Piney River
I’ve been looking forward to today for weeks. In addition to being a steward for Coal Creek Farm, since I moved to TN I have become an avid whitewater canoeist. Canoeing is a sport that’s origins trace back to the native peoples who farmed this land for centuries.
Coal Creek, Whites Creek and Powder Creek flow from my farm down the mountainside into the Tennessee River, and then on to the Mississippi River and down into the Gulf of Mexico. In olden times these waterways were critical for navigation and trade. Today, we enjoy them for recreation
Today, because a False Spring is upon us, it’s warm but the flowers, trees and the grass I need for my hayfields haven’t yet begun soaking up the water table. This means the creeks are filling and the rivers are flowing free.
My son Sam and I loaded our canoes onto the truck and drove below the farm to Spring City’s Piney River Playpark to enjoy our afternoon, surfing the waves, “attaining” (using the river currents to paddle upstream) and generally enjoying the sound of water and rocks.
The Piney River Playpark is the state of Tennessee’s most recently protected river. It is a wonderful recreation area for families to come picnic, hike, paddle, swim and enjoy a pristine ecosystem. The Cumberland Trail, a hiking system that is similar to the Appalachian Trail and passes through here, is still under construction, but when finished will run over 300 miles from the Cumberland Gap on the Tennessee, Virginia, and Kentucky border to the Tennessee River Gorge, near Chattanooga. Coal Creek Farm is located amidst incredible natural areas. I have enjoyed and continue to enjoy helping, along with my neighbors, to preserve it perpetuity for the enjoyment of all.
Articles authored by George:
- Catching a Wild Elephant: Tennessee’s Piney River
- Protecting East Tennessee’s Piney River is good for nature and the economy
