Chattanooga has plenty of great, local parks to enjoy, so here are a few of the best to get you started.
As the weather gets warmer, we like to get outside more and soak up the sunshine. Where should you go to enjoy the outdoors though? What are your preferred amenities? Do you need an amazing playground for the kids or a scenic walking trail? Keep reading to learn all about my favorite parks located around the city of Chattanooga and what they have to offer.
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Chickamauga Dam Park
- Location: North Chattanooga
- Good for Walking? Yes
- Playground? Yes
- Restrooms? Yes
- Tables and Grills? Yes
- Parking: Free parking lots
- Water Access? Boat ramp, beach swimming area
- Unique Features: best view of the Chickamauga Dam, beach swimming area
Not to be confused with the Chickamauga Battlefield, Chickamauga Dam Park is located as the name suggests, by the Chickamauga Dam on the Tennessee River just north of downtown Chattanooga. This park features picnic areas with grills, a new playground, a boat ramp, a man-made beach with swimming area, and paved walking trails.
This park is popular in the summer months for its swimming area. But not just that, now you can walk the trail alongside Highway 153 up to the Chickamauga Dam. From here, you can carefully go under the highway and down to the Tennessee Riverpark on the other side. This makes a longer trail to connect with some of the Tennessee Riverpark sections, one of which is featured in this post further below.
Greenway Farms
- Location: Hixson
- Good for Walking? Yes
- Playground? No
- Restrooms? Yes
- Tables and Grills? Yes
- Parking: Free parking lots
- Water Access? Paddle launches, no swimming
- Unique Features: dog park, old quarry, wildlife
Greenway Farms, also known simply by “The Greenway,” is located in the heart of Hixson. This park consists of over 200 acres and is a sanctuary for wildlife. It features a dog park, hilly fields, various trails for hiking or biking, paddle launches on the North Chickamauga Creek, and an old quarry that was used to build the Chickamauga Dam.
There’s also picnic tables throughout the park, and a grill behind the new conference center. I love visiting this park just to walk the trails, but it’s also a great place to picnic, fly a kite, or just simply relax. Learn more about this park and details of all the trails in my Greenway Farms blog post.
Chester Frost
- Location: Lakesite
- Good for Walking? No
- Playground? Yes
- Restrooms? Yes
- Tables and Grills? Yes
- Parking: Free parking lots
- Water Access? Boat ramps, paddle launches, swimming spots, beach swimming area
- Unique Features: best water access, Nooga Splash, tennis or pickleball court
Chester Frost is just north of Chattanooga off of Hixson Pike. The park sits on Dallas Bay, part of the Tennessee River. It’s the perfect park for summer water lovers. It features boat ramps, a man-made beach with a large swimming area, a playground, fishing spots, paddle launch spots, and picnic areas with grills. And in the summer, there’s an inflatable water park called Nooga Splash where you can pay to have even more fun on the water.There are parking spots all throughout the stretch of the park to enjoy the different areas by the water.
There is also a campground which is out on a little island in the bay. I haven’t camped here yet but I’m excited to try it one day as it’s such a picturesque location to do so. This park is not the best for walking, there are no trails, but there are places to set up your hammock and relax. Or get out on the water, as most people do when visiting this park.
Tennessee Riverpark
- Location: Chattanooga
- Good for Walking? Yes
- Playground? Yes
- Restrooms? Yes
- Tables and Grills? Yes
- Parking: Free parking lots
- Water Access? Boat ramp, paddle launch, no swimming
- Unique Features: fishing piers, Tennessee River views, bike rentals
The Tennessee Riverpark covers over 150 acres and is best known for its 13 mile long paved trail, the Tennessee Riverwalk. But if you’re looking for just one section to relax and enjoy the outdoors in, look no further than the Hubert Fry Fishing Section. This trailhead has plenty of parking areas, additional sidewalks that are not just a part of the Tennessee Riverwalk, a playground, fishing piers, and a boat ramp. There’s also picnic tables, a grill, restrooms, and an event center available for rent.
If you want to ride a bike, there’s a bike rental station here where you can ride around the park, or take it even further down the main trail. Just be aware, if you choose to bike further, your day pass only lasts as long as you turn your bike in once an hour at one of the bike stations. Then you can keep riding all day long. For more info about renting bikes here, see the Bike Chattanooga website. Be sure to check the map on their website to better plan your 1 hour exchanges. And if you’re curious to learn more about this trail, check out my Bike Riding in Chattanooga blog post.
Enterprise South Nature Park
- Location: East Chattanooga
- Good for Walking? Yes
- Playground? No, but there’s a fitness park more for adults
- Restrooms? Yes
- Tables and Grills? Tables yes, grilling prohibited
- Parking: Free parking lots
- Water Access? No
- Unique Features: mountain biking trails, old bunkers, dog parks
Enterprise South Nature Park is a revitalized piece of land that was used for ammunition plants nearly 100 years ago. Now it’s a nature preserve with over 30 miles of trails for hiking and biking. This park is unique in that there’s trails specifically for bikes and trails specifically for hiking. Most trails do not allow both, which makes enjoying either of these activities less stressful. There’s 16 miles of biking trails, 10 miles of hiking trails and a paved trail covering nearly 10 more miles that is for both hiking and biking.
