residential areas; but is mostly on Park land.
There are road crossings. Beware of vehicles.
The path is mostly an easy ride; but there are a couple of hills.
Path mileages were indicated on metal artistic 'statues.' The mileages started near the Dam - '0'. Fish were embedded into the path in half mile increments.
The Park had trail etiquette, park rules, and safety signs posted along the path.
One section of the path had a 3 to 5 mph speed limit for bicycles. The area did not have a bike trail, using sidewalks instead.
The path was easy to follow. There were a couple of spots where we had to try and find the correct way; but we were trying to follow the path as close as possible so that we would have an accurate GPS track.
Remember, the trail follows the river.
The path had light posts, so I am assuming was lit at night! What a great feature.
There were many side trails that were unmarked. We assumed the paths led to the river or to access points.
All of the facilities seemed to be well kept.
I did not see any graffiti.
There was a MacDonalds and a convenience store close to the trail.
In downtown Chattanooga there is plenty to eat and do. Take your pick.
Tennessee Aquarium
We had been wanting to ride this path for a long time. Tennessee Riverpark met all of our expectations. It is worth a visit to Chattanooga just to explore the path and visit downtown. It is a destination!
Happy Tennessee Riverpark trails