NORRIS, Tenn., Feb. 11, 2022 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Yet another adventure-recreation enhancement has been added to the sweeping scenery and scenic woods enveloping the Tennessee Valley Authority's oldest reservoir.
In January 2022, TVA announced the opening of a new 6.7-mile multi-use trail at historic Loyston Point Recreation Area on Norris Lake in Union County.
Less than an hour's drive north of Knoxville, Loyston Point is already a premier one-stop East Tennessee recreation destination. It boasts a full-service campground, boat ramps, swimming area and miles upon twisting miles of biking and hiking trails.
The newly opened singletrack path is a winding state-of-the-art trail-design that invites riders, runners and leisure-wanderers to wend their way through forests and rolling elevation changes while navigating all kinds of naturally weird obstacles, like exposed rocks, roots and other unexpected pitfalls in the uneven terrain.
As part of the agency's mission of service, TVA manages public lands and waterways to support recreation. The idea is not only to provide the Tennessee River Valley's residents a rich selection of health-and-wellbeing enhancement options, but also to stimulate tourist visitation and promote sustainable economic growth.
A 2020 study examining strategies for optimizing recreation development around Norris Lake noted that communities throughout the country have reported significant economic growth resulting from investment in trail, greenway, bikeway and other public recreation infrastructure.
"Increasing land values around trails and walkable areas show that people desire to live closer to active transportation and recreation facilities; people, including those that do not bike or walk for trips often, are willing to make investments in places with better transportation choices and robust recreation options," the Norris Lake Trail Sustainability & Connectivity Study found.
The study's authors concluded that wise investment in -- and better access to -- nature preserves, bicycle trails and walking paths will encourage community revitalization and boost the regional economy.
"Projects like Loyston fit into the TVA mission to make the Tennessee Valley a better place to live, work and play," said Clay Guerry, a natural resource management specialist for TVA who works to improve and expand recreation opportunities.
Over the past six years, TVA has invested more than three-quarters of a million dollars in the Loyston Point Recreation Area to add to its family-friendly appeal. Nearly 30 miles of trail in the area are suitable for leisurely walks or endurance bike rides, to say nothing of vast areas of backwoods forest and lake shoreline to explore.
Loyston Point is part of the Norris Lake Area Trail System (NATS), which consists of more than 90 miles of hiking, biking and horseback riding trails surrounding the picturesque emerald waters behind Norris Dam.
Less than a half-day's drive from a dozen sizable metropolitan areas across the Southeast and Midwest, NATS also consists of two state parks -- Big Ridge and Norris Dam -- as well as magnificent county and city parks in addition to Loyston Point. Together these thousands of acres of public land offer an array of escape options for adventure-seekers of all ages and abilities who want to put city skylines and workplace worries behind them.
"The bigger picture of the Norris Area Trail System is not only to get more people to enjoy our parks, but to come discover our area and draw more attention to it," said Norris Dam State Park Manager Veronica Grear. "All of us want to bring more people to our parks -- and have them spend their money locally. The whole vision of the NATS plan is to better market our parks and connect more people to the parks so that we can have future generations of park supporters and advocates who're going to protect the land and enjoy it after we're not here anymore."
Media Contact
Julie Graham, TRV Stewardship Council Inc, 8655850811, [email protected]
SOURCE TRV Stewardship Council Inc
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