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Greenway Farms Park

Location = Greenway Farms Park north parking lot = 3008 Hamill Rd, Hixson/Chattanooga TN. Open 365 days from dawn to dusk. Free. South entrance = 5051 Gann Store Rd. Canoe rentals. Conference Center rental.

Greenway Farms Park offers walking, biking, fishing, canoeing/kayaking rentals, rock climbing, and the quarry. Special events include Shakespeare plays, mud/obstacle course race, rock climbing & camping. There's 6 miles of nature trails and 2 boat access points along 2.5 miles of the N. Chickamauga Creek. You'll also find separate small & large dog parks with some agility equipment for the large dogs.

The property is steeped in history. There's evidence that an Indian village was located close to the small onsite cemetery. The Cherokee and other tribes thrived in the Hixson area prior to the arrival of European settlers in the late 1700's. Hixson had plenty of large game to support the populations back in those days - according to many reports, buffalo roamed the area well into the 1970s. Can you imagine buffalo roaming thru your back yard?

Perfect for a 1 day trip. Free & open 7 days/week from dawn to dusk. Hiking, biking, large & small dog park. There's also canoe rentals, kayaking, and a quarry.

Turn it into a weekend trip: Underground Magic at Rock City

From 5051 Gann Store Rd - upon entering Greenway Farms Park, turn right and follow the one way loop going counter clock-wise. Parking is available just across from the Conference Center (first building on your right), or continue around the to the left to the 2nd parking area along Gann Store Rd.

From here you'll have quick access to a few sites including the historic cabin, cemetery, and water filled quarry. From Gann Store Rd, take the trail behind the parking area towards the woods. Quarry - the 1st trail on your left will lead you up a fairly steep hill to get to the Quarry. At the top of the hill the trail starts heading down - the trail to the Quarry is on the right. Click to the section: Quarry & Kayaking

Boat Launch - from the parking lot, the 2nd trail to the left takes you to the park's 2nd boat launch. I've seen people fishing here as well.

Main Trail - the main trail follows the tree-line around to the back of the Conference Center and back to the Restrooms off the Hamill Rd entrance. There's also several other trails that lead off to the left from the main trail.

The grassy area by the cemetery would be a great spot for a picnic or reading a book - throw down a blanket and get comfy.

The flat grassy area in front of the Convention Center is a perfect spot for a game of frisbee with your dog Sparky. Maybe even a nice game of badminton or volleyball. It's a beautiful spot nestled between the green trees, the N. Chickamauga Creek and surrounding hillsides.

From 3008 Hamill Rd - the 2nd parking lot on the right has Restrooms.

Boat launch - on the opposite side of the lot from the Restrooms one trail crosses over a footbridge. Another short trail to the left of that leads you to the launch area. The 2 dogs parks are easy to see across the street. The small dog park is on the right. The large dogs on the left has some agility equipment.

If you continue down the road into Greenway Farms Park past the Restrooms to the "T" intersection, walk left to the Gann Store Rd entrance. FYI: It's a counter clock-wise one way loop for vehicles. If you go right, you can see the Visitor Center and 2 more parking lots.

According to a former estate owner, Civil War (1861-1865) soldiers built boats in the area to cross the Tennessee River. This would have been fairly easy since the N. Chickamauga Creek's current flows south for maybe 1.5 miles or so until flowing into the Tennessee River.

Cemetery - At the top of the hill next to the Conference Center is a small cemetery. Reports say there's even a confederate soldier buried there. Many graves are of unknown people & dates. The oldest "known" death dates back to 1856.

There's even a report saying that Spanish coins were found near the cemetery. It's logical since Spanish explorers wandered thru several southeastern states looking for gold & silver.

The Hixson family, with brothers Ephraim Jr., Houston and 2 others were listed in the 1830's area's census. There are historical reports of that large family during the 1700's coming from New Jersey. One of the first European settlers to the area were the Schnaithmann's who relocated from Germany around 1835. And just prior to that in the early 1830's, the Cherokee were relocated from the area to Oklahoma by way of the Trail of Tears. The actual Trail is nearby.

Schnaithmann's name later became Sniteman. Their son, Christian married Mary Gann, the neighboring settlers who had a small store - hence the name Gann Store Rd. The original cabin was built around 1840/1844 a short distance away. Look inside Christian's cabin in which the logs were relocated & reconstructed to this spot, near the Gann Store Rd parking lot.

He no doubt had it rough living with 8 females - but I'm sure his house was super clean and he had plenty of home made bread & berry pie to keep him happy. Maybe some BBQ bison burgers too. Question for you guys: How would you handle a wife + 7 daughters in a little cabin? And..... no man-cave or garage to escape to. Yikes!

Up for a scavenger hunt? Find the small cabin that's along the creek. Hint: it's about 1/4 mile down a nature trail.

* Win a Prize = be the 1st to email a photo of you sitting in the rocking chair on the back porch. Photo left & right.

In 1886, the Tennessee Valley Authority began extracting limestone from the quarry for construction of the Chickamauga Dam. Part of the existing trail, south of the Quarry follows the route they used to transport the massive stones. As the economy in the area began to flourish, one of the earlier owners of Greenway Farms Park was able to install a family golf course on the property. Some mounds & tees, and the tennis court are still visible off Gann Store Rd.

The Quarry has filled with water, however, it's not sanitary and doesn't flow - including a report of leeches. Disgusting. Warning signs are posted about NO swimming in the Quarry. I've read many emergency rescue reports of cliff jumpers or people falling from the bluff who have been badly injured or have died.

The trail to the Quarry also includes a couple other trails - one trail leads to a rock climbing course and people have ignored the warning signs there as well.. Please, don't take serious & unknown risks. Not trying to be anybody's mother - just trying to keep you safe. For instance: a 57 year old man hung upside down by his feet (with a rope he shouldn't have used) for 48 hours before being rescued.

Whether you rent a Canoe from Greenway, or have your own kayak it's a peaceful and leisurely trip up or down stream. There's a boat launch area from both the Hamill Rd (north) entrance or Gann Store Rd (south) entrance. The water flow is higher & faster of course in spring and early summer. However, if winter rains were minimal by you could be trying to maneuver over fallen trees close to the surface by mid to late summer.

Vacation Travel Tips

• Average temps high/low = Summer 90/69 degrees F. Winter 50/30. TN ranks 7th for humidity. Expect snow in mountain regions.

• Backpack essentials - water, bug spray, sunscreen, whistle, flashlight, cell phone, pocket knife, and a light jacket.

• Winter Essentials - thermal blanket, waterproof boots, warm clothing.

• Hiking conditions - trails can be wet & slippery after summer rains. Prepare for snow in higher elevations.

• Vehicle safety – Keep a spare blanket, boots, jacket, gloves, and snacks in the car. Winter roads can be icy & snow covered - use “winter” tires. If you only have "all season" tires, take snow chains.

• Wild animals - black bears are becoming bolder in parks/campsite areas mostly due to food. Coyotes, cougar, bobcat are also present.

• Trash - Pack out what you pack in.

• Rivers/lakes – river shoes are very helpful. Heavy winter rains mean deep, ice-cold & fast moving water in spring.

• Poison oak & ivy - always know before you touch. The common Oak has 3 leaflets per stem but can have more. Ivy always has 3 leaflets.

• Poisonous Snakes - 4 types, found on land, water, and trees. They generally prefer to avoid humans, usually biting only if threatened.

• Wilderness areas – take a buddy & tell someone your travel plans.

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