Of course there’s also picnic areas throughout the park, a hidden lake, and the best part, the old bunkers. Only a few of the 100 bunkers are open for you to explore inside. I highly recommend finding one and experiencing the phenomenon of speaking quietly on one end of the huge dome enclosure while someone at the other end can hear you perfectly. Or be loud and have fun with the echoes that last forever.
Drive around the outer loop before you leave to really take in the scenery of the park. Be sure to download a park map before you go so you can make the most of your visit. And if you’re curious about biking, but not mountain biking here, check out my Chattanooga Bike Trails in One Park blog post.
Booker T. Washington State Park
- Location: Northeast Chattanooga
- Good for Walking? Yes
- Playground? Yes
- Restrooms? Yes
- Tables and Grills? Yes
- Parking: Free parking lots
- Water Access? Boat ramp
- Unique Features: fishing pier, scenic views of Chickamauga Lake
Just north east of Chattanooga, off Highway 58, is a Tennessee State Park. I often consider Booker T. Washington State Park a hidden gem because it’s not overly popular, so it’s peaceful and quiet. It’s a smaller state park with just 353 acres, but this includes almost ten miles of hiking and biking trails, scenic water views, a boat ramp, a fishing pier, basketball and volleyball courts, and playgrounds.
This is a great park to enjoy an afternoon barbeque or take a hike or mountain bike ride. If you’re interested in hiking or biking, read more about my hike on the Outer Loop Trail which features some of the best water views in the park.
Harrison Bay State Park
- Location: Northeast Chattanooga
- Good for Walking? Yes
- Playground? Yes
- Restrooms? Yes
- Tables and Grills? Yes
- Parking: Free parking lots
- Water Access? Boat ramp, paddle launch and swimming spots
- Unique Features: Native plants Star Walk, Bear Trace golf course, Dockside Cafe
A little further north up Highway 58, is another Tennessee State Park. Harrison Bay State Park consists of 1,200 acres on a peninsula in the Harrison Bay, part of the Tennessee River. There’s campgrounds, a marina and boat ramp, paddle launches and swimming spots, and hiking trails. The marina also features the Dockside Cafe, a small restaurant where you can grab a meal. Further up the road is the Bear Trace at Harrison Bay if you’re wanting to golf beside scenic water views.
This park is large enough to keep you occupied for a day, exploring on foot and water. There’s almost ten miles of hiking trails spread throughout the park. And there’s a few places you can launch and paddle in the coves. Plus there’s the unique Star Walk at the front of the park’s main entrance. Learn more about the Star Walk and the longest hiking trail in the park in my blog post about Chattanooga’s Easiest Hike.
Renaissance and Coolidge Park
- Location: Downtown Chattanooga
- Good for Walking? Yes
- Playground? No
- Restrooms? Yes
- Tables and Grills? No
- Parking: Pay to park
- Water Access? Paddle launches on the Tennessee River, no swimming
- Unique Features: Carousel, Cardboard Hill, Fountain Park
Located in the heart of downtown Chattanooga, you might be amazed to learn that there’s two parks, side by side. Renaissance and Coolidge Park meet under the Market Street Bridge alongside the Tennessee River.
Renaissance Park is more wooded and full of history. There’s both paved trails and dirt trails throughout the park which take you to many Civil War and Chattanooga history plaques. And on the north side of the park you’ll find “Cardboard Hill” where you can slide down the grassy knoll on a piece of cardboard for fun.
Coolidge Park features large green spaces for field games and picnics, a paved walking trail around the park, a water fountain playground during the summer, and even an antique carousel that you can still pay only a dollar to ride.
Both parks have their own parking lots, but you must pay to park. And there’s public restrooms. In Coolidge Park the restrooms are on the outer edges of the Walker Pavilion near the carousel. In Renaissance Park they are in their own building near the parking lot.
See more photos of both parks and learn more about the history and more details in my Renaissance and Coolidge Park blog post.
In Closing
Whether you’re looking to relax outside and read a book, or adventure on a bike ride or walk in the woods, these local Chattanooga parks are the place to be. Chattanooga has so many parks, but these are some of the best ones for relaxing, having a picnic, and just all around park activities. Let me know in the comments below which Chattanooga park is your favorite, I’d love to know! Until next time, enjoy exploring Chatt!
More Laid Back Chattanooga Outdoor Places to Explore:
- Chattanooga Hikes for Beginners
- Walk Through Art at the Sculpture Park
- Best View of Chattanooga at Stringer’s Ridge
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