CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – One of the most popular places to unload canoes and kayaks in Montgomery County is Port Royal State Historic Park; however, park rangers instituted this summer a three-hour parking limit for most of the park’s parking spaces.

The new parking rule has upset some boaters, including Scott Sharitt, who operates a local Facebook group for kayaking.

“They have a place specifically to load and unload kayaks. What I don’t understand is why you would limit parking to three hours when you cannot make it from the takeout upstream to Port Royal in three hours,” Sharitt said.

Port Royal’s mission

David Britton, manager at Port Royal and Dunbar Cave State Parks, told Clarksville Now that parking capacity has been a growing problem.

“Port Royal is 30 acres of historic site. What we have observed over the past several years is that, on Saturday and Sunday, when the rangers should be engaged with teaching and offering programs, there’s a park full of cars and no people because they left their cars at Port Royal as a shuttle location,” Britton said.

“Water recreation is something Tennessee State Parks as a whole supports, but at Port Royal when it overshadows and edges out the mission of the site, then we have to regulate it.”

And the strategy appears to be working. According to Britton, Port Royal has seen a notable uptick in visitors since parking limitations were put into place.

Where can kayakers park?

Port Royal has around 50 parking spaces between its two lots. The Trail of Tears lot and half of the Masonic Lodge lot are now limited to three-hour parking. However, the 12 parking spaces facing the road are still available for all-day parking. Britton said visitors planning to canoe or kayak should try to do so on a weekday or arrive early to get a spot.

“If you’re planning to park a shuttle vehicle at Port Royal after around mid-morning, you’re probably out of luck,” Britton said.

Britton also suggested contacting businesses that offer ride services like Run-a-Muck and Red River Canoe.

Local kayakers respond

Sharitt said kayakers and canoers are being made to bear the consequences of insufficient parking, and that Port Royal should expand parking to allow more visitors.

“Limiting the river to 12 people is kind of absurd. I thought the parking was inadequate before the signs. I don’t think the state estimates how popular kayaking that river really is,” Sharitt said.

Sharitt also said the parking time limit benefits private services by limiting public options. “It feels like, by the state putting up those signs, that they are forcing people to use business services because you can’t park there,” Sharitt said.

Others have been more sympathetic to Port Royal’s difficulties. Local kayaker Bradley Perry said it’s important for people to share public spaces.

“I think kayakers do tie up the parking on weekends for sure, just because it’s a popular place to go,” said Perry. “If they can’t have people attend because people are occupying the river, then that hurts the park in the long run. But, I do hate having to be the first one if you want to have a parking spot. You’ve got to plan ahead and get there. … It’s hard, because they can’t really expand the parking lot anymore.”

“It sucks that they had to make the change, but at the same time, we have to share the park.”

More access points needed

Britton added that Montgomery County has roughly 25 miles of Red River with no public access points. He said he would like to see at least two more access points downriver of Port Royal.

Two new access points are planned in Montgomery County. Red River East Trailhead, which opened in April just off Kraft Street, will later include an access point to the Red River. The athletic complex being built near Exit 8 is also expected to include river access.

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