East Tennessee Wanderers

What: Join the East Tennessee Wanderers for a leisurely walk (5K or 10K) on the Town Creek Greenway in Lenoir City. This greenway follows Town Creek from north of Lenoir City to downtown Lenoir City. The 10K will also explore downtown Lenoir City including the site of one of the country's first cotton mills. The 10K will also visit the Lenoir City War Memorial which will qualify for the Walking with Americans Veterans AVA challenge. We will have an optional lunch at Casa Fiesta Mexican Grill and/or at Calhoun's following the walks (depending on turnout).

When: We will start the 10K walk at 9:00am and the 5K walk at 10:00am on Monday, September 7th, 2026.

Where: We will meet at Central Park (splashpad & playground) at 313 E Broadway St., Lenoir City. Parking entrance is off E 1st Ave & Rock Springs Rd on the north side of the park. (Take North Hill St to 1st Street.)

Details: This walk is on a paved greenway and is a very level easy walk. This walk is rated a 1A by the AVA. Restrooms can be found in the Park next to the splashpad and playground.

We will have an optional lunch following the walk at either Casa Fiesta Mexican Restaurant and Grill, 455 US-321, or Calhoun's, 4550 City Park Dr., Lenoir City depending on how many walkers we have.

This is a sanctioned walk and the cost is $3.00, cash, payable to the walk leader at the start of the walk to cover sanctioning and insurance costs. Please arrive 15 minutes early for registration. Dogs are allowed on a leash for the walk. There is not outdoor seating at the restaurants.

Our sanctioned walks are open to everyone. Social distancing is still encouraged for anyone not yet vaccinated.

Feel free to check out our local walking chapter at www.easttennesseewanderers.org .

What: East Tennessee Wanderers (Members Only & Guests) walk (5K,7K or 12K) through the Seven Islands State Birding Park. We will visit meadows, woods and an island in the middle of the French Broad River. Nature abounds in the diverse landscape of this premier birding destination where more than 190 species of birds have been sighted. Enjoy stunning views of the Smoky Mountains. This walk boasts a variety of native flora and fauna in a setting of natural beauty. (Memberships available at registration.)

When: Saturday, September 12th, 2026. We will start the 12K walk at 9:00am and the 5K & 7K walk at 10:00am. Please plan to arrive 15 minutes early to register.

Where: We will meet at Seven Islands State Birding Park, 2809 Kelly Lane, Kodak, TN. The 5K Walk is rated a 1A (the island portion is on natural paths the rest is paved) The 7K and 12K walks do have some moderate elevation gains, especially for the 12K. These walks are rated a 3C by the AVA, featuring well groomed natural trails but with rolling terrain.

Directions: According to Google Maps: Take Exit 402 off I-40 to go right on Midway Rd. Turn south on Midway Road. Go 2.5 miles, then turn left on Kodak Road. Go 0.5 miles and turn right onto Kelly Lane. Follow it 0.5 miles to the Park entrance and parking lot. (Some GPS systems have requested an additional right turn onto Newman Lane immediately after turning onto Kelly Lane. Ignore any such instruction, simply continue on Kelly Lane to the end and the parking lot will be on your right.)

Optional Lunch: We will have an optional lunch at your choice of three restaurants. The closest being River Islands Country Store & Grill, 1915 Midway Rd, Strawberry Plains. The 2nd choice will be Cruze Farm Pizza Barn (& Ice Cream Parlor), 2723 Asbury Rd #101 and the 3rd choice will be Aubrey's - Strawberry Plains, 805 Huckleberry Springs Rd.

This is a sanctioned walk, but will be a FREE walk. Dogs are allowed on a leash.

Our sanctioned walks are open to everyone. Feel free to check out our local walking chapter at www.easttennesseewanderers.org .

What: Join the East Tennessee Wanderers (walking group) for our Pre-Oktoberfest Meet & Greet dinner at the Schulz Brau Brewing Co., 126 Bernard Ave, Knoxville, TN. This month we will meet for our own Pre-Oktoberfest celebration enjoying, Bratwurst, Schnitzel, Pizza and Beer on Tuesday September 15th at 6:00pm. New members or those interested in finding out more about our group can have a chance to meet some of our existing ETW members and inquire about who we are and what we do.

When: Tuesday, September 15th, 6:00pm.

Where: 126 Bernard Ave. Knoxville, TN. We will plan to meet in their outdoor biergarten/patio. We will move indoors if the weather doesn't cooperate. Schulzes Schnitzel Kitchen offers a variety of German foods (and pizza).

Parking: Plenty of free street parking along Bernard Ave and other side streets. Do not park in the private parking lots.

Details: Meet & Greets are a bi-monthly event (3rd Tuesdays) at various locations around Knoxville open to current members and anyone interested in finding out more about the East Tennessee Wanderers. You will purchase your own dinner or drinks. Everyone is welcome. Look for the "Neon Green Shirts." Not all current club members necessarily sign up in Meetup, but many of us will be there. Hope to see you there as well.

What: Walk a portion of the Cades Cove Loop in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. Join the East Tennessee Wanderers as we walk a section of the Cades Cove Loop Rd. We will have two different length walks; both 7K (4.1 mi) and 13K (8.3 mi) walks. This is a fairly level walk, but rated a 2A. Pets are not allowed. Both walks will be loop walks. We will also have an optional late lunch at the Peaceful Side Social prior to departing for our walks. Please plan to arrive by 2:00pm for a late lunch if desired. (We want to give the 13K'ers time to finish their walk before dark.)

ALERT: It may still be hot in the late afternoon. Please BRING EXTRA WATER for the walk. Walkers attempting the 13K walk should be able to maintain a 20-25 minute walking pace and be conditioned for walking in hot weather.

When: Wednesday, September 23rd, 2026. Registration between 3:00 and 3:15pm. The first walk will be a 7K (4.1 miles) walk and the second will be a longer 13K (8.3 miles) walk departing from the restaurant parking lot at 3:15pm. Please arrive 15 minutes early to register. We then have a short 15 minute ride to the Cades Cove Loop trail head. The hiking portions should start about 3:30 and end around 6:00 and 7:30pm respectively. Returning to Townsend around 6:15pm and 7:45pm.

Where: We will meet at The Peaceful Side Social, 7967 E Lamar Alexander, Townsend, TN 37882. We will then rideshare, as needed, to the Cades Cove Overflow Parking Area (closer to the Stables) at the start of the Cades Cove Loop Rd. A valid parking permit will be required for your vehicle in the park. There is a Parking Permit Kiosk available in the Main, paved, parking area, or at the "Wye" upon entering the park. Please plan to meet us at The Peaceful Side Social to register for this walk. We will not be registering walkers at the trail head. Restrooms are available at The Peaceful Side Social, prior to departure. (Additional restrooms are available in Cades Cove, but a little distance from the start point.) Look for the "Neon Green Shirts", as we will be your guides for this walk.

Registration: This is an American Volksport Association (AVA) sanctioned club walk sponsored by the East Tennessee Wanderers. This walk will be FREE to participants, but walkers will be required to sign a waiver.

Feel free to check out our local walking chapter at www.easttennesseewanderers.org .