3:54 a.m. May 24, 2013
Update

The Boy Scouts will not be participating in the Watauga event.

6:43 a.m. May 23, 2013
Six TVA trails getting a facelift on National Trails Day

Six TVA trails to get facelift on National Trails Day. Image by tva.gov.

KNOXVILLE -- Six trails located in Tennessee and Alabama will be getting a facelift by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) on Saturday, June 1. That is National Trails Day, and volunteers are encouraged to participate.

One of the projects includes the 1.5-mile Buck Island Trail on Guntersville Reservoir in Alabama. The trail was partially destroyed by a tornado in spring 2011. The trail will be rerouted and improved with new signage and a litter cleanup.

A Boy Scout troop will help TVA staff install a new kiosk at the scenic Watauga Overlook Trail at Watauga Reservoir near Elizabethton, TN. The kiosk will direct visitors with a large, color map at the trailhead near the Visitor Center.

Projects are also planned at Wilson Dam Trails in Muscle Shoals, Ala.; Hemlock Bluff Trails in Norris, Tenn.; Whites Creek Trail in Rhea County, Tenn., and Hiwassee River Blueway in Reliance, Tenn.

For project details, including hours, directions and contacts, please see the TVA Trails webpage at www.tva.gov or contact the TVA Environmental Information Center at 800-882-5263. Some events are weather-dependent.

TVA maintains 137 miles of trails located on 293,000 acres of TVA property. TVA’s trails are managed for public recreation and enjoyment, with the help of many volunteer groups across the Valley.

The public is welcome to join in the many activities planned for National Trails Day. Volunteers are encouraged to bring water, snacks, insect repellent, sun protection, gloves, closed-toe shoes and long pants. TVA will provide all hand tools. Work will be performed over a variety of terrain.

National Trails Day, a registered trademark of the American Hiking Society, is a nationally recognized trail awareness program that occurs annually on the first Saturday of June and inspires the public to discover, learn about, and celebrate trails while participating in outdoor activities, clinics and trail stewardship projects.

Published May 23, 2013