The Little Tennessee River Greenway...
...provides opportunities for everyone to enjoy being outside. Paved trails, off-trail hiking, and bike trails are available. There is a nine-hole disc golf course near the Library and exercise stations at Centennial Park.
The Butterfly Garden offers viewing of butterflies and other pollinator insects and flowering plants from Spring to Fall. Wesley’s Playground and the Splash Pad at Big Bear Park are great for children. The picnic shelters (Big Bear, Tassee, and Rotary) are perfect spots for parties and gatherings
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The Greenway honors our ancestors, both recent and ancient, and heritage in its trail and feature names, bridges, and memorials.
The Greenway Trail is recognized by the National Recreation Trail and the North Carolina Birding Trail. The Butterfly Garden is registered as a North American Monarch Waystation. As a nature trail, there is opportunity for seeing many birds throughout the year, exploring various habitats to identify butterflies, insects, amphibians, mammals, and plants that call the Greenway home.
Recognition
National Recreation Trail
The Little Tennessee River Greenway was accepted into the National Recreation Trails (NRT) system in 2008. The National Trails System Act of 1968 (Public Law 90-543) authorized the creation of a national system of trails comprised of National Recreation Trails, National Scenic Trails, and National Historic Trails. Each NRT must demonstrate that it represents its region, supports a diverse community, and is among Americas best trails. Today, the Greenway is one of 1307 trails federally designated throughout the United States.
Monarch Waystation
The Butterfly Garden on the Greenway was registered in 2006 as a Monarch Waystation. It is an intentionally-managed garden that provides food and habitat for the struggling Monarch butterfly population. Today it is one of 23,507 registered butterfly habitats. The waystation program is a joint venture by Monarch Watch, the Monarch Joint Venture, and the Xerces Society to restore monarch habitats. The monarch migration is truly one of the world's greatest natural wonders yet it is threatened by habitat loss at overwintering grounds in Mexico and throughout breeding areas in the United States and Canada. To offset the loss of milkweeds and nectar sources, the waystations promote the creation, conservation, and protection of monarch butterfly habitats.
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North Carolina Birding Trail
The Little Tennessee River Greenway was accepted in 2008 to the North Carolina Birding Trail Mountain Region. The Greenway is one of 105 trails selected for this region. The Trail is made up of three regional components--the coastal plain, piedmont, and the mountains. It is a guide to link existing bird watching sites across the state into a cohesive and marketable unit while connecting birders with local communities, businesses and other cultural and educational attractions. The North Carolina Birding Trail is a partnership between six founding organizations:the NC Wildlife Resources Commission, Audubon North Carolina, North Carolina Sea Grant, US Fish & Wildlife Service, NC State University Cooperative Extension,and the NC Parks and Recreation. The purpose of NCBT is to establish North Carolina as a leading nature-based tourism destination and promote the value that is placed on protecting NC natural resources.
Wetlands
There are several wetland areas on the Greenway--Suli Marsh, the Wetlands at Big Bear Park, and an area near the Butterfly Garden between the Shops of RiverWalk and the Greenway Trail are the main ones. Wetlands can be marshes and permanently flooded or flooded at times. They can be wet meadows with saturated soils or bogs where precipitation is the source of water. Wetlands that are called swamps have standing water and are typically in low-elevation floodplains along the river. All of these areas support specific types of plants that grow in saturated soils. Many birds, insects, fish, amphibians, and shellfish depend on wetlands as well.
Wetlands are invaluable in improving water quality by removing nutrient contamination, other pollutants, and cleanse the sediment from the water before reaching the river. They can act as sponges and better control the release of floodwaters. These areas can help capture and store carbon to reduce the accumulation of greenhouse gases in the air.
Meadow
A meadow is an open natural environment with grass or an area without trees or shrubs. It attracts and supports wildlife and plants that require this type of habitat. It typically is allowed to grow and then mowed for hay. Mice, voles, foxes, deer, reptiles, and birds can be found here. The meadow on the Greenway is located in the Walasi Trail Circle behind the Library and has been named Poc Poggy’s Meadow. This was William Bartram’s Cherokee name.
Woodlands
Woodlands are areas that are predominantly trees. They provide a shade canopy and offer habitat for squirrels, rabbits, fox, coyotes, skunks, raccoons, opossums, and deer, as well as other small mammals, insects, snakes, and birds. Owls and hawks find homes in the trees. Songbirds, crows and ravens can also be found there. Woodlands, like wetlands, can be very beneficial. The trees can cleanse the air, provide stormwater and flood control, and help with the removal of greenhouse gases from the air. They can provide a habitat for native wildflowers. Woodlands are along the Tallulah Falls RR Trail near the Nickajack Bridge and near the Salali Lane parking area and Tassee Bridge.
Urban Landscape
The parks on the Greenway are examples of urban landscaping. Human intervention has changed the natural environment. There is more grass and open areas. The areas are designed to change the environment with newly planted trees and other plants.
Wildlife
There is a variety of wildlife that call the Greenway area home. The different habitats are best suited for different species. In the wooded areas, the wetlands, the river, the meadow, underbrush along the Trail, the Butterfly Garden, the side trails, and even the park areas, you can collect a diverse list. Whether you are interested in butterflies, birds, dragonflies, spiders, other insects, amphibians, shellfish, fish, or mammals, there are many just waiting for you to find.
