All Tennessee state parks to close; Hamilton County parks still open during COVID-19 crisis

Staff Photo by Robin Rudd / All entry points, such as Jays Mill Road off of Reeds Bridge Road, into Chickamauga National Military Park have been closed to help halt the spread of COVID-19. The scene was photographed on April 3, 2020. Staff Photo by Robin Rudd / All entry points, such as Jays Mill Road off of Reeds Bridge Road, into Chickamauga National Military Park have been closed to help halt the spread of COVID-19. The scene was photographed on April 3, 2020.

By Sunny Montgomery April 2, 2020 2 min read

Parks across the state are temporarily closing as cities urge or, in a growing number of places, order their residents to stay at home.

Chattanooga’s shelter-in-place order will begin Saturday, restricting citizens’ travel and closing city parks, which include Coolidge Park, Renaissance Park and Walnut Street Bridge. In the meantime, a number of area parks and trails remain open to the public.

All 56 of Tennessee’s state parks will temporarily close beginning April 4 in response to Gov. Bill Lee’s Executive Order 23, according to a news release from the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation.

The complete closure of facilities and access to all state parks and designated state natural areas will run through April 14.

“The health and safety of Tennessee citizens is all of our top priority right now,” TDEC Commissioner David Salyers said in the release.