CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – The Clarksville Greenway, a 9-mile paved trail through the center of town, was designed to be part of the Rails to Trails initiative, based on the idea of “transforming scenic abandoned railroad rights of way and river corridors into walking and biking trails,” according to the city of Clarksville,
Along the Clarksville Greenway system are many native species of plants and animals, along with landmarks such as the Raymond C. Hand Pass, a large bridge over a ravine in the trail.
The public can access trails at various designated areas including, from north to south, Heritage Park, Mary’s Oak Drive Park, the Pollard Road Trailhead, and, for the south side of the trail, at the new Red River Trailhead on Kraft Street. Parking is available at each location.
At the south end of the Greenway, a bridge is being built over the Red River so that the Greenway on the north end is connected to the Greenway on the south end, according to Deputy Director of Clarksville Parks and Recreation Michelle Austin.
This way, visitors can walk the Clarksville Greenway from Heritage Park all the way down to the Red River, proceed across the bridge and go through the trail system that connects to Austin Peay State University or the Cumberland Riverwalk.
“This is a fully funded project,” said Austin. “The (bridge) project is already underway. The construction hasn’t started yet, but our environmental and things like that have already been completed. The hope is to be able to cross the river in 2023.”