Legacy Parks Foundation opened the newest trail at Sharp’s Ridge Memorial Park, funded by a grant from the Trinity Health Foundation. This new trail completes the Sharp’s Ridge Playspace project which opened November 2020 and features a playground, bike skills area and our region’s first adaptive trails – specifically designed to accommodate users with disabilities.
The new 1.1-mile trail bends around the west side of the ridge to connect the adaptive trails – Independence and the North Loop Trail – on the north side with the existing 4.7 miles of multi-use trails on the south side. This trail addition provides direct access from the neighborhoods on the north side to the city park, where there was previously no entry point.
Legacy Parks was awarded a two-phase grant from the Trinity Health Foundation of East Tennessee which funded the research, planning and construction of the Sharp’s Ridge Playspace and adaptive trails, and this newest trail. Legacy Parks constructed the Baker Creek Play Forest in 2017 with funding from the Trinity Health Foundation.
“Increasing access to these trails encourages community members of all ages and abilities to come together to play, socialize, participate in physical activity and connect with nature,” explained Carol Evans, Legacy Parks’ executive director. “The added benefit of this project will be strengthening community relationships by uniting neighborhoods together through this park.”
The property on which the trails and Playspace are located will be donated to the city of Knoxville by Legacy Parks to expand the city park to the north side of the ridge.
