Clinch River
Picnic at Haw Ridge Park
Add to your fun Oak Ridge day at one of the most popular and locally loved parks, Haw Ridge Park.
If you are lucky and happen to be here on a Wednesday or Saturday in the warm months you should head over to the local Oak Ridge Farmers Market in historic Jackson Square before heading over here and grab yourself some local delicacies and fresh foods for a sunset park picnic. The Farmers Market is a great chance to further immerse yourself into the region's culture, as well as find great, cheap, fresh food in general while supporting the local community. If the market isn’t open, however, just hit any of the local markets or convenience stores to stock up on sandwich and chip-related goodies.
Haw Ridge Park is actually a riverfront park located on a peninsula, a truly scenic and immersive outdoor experience. Here you and your group can take advantage of wildlife observation, fishing, paddling, hiking, mountain biking, and even trail running and equestrian recreation. Here there are several different terrains and trails to choose from, the difficulty levels ranging from moderate to strenuous across the close to 30 miles of single-track dirt road trails. This criss-cross of old trails connecting roads takes its spot among the 778-acres of outdoor community and even dots a path adjoining Melton Lake Greenway and East Solway, connecting this park to Oak Ridge. Be sure to check and see if there are any daily or annual events happening while you are here, with such things in the past as the Spring Wildflower Hike, or any of the many mountain bike or trail running races. Enjoy the five miles of Clinch River Shoreline alongside the anglers and paddlers, hit the trail with your mountain bike or geocacher, paddle the four-mile east Solway river run, or just sit back, eat your sandwich, and watch the sunset as the backdrop of some of the most gorgeous eastern Tennessee scenery.
