CONNECTOR TRAIL WILL TIE DOWNTOWN CHICKAMAUGA TO BATTLEFIELD
Walker receives $434,131 grant to help pay for trail
Walker County has been awarded a $434,131 grant to pay for the Chickamauga Battlefield Connector Trail, a trail for pedestrians and cyclists that will connect Chickamauga Battlefield Park with downtown Chickamauga.
“Walker County is committed to enhancing access to outdoor recreational opportunities for residents and visitors,” said Shannon Whitfield, county Board of Commissioners chairman. “In addition to being a huge qualityof-life component for our residents, outdoor recreation is the lifeblood of our tourism industry. This project will significantly impact our community by linking a population center with a popular natural and cultural asset.”
The Appalachian Regional Commission grant will be paired with a local match to construct a nearly one-mile multi-use pathway that will connect two existing surfaced trails to complete a 2.2-mile trail from the Chickamauga Battlefield at Wilder Road to downtown Chickamauga.
Construction on the trail could start as early as late summer, with the project potentially wrapping up by the end of the year.
Walker County partnered with the city of Chickamauga, Trust for Public Land (TPL), Northwest Georgia Regional Commission, Lyndhurst Foundation, Riverview Foundation, Jewell Memorial Foundation and others to make this strategic investment to capitalize on one of the region’s most significant assets.
“The Battlefield Connector Trail is a great first opportunity for Trust for Public Land to partner with Walker County, Chickamauga, and the Northwest Georgia Regional Commission to achieve a long held and shared vision to connect more people from more communities to the remarkable natural assets throughout north Georgia and the Tennessee Valley,” said Noel Durant, TPL Tennessee director. “We know that quality of life matters to this community and that thoughtfully linking tourist destinations to business districts can grow local economies. We are grateful to the ARC for their generous investment in this project, to our philanthropic partners, and to the people of Walker County for inviting TPL to help them with this wonderful project.”
Letters of support for the project came from U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Rome, Georgia Rep. Mike Cameron of Rossville, and the acting superintendent of the Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, among others.