Navitat Knoxville is open for the holidays!

When your kid gets bored, send her up in the trees. Explore Navitat at Ijams Nature Center. Navitat will be open today (12/26/25) through Sunday, January 4. Night adventures are also available. There’s a charge, but get the details here. Navitat at Night will also be available! It’s healthy, outdoors and fun.

Gay Street Bridge is open (sort of)

The Gay Street Bridge has reopened to pedestrians and bicyclists – on time and within budget.

“This is a happy turning point,” Mayor Indya Kincannon said. “After 18 months, we’re reopening the bridge to pedestrians and bicyclists – and that goes a very long way in reconnecting downtown and our South Waterfront.” See Kincannon click her heels in a city-produced video here.

The Tennessee Department of Transportation ordered the closure of the bridge in June 2024. A TDOT inspection revealed a compromised element, and two subsequent inspections pinpointed defects in the 127-year-old bridge.

The city worked with a team of experts – Gresham Smith and Charles Blalock & Sons Inc. – to stabilize the bridge and to reconfigure the north end of the bridge where Gay Street and Hill Avenue intersect.

The city invested more than $2.7 million to repair the bridge while also pursuing a $1 million Federal Highway Administration grant to study long-term options for possibly replacing the antiquated Gay Street Bridge with a modern new bridge.

Motorized vehicles are no longer allowed on the bridge. Here is a list of what’s allowed and what’s not allowed.

Panther Creek State Park wins award for amenities

The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) has honored Panther Creek State Park in the Excellence in Amenities Award category of the annual awards presentation.

TDEC Commissioner David Salyers praised the staff for its work to restore operations following Hurricane Helene. “Getting the park’s trails and amenities back open quickly after the storm was a top priority for this team, and their hard work deserves such recognition.”

In September 2024, Hurricane Helene left the park’s 28-mile trail system impassable. In seven weeks, maintenance staff, rangers and volunteers from a local bike club cleared 409 trees, reopened all trails and restored the trail system to stable, safe public use. Staff continued monthly inspections, removing 254 additional downed trees and addressing overgrowth along two miles of trail.

The maintenance team also converted an existing structure into a seasonal residence by installing a 90-foot waterline and interior plumbing, establishing septic connection and completing full interior finishing work, including flooring, trim, doors, fixtures and appliances. The team also assisted with renovations at the Trillium House in Whitesburg and completed extensive work on the park’s trail system. Panther Creek State Park is near Morristown. More info here.

Cumberland Trail State Park is ‘Park of the Year’

The Justin P. Wilson Cumberland Trail State Park is TDEC’s Park of the Year.

“With a strong focus on conservation and increasing access to visitors of all abilities, we’re proud to give Cumberland Trail State Park our highest honor,” said Commissioner Salyers. “The Park of the Year must excel in many ways, and the team at Cumberland Trail has delivered.”

The park made significant progress in protecting and interpreting natural and cultural resources. A major initiative was a habitat and grassland restoration at the Head of Sequatchie, targeting 43 acres of former farmland for native species recovery.

To support forest regrowth, 100 native trees were planted on park property, restoring historically farmed areas while reducing long-term maintenance needs. The park also finalized designs for 36.1 miles of new trail segments slated for construction through 2026, expanding access and recreational opportunities.

A noteworthy addition was the acquisition of an all-terrain wheelchair for the Head of Sequatchie Visitor Center, enabling visitors with mobility limitations to explore Devils Step and the Head of Sequatchie Spring.

This park manages the Cumberland Trail, established in 1971 as a State Scenic Trail. The Cumberland Trail follows a line of high ridges and deep gorges lying along Tennessee’s Cumberland Plateau.

Notes & Quotes

Outdoor Knoxville, a calendar produced by Legacy Parks Foundation, is has a comprehensive list of upcoming local outdoor events. Find it here

Keep Knoxville Beautiful’s January Saturday Spruce Up is coming to northeast Knoxville, Saturday, January 24, 2026, 10 a.m. to noon. Volunteers will pick up litter at the East Town Crossing Shopping Center, 4710 Centerline Dr., Knoxville. All willing volunteers are welcomed. Register here. (so KKB knows how many supplies to bring).

Quote: “I must go down to the seas again.” – John Masefield, full poem here.

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