Chattanooga/ Hamilton County Tennessee River Walk

4301 Amnicola Highway
Chattanooga, TN

Park for public access to the river for walking, blading and biking.

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Why It Works

Currently expanding to reach from the Chickamauga Dam to Ross's Landing downtown, the Riverwalk has approximately eight miles of wide pavement for walking/biking/blading along the Tennessee River for recreation. Boat ramps and pavillions are also part of this park system. This greenway system is also being developed to follow the major tributaries along the Tennessee River for enjoyment throughout the city.

What Makes Chattanooga/ Hamilton County Tennessee River Walk a Great Place?

It connects to major roads and there is plenty of parking at the various access points along the eight mile river walk. It is not linked to any residential area - although there is access downtown by bus. Paved sidewalks are very wide to allow passing on bikes and blades.

Very good first impression - very clean. Hamilton County maintains the park and the riverwalk. It is regularly policed, closed at night and partolled all the time. The riverwalk has an image of safety. Vehicles do not dominate. It seems to be equal between walkers and other modes of transportation (bikes and blades).

Seems to be more enjoyed by the adults (young and old) and by children accompanied by adults (I guess the limited access without an auto keeps children from visiting alone).

Many of my friends have had BBQs at the park. I once participated in an environmental education day for grade school children there. I think it is more utililized by natives in the area, but it certainly is attractive enough to bring out of town guests for a picnic and a hike.

Contact Info:

Hamilton County Engineer Office - Jan Pass

User Comments:

> Add your own comment about Chattanooga/ Hamilton County Tennessee River Walk

01/22/03 kasandra torres said:: I spent several months in Chattanooga and spent a great deal of time working in the downtown area. The River Walk provides a safe haven for visitors and residents alike. River Walk connects Chattanooga's fabulous greenways and waterfront by creating a focal point and destination. Many people that work downtown exercise during their lunch hour; the multi-use trails that lead to the River Walk, the Aquarium or across the Walnut Street Bridge are something the city should be proud of.
12/17/07 Ronald Howard said:: The Tennessee Riverwalk is now completed and is a great outdoor space. The trail has been completed from the Chicamauga Dam all the way to Ross's Landing. There are several pavillions with clean/safe restrooms and water as well one nice little cafe which serves sandwiches, soft drinks, and deserts. They also have a great selection of kites for sale. There are several expansions to the trail in the planning stages so this area can only get better and better over the next few years. By the way, I believe that the trail length at present is now 13 miles.
04/29/09 Lehman Kicklighter said:: My wife and I were just in Chattanooga and visited the riverwalk area on our bikes. We found the riverwalk trail was not marked well at all and we could find no one that could assist us in our ride. The area was not very friendly to bikers with lots of steps to go up are down on. The riverwalk stopped on one end at the local Art Building and the other end just past the aquiriam. The city planners need to update their maps for this area and better mark riverwalk for biking folks: LKicklight Dallas, Ga
05/23/09 Candace Janish said:: The riverwalk is "friendly" bicyclists in some areas. I do not believe all areas are open to them. IF you had researched the area as well as you should have you would have seen that it is a small sidewalk, and you should not bike the trail if you are not comfortable with sharing a small space. I come upon bikers often and it is no problem if they know how to share. The riverwalk is an amazing area. The area you were on is one VERY VERY SMALL PART. The real riverwalk, the classic one that is 13 miles plus, is not the one by the art museum. Research before you critize a wonderful part of our city.
06/18/09 Kathleen Lutz said:: My daughter and I visited Chattanooga on an extended trip through TN and FL and had a wonderful time. The amount of hard work and vision that has gone into transforming the city and blending it with the environment is evident. Our original stop was at the aquarium and we were pleased to find the area surrounding the facility to be an attraction itself with greenscaping, water features, sculptures and paths. We made our way over the Walnut Street Bridge to Coolidge park. Coolidge park has beautiful open space for all types of activities, an interactive fountain, carousel and local shopping and eating nearby. However, returning to downtown, we (like the previous poster) lost the continuation of the path near the museum. It seems to run through the local neighborhood a bit but I'm not sure. Upon my return home and further research for our next trip, it took about an hour of online digging to find a single map that showed the entire greenscape/trail plan. This is located at http://www.hamiltontn.gov/TNRiverpark/Images/hamiltonco_riverwalk_distance.pdf I would encourage the leaders of this project to post more information at the actual parks and points along the trail and evidently near the museum. A map similar to the linked one would be great along with information about the amenities located at each facility or entry point. It's a shame that because of the lack of a little information some visitors are missing a beautiful piece of your city. If I would have known how much further the trail went, we would have looked for bike rentals (are there any available?) so we could have further enjoyed your city. I would encourage anyone who enjoys a small town feel combined with big city amenities to visit Chattanooga.