Rock Island State Park is bracing for another busy summer.
“We are expecting this summer to be as busy, or busier, than last summer,” said Damon Graham, park manager.
The area has always been a popular destination for visitors. However, the pandemic of 2020 provoked an influx of people seeking to reconnect with the great outdoors as they practiced social distancing.
“On most weekends, all the parking spots in the entire park were filled by 11 a.m.,” said Graham, of 2020.
Motorists would illegally park. The situation created safety concerns as emergency vehicles were hindered by vehicles parked along the roadsides. Warnings were issued and some vehicles were towed.
“We had to tow away cars parked on roadways due to safety last summer,” said Graham. “Some people were even parking on private property without permission. We’re asking visitors to use a little common sense. If a parking spot isn’t available, you can’t make one.”
Graham urges visitors to avoid high-volume days, such as weekends or holidays.
“We want everyone to have an enjoyable park experience but more importantly a safe one for their family. We are suggesting that visitors avoid weekends altogether and even avoid peak hours on weekdays to get a better experience.”
A project slated for 2022 will provide additional parking. Tennessee Department of Transportation plans to relocate a small portion of Great Falls Road, the section currently located between the Old Mill and The Castle.
“The relocation of State Route 287 away from the mill site is a project TDOT is doing at the request of the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation,” said TDOT spokesperson Jennifer Flynn. “SR-287 is very close to the mill and does not fit well with improvements that TDEC plans to implement at the park. Our project will realign a 0.6mile segment of SR-287 away from the building while still providing access to the mill and parking areas along the old road.”
Great Falls Road will be rerouted behind The Castle by several hundred feet and then, tie back into the existing road.
Once that project is complete, more parking will be available.
“The mill area would get some more parking and would be away from the state highway traffic, which will make the mill area more peaceful and much safer,” said Graham.
State route relocation is a joint effort. While TDEC runs the park, Tennessee Valley Authority owns the land, and Great Falls Road is a state route belonging to TDOT.
“As it stands right now, the project could go to construction sometime next year,” said Flynn. “There is not a set date at this time. The project is in development and TDOT has completed the right-of-way plans that will be used to acquire any properties necessary to construct the project.”
