Legacy Parks is thrilled to see a $1.7 million investment in Knoxville’s Urban Wilderness proposed in Mayor Rogero’s Fiscal Year 2018 budget – including $300,000 for Legacy Parks’ G & O Trail project!
Since establishing the Urban Wilderness in 2008, Legacy Parks has continued working to expand and connect this forested area that offers exceptional recreational, cultural, and historic assets to our city. We are so pleased that the City of Knoxville will support improvements to this area that will benefit residents and visitors alike and help get more people outside and active.
Initiatives included in the proposed budget for the Urban Wilderness:
- $400,000 for new Urban Wilderness trailhead and parking area at the southern end of James White Parkway
- $1 million to improve access and recreational facilities at Fort Dickerson Quarry
- $300,000 for a trail alongside Gulf and Ohio Railways tracks from Chapman Highway to Ijams Nature Center
Legacy Parks will continue to collaborate on the expansion of Knoxville’s Urban Wilderness, and will soon begin plans for the G & O Trail. This trail, identified by the community as one of its top outdoors priorities, will be three miles long and virtually flat, offering an easy connection along the G & O Railway from the edge of Chapman Highway to Ijams’ Meads Quarry. The connection will provide an exceptional recreational and commuter path for South Knoxville businesses, neighborhoods, and destinations.
Thank you to Mayor Madeline Rogero, Knoxville City Council, and their constituents for supporting an investment in the work we do to expand and preserve our city’s natural outdoor assets!
