There is space for solitude in Obed Wild and Scenic River in Tennessee/NPS file
Obed Wild and Scenic River in Tennessee seems to be losing its reputation as an "overlooked gem" of the National Park System. Last year the park's visitation climbed almost 25 percent above 2021 visitation, to more than 306,000.
The park, well-known with Eastern paddlers and climbers, counted 306,502 visitors last year, which was a more than 40 percent increase over the average visitation in recent years.
After 10 years of relatively stable visitation from 2010-2019, the park’s annual visitation began to increase significantly starting in 2020, as people sought alternate forms of recreation and enjoyment in the face of health concerns and closures associated with the pandemic, a park release noted. This trend of increased visitation has continued to the present, with 2022 representing a big leap in the overall number of visitors.
“In recent years, many people have rediscovered the solace of nature and the restorative powers of spending time in wild places,” said Superintendent Niki Stephanie Nicholas. “We are thrilled to welcome so many new visitors to the Obed, not only as a venue for high adrenaline activities such as whitewater kayaking or rock climbing, but also as a remarkably beautiful place for more tranquil activities such as taking your dog for a walk or just finding peace in the outdoors.”
Despite the increase in visitation, Superintendent Nicholas says that solitude can still be found in abundance at this unit of the National Park System.
“Solitude and a sense of wildness are key values that the Obed was established to protect,” said she said, “and are still waiting for each Obed visitor just a few steps from every trailhead or river put-in location, in contrast to other places where people are elbow to elbow or bumper to bumper.”
The superintendent encourages people who may not be familiar with Obed to join a ranger-led hike, one of the park’s widely acclaimed night sky programs or the park’s award-winning Climb with a Ranger Program, which makes rock climbing accessible to everyone.
