This park expansion also lies within one of TennGreen’s strategic focal areas—the Emory watershed—and was made possible through a generous grant from The Nature Conservancy, via Justin P. Wilson.

“The Nature Conservancy is proud to support the expansion of the Justin P. Wilson Cumberland Trail State Park,” said Laurel Creech, state director for The Nature Conservancy in Tennessee. “Thanks to Justin Wilson’s vision and generosity, we’ve helped protect vital lands in the Appalachian Region, one of the most resilient and biodiverse regions on Earth. We’re grateful to TennGreen Land Conservancy for advancing this shared conservation mission.”

For decades, TennGreen has participated in the Cumberland Trail Acquisition Task Force, a collaborative group of conservation partners dedicated to ensuring the completion and connectivity of the Cumberland Trail. The newly acquired property marks another milestone in this ongoing effort.

"At Tennessee State Parks, our mission is to protect, preserve and share Tennessee’s special places to help all our visitors fall in love with our state,” State Parks’ Deputy Commissioner Greer Tidwell added. “While we work tirelessly to uphold this responsibility, our greatest accomplishments are only possible through the collaboration of our nonprofit partners like TennGreen. Together, we can achieve remarkable things for Tennessee’s lands and people.”

The Justin P. Wilson Cumberland Trail State Park stretches more than 300 miles across eastern Tennessee and is envisioned to one day run from Cumberland Gap National Historical Park to Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park. Each land protection project helps bring this vision closer to reality, while also preserving Tennessee’s diverse natural heritage for future generations.

Learn more about the Cumberland Trail at https://tnstateparks.com/parks/cumberland-trail.