Trust for Public Land, Walker County, and the City of Chickamauga broke ground on Wednesday on Chickamauga Battlefield Connector Trail, a 2.2-mile multi-use trail that will link the Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park to downtown Chickamauga.
Upon completion, the Battlefield Connector Trail will provide a safe and scenic route for pedestrians and cyclists, connecting the community and one of the nation's most visited Civil War sites. In 2023, Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park welcomed more than one million visitors, marking the first time since 2016 that visitation surpassed this number.
The Battlefield Connector Trail is funded by a $434,131 grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission, supplemented with grants from the Lyndhurst Foundation, Riverview Foundation, Jewel Memorial Foundation, and Ironman Foundation and $50,000 from both Walker County Government and the City of Chickamauga.
This project is Walker County’s first financial commitment to a new public trail in nearly a decade.
"Today’s groundbreaking is an important step forward in our work to connect more people to nature throughout north Georgia and this part of the Tennessee Valley," said Noel Durant, TPL Tennessee State Director. "We know that linking tourist destinations to business districts can grow local economies while protecting irreplaceable natural and historical assets. We are grateful to the ARC for their generous investment and to the people of Walker County for inviting TPL to help bring this remarkable project to life.”
"This project is a ‘win-win-win’ for our region and one that Walker County Government is proud to support,” said Walker County Commission Chairwoman Angie Teems. “The Battlefield Connector Trail will be a true community asset that will promote healthy lifestyles, preserve our history, and stimulate our local economy. It's a considerable quality of life enhancement for Walker County.”
“The Battlefield Connector Trail is an outstanding example of how the Appalachian Regional Commission works within communities to leverage existing assets in ways that support economic growth and community development,” said Annaka Woodruff, ARC program manager. “ARC is honored to be a partner in this project and we congratulate TPL and Walker County on the remarkable progress they have made.”
“This pathway retraces portions of the old Dry Valley Road, where Union soldiers marched from Mountain Cove through Crawfish Springs – the present-day City of Chickamauga – to the battlefield near Widow Glenn’s abin where Wilder Tower now stands,” said Bruz Clark, director of the Lyndhurst and Riverview Foundations. “This route also witnessed the transport of wounded and ailing soldiers from both the Union and Confederate armies seeking medical care at the Gordon-Lee House, which functioned as a makeshift field hospital. Today’s groundbreaking is a momentous occasion and marks the culmination of a vision set in motion over a decade ago by John Culpepper, former City Manager of Chickamauga.”
Trust For Public Land has been working on the Battlefield Connector Trail since September 2024, when it was enlisted by the Walker County Commission to manage the project. Construction is expected to be complete by the end of 2025. For more information on this project, visit tpl.org/our-work/battlefield-connector.