In 2016, University of Tennessee students in a landscape architecture course dreamed up a trail system that could connect residents to the region’s natural resources and connect communities to one another. Today, with guidance from faculty and support from our partners, that vision has turned into the Tennessee RiverLine—a 652-mile continuous system of water and land trails that is delivering economic and recreational opportunities across four states. The project is a testament to what can be achieved when we bring together communities and partners that share both their resources and their leadership with a shared mission of making life and lives better for the people of the Tennessee River Valley. Already, 20 of the communities along the river have chosen to enroll in the Tennessee RiverTowns Program, declaring their partnership with the Tennessee RiverLine’s vision.
These 20 communities represent more than a million residents who are experiencing the Tennessee RiverLine’s new investments in river access and experiences. Still, we know the potential exists for it to make an even greater impact. The report in the following pages lays out even more reason to be excited about the future of the Tennessee RiverLine and all it has to offer. In total, all Tennessee River communities are home to more than 2.4 million people in 32 counties and four states. By reframing the river, its adjacent public lands and river communities as a 1.2 million acre river park, a landscape more than twice the size of our celebrated Great Smoky Mountains National Park, we can attract flatwater paddlers, cyclists, hikers, and others from all over the country who want to experience the beautiful hills, valleys, and plains of our region. The economic impact report projects significant increase in recreational use of the river, leading to new jobs, economic growth, tax revenue, and increased income for residents. We hope the findings in this report will help guide elected officials, policymakers, and community and business leaders as they make decisions about investments and priorities along the river. Together, we know that the Tennessee RiverLine will become a destination for adventure seekers and an asset that people who live along the river and throughout the region will enjoy.