Blog: City Blog

Waterfront Amenities Latest Additions to Lakeshore Park

Though Lakeshore Park has long boasted spectacular views of the Smoky Mountains and the Tennessee River, patrons visiting the 185-acre riverside park have never experienced actual access to the water.

That has all changed since the Phase 1A improvements in the Lakeshore Park Master Plan were completed over the summer.

Boardwalk in Lakeshore Park

First, a 300-foot boardwalk leads trail users through a natural marsh to a 50-foot fishing pier at the river’s edge. Located behind the park’s upper ballfields, the boardwalk and pier form an excellent venue from which to bird watch and view hundreds of seasonal, native wildflowers.

There’s also a new 90-foot fishing pier near the mouth of Fourth Creek that offers fishing access in a scenic, tranquil cove. A kayak launch is adjacent to the pier.

Kayak Launch at Fourth Creek in Lakeshore Park

Kayak Launch at Fourth Creek in Lakeshore Park

Kayak launch and fishing pier at the mouth of Fourth Creek

The waterfront amenities were some of the most requested features listed at the initial public meetings held for the Lakeshore Park Master Plan. The Lakeshore Park Board launched a fundraising campaign for the $25 million Phase 1A improvements in 2016.

Phase 1A amenities paid for and built by the Lakeshore Park Board include:

300-foot boardwalk and 50-foot fishing pier
90-foot fishing pier at Fourth Creek
Kayak launch at Fourth Creek
Hank Rappé Accessible Playground
Haslam Overlook
Two additional miles of paved trails
Marble Hall, a semi-enclosed pavilion with its own stage and restrooms
Marble Pavilion, an open pavilion
A two-acre festival lawn with its own restrooms

The City of Knoxville partnered with the Lakeshore Park Board to renovate Lakeshore Park when the State closed Lakeshore Mental Health Institute and transferred the land over to the City to be added to the original 75-acre Lakeshore Park.

The City restored the historic Lakeshore Administration Building for $3.1 million, which now serves as office space for the Parks and Recreation Department. The City also invested $6.8 million to demolish the dilapidated hospital buildings and upgrade utilities infrastructure, some of which had predated World War II.

With the Lakeshore Park Board’s completion of Phase 1A, Scripps Networks has donated $3 million for the construction of a broad overlook terrace on the central hill creating a new gathering place where one can enjoy the incredible views through the park to the river and the mountains beyond. The design is in the works, and construction is slated to begin in late 2018.

For more information, visit www.LakeshoreParkKnoxville.org.

Posted by On 15 August, 2018 at 5:02 PM