Tennessee State Parks and Natural Areas Receive Grants to Expand and Enhance Hiking Trails

Nashville, Tenn. – Two grants from the Tennessee Parks and Greenways Foundation’s State Park Connections program have been awarded to Tennessee State Parks and Natural Areas to improve and expand hiking trails. The program awards grants ranging from $500 to $2,500 designed to stimulate the planning, design and development of greenways and trails in Tennessee.

Henry Horton State Park was awarded a $2,000 grant for its innovative effort to develop a trail along the banks of the Duck River. The trail will overlook the Duck River and connect the Wilhoite Mill Trail with the park’s campground. The park will also enhance the Hickory Ridge Nature Loop by updating the tree identification signage on that trail.

The Tennessee Division of State Natural Areas also received a $2,000 grant to help fund additional trail work and signage at Stillhouse Hollow Falls State Natural Area in Maury County. Stillhouse Hollow Falls is a 100-acre state natural area acquired in 2006. The acquisition and development of public trails was accomplished through a cooperative effort between the State of Tennessee, Tennessee Parks and Greenways Foundation, Tennessee Trails Association and the Maury County Parks and Recreation Department.

Another state natural area will benefit from a similar grant to the Germantown Parks and Recreation Department, which cooperatively manages the Riverwoods State Natural Area in Shelby County. That grant will fund improvements to the area’s trail system, including a boardwalk trail through one section of the natural area.

For more information about Tennessee State Parks, visit the Web site at www.tnstateparks.com or call toll-free at 1-888-TN-PARKS. For more information about Tennessee State Natural Areas, visit www.tdec.net/na.

The Tennessee Parks and Greenways Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to conserving and protecting Tennessee’s rich heritage and natural resources. For more information about the Tennessee Parks and Greenways Foundation, visits their Web site at www.tenngreen.org.

For more information contact:

Tisha Calabrese-Benton
Office (865) 594-5442