Tag Archives: trail

POSTPONED – Highlander Rail Trail Preview Ride

POSTPONED DUE TO RAIN IN THE FORECAST – CHECK TN Highlander for news on a new date.

The Echoes group is organizing a ~30 mile group ride along the TN Highlander railbanked corridor on Sunday, May 24th at 1 pm.

This ride will not be on the rail bed, but instead will be adjacent to the corridor on portions of New River Hwy, Straight Fork Rd, and Norma Rd. The ride will be a recreational pace, no-drop ride and expected to be approximately 30 miles (best suitable for gravel bikes, mountain bikes, or e-bikes). Much of Straight Fork Rd is gravel and not suitable for a pure road bike. We will take many opportunities to view the rail corridor and visit some of the notable features. Unfortunately the rail corridor is still the rail ballast and is quite rough for bike traffic. The selected route parallels the corridor and is very close (within feet) for most of its route. Here is a similar route for comparison.
Meet at: Ligias Fork Cabins – 5901 New River Hwy, Briceville TN
Please email Doug Ferguson ([email protected]) if you have any questions or plan to join for the ride.
Some other news about the Highlander Rail Trail:
The rail corridor has been railbanked!!! The agreement between RJ Corman, the Trust for Public Lands, and the National Surface Transportation Board to operate an interim trail was reached at the end of April. This was the first big step towards securing the future of the rail trail.
Our efforts now turn towards fundraising. Our goal is to raise the purchase price of the corridor so that we may officially transfer ownership by early 2027. If you would like to take a larger role in fundraising please contact us at: john.mccracken@echoesoftnrail.org or virginia.bruce@echoesoftnrail.org

Vote for AMBC to Receive a $100,000 Bell Built Grant

Bell Helmets is awarding $100,000 to fund a trailbuilding project, and AMBC is a semifinalist! Vote for us to make the #DowntownDownhill dream a reality.

Knoxville’s Urban Wilderness has over 40 miles of trails for biking and hiking. The proposed “Gravity Trail” – which will include rock gardens, drops, and constructed features –will put us on the map as one of the premiere outdoor recreation destinations. It will add a cool new feature to our trails, attract new riders and businesses, and increase the desirability of our community.

HERE’S WHY IT’S IMPORTANT TO YOU:

  • Recreational bicycling is a $200 billion industry in the US
  • One in 20 Americans makes a living off outdoor recreation – 70,000 in Tennessee
  • For every dollar spent on bicycling tourism, $7 more is spent in locations they visit
  • Property values close to trails and greenways are up to 30% higher

Just go to bellhelmets.com/bell-built to vote for AMBC’s Urban Wilderness Gravity Trail, or visit downtowndownhill.com for more information.

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