One of Knoxville’s Favorite River Walks Is Finally Open Again

One of Knoxville’s favorite places to walk beside the Tennessee River is welcoming visitors again.

The River Boardwalk at Ijams Nature Center is open following repairs to the popular waterfront attraction. Ijams announced the reopening after its Natural Resource Team worked to get the damaged area repaired and ready for visitors.

For Tennesseans looking for a fall day trip, the timing is pretty good. The boardwalk gives visitors a chance to walk along the Tennessee River without leaving Knoxville — and it connects to a much larger network of trails, forests and outdoor recreation at Ijams.

Current information from Ijams confirms that the River Boardwalk is open. The nature center's trail-closure page does not list the River Boardwalk as closed as of late September 2026. Ijams also continues to identify it as one of the center's most popular destinations.

Image Credit: Scott Basford, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

What happened to the boardwalk?

The latest trouble dates back to 2025.

Ijams canceled a hike and painting workshop scheduled for Oct. 4, 2025, because of what the nature center described as “recent damage” to the River Boardwalk. The organization did not provide extensive details about the damage on that event page.

Now, visitors have access again.

Ijams credited its Natural Resource Team with completing repairs and making the area safe and accessible. The center is encouraging people to return for river views, wildlife watching and photography.

The reopening matters because the boardwalk isn't just another stretch of trail. Its location is what makes it special.

The wooden walkway follows the bank of the Tennessee River, placing visitors between the water and the steep, wooded landscape of South Knoxville.

The City of Knoxville describes Ijams as a natural area with miles of trails, meadows, ponds and an extensive boardwalk along the Tennessee River.

More than a boardwalk

A trip to Ijams can easily become more than a quick walk.

The nature center is located at 2915 Island Home Avenue, about three miles from downtown Knoxville. Ijams says its property now includes more than 320 acres of forests, wetlands, meadows, creeks and other natural areas. Visitors can hike or bike more than 14 miles of trails and also find opportunities for paddling and climbing.

That makes the River Boardwalk a good starting point rather than necessarily the entire outing.

Families can explore shorter sections around the nature center, while hikers can connect their boardwalk visit with other trails.

Visitors should remember, however, that “boardwalk” doesn't mean every connected trail is an easy, flat walk.

Parts of the River Trail are foot-access only and include significant inclines. Ijams has also warned participants in past programs that routes in this area can include rocks, roots, gravel and other uneven surfaces.

Good walking shoes are a much better choice than treating this like a stroll through the mall.

Image Credit: Brian Stansberry, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

This stretch of trail has faced bigger problems before

Keeping a trail beside a major river comes with challenges.

In February 2019, flooding washed away a large section of the River Trail. The boardwalk itself remained standing, but access became limited. Restoring the area eventually turned into a major project involving nonprofit, government and private partners.

The work wasn't as simple as replacing a few boards.

According to the City of Knoxville, Knoxville Barge installed pilings into the cliff in 2022 to support a new section of the River Boardwalk. Earthadelic then completed construction connecting the new section with the existing structure.

The city says the original wooden boardwalk was designed and built by Don Niday in the mid-1990s.

Ijams celebrated the restored River Trail and new boardwalk section in November 2022.

That history helps explain why another reopening is worth noting. Building and maintaining a walkway squeezed along a river and cliff is considerably different from maintaining a neighborhood sidewalk.

What visitors need to know

Ijams Nature Center's outdoor grounds are open every day of the year from 8 a.m. until dusk.

The Visitor Center has different hours. It is currently open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday through Friday and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. It includes restrooms, trail information, animal exhibits, snacks and a gift shop.

There is also a $5 daily parking fee per vehicle, while Ijams members can park for free.

Dogs are allowed at Ijams, but the nature center says they should remain leashed.

Visitors planning a trip should check Ijams' trail-closure page before leaving home. Conditions and maintenance can change, and Ijams uses that page to post current closures. As of the latest update reviewed for this story, the River Boardwalk was not among the listed closures.

A Tennessee River view without leaving the city

Tennessee has no shortage of mountain trails, waterfalls and overlooks that require a drive into more remote areas.

Ijams offers something a little different.

It's only a few miles from downtown Knoxville, yet visitors can quickly find themselves walking through woods or looking across the Tennessee River.

The boardwalk makes that contrast especially clear. One minute you're in a city. Not long afterward, you're standing beside one of the waterways that helps define East Tennessee.

And after its latest round of repairs, that riverfront walk is back on the list of places visitors can explore.