South Knoxville gets biking trails, camping from The Drop Inn – Knoxville News Sentinel

For hikers, bikers, and outdoor enthusiasts, The Drop Inn   will join the likes of Ijams Nature Center as a South Knoxville adventure destination.  

The 1, 000-acre property features new  trails that connect to some of the most popular spots in the Urban Wilderness, and its owners plan  to add camping sites and public gathering spots next year.

Located at 4507 Sevierville Pike  and east of Baker Creek Preserve,   the property was purchased in 2021  for about $335, 000 by founders Eva Millwood and Bryan Foster. Business partner Carter Miller  joined later.

They started weeding  out invasive plant species like wintercreeper and English ivy from the property as a conservation project before converting it into what they say is the city’s  first urban campsite, located  just within city limits but hidden within the forestry of South Knoxville.  

“So I think taking this from this like weedy, overgrown, invasive [area], … into a well-preserved  nature area is just going to be one of the coolest things that we could possibly do with our lives, ” Millwood said.

Ijams Nature: Why Ijams Nature Playscape is just what kids need in Knoxville

Urban Wilderness: New bike, pedestrian paths and more access points

‘Dropping inn’ for outdoor fun

On July 23, The Drop Resort opened two biking trails  and  two  multi-use trails.   They can be accessed from The Drop Inn  property,   Marie Myers Park or the Baker Creek Preserve . Combined, the paths span 1 . 43 miles.

“All of those will bring you into the bottom of the property, ” Miller said.   “So they all kind of funnel you into the campground area. And then you have a choice to go back to Marie  Myers plus Ijams, or you can go over to Baker Creek. ”

Camping should open in 2023, with  amenities like  private  campsites, a bathhouse, and a public pavilion. They developed the campsite idea after seeing  Baker Creek Protect visitors sleeping  in their vehicles.

“It’ll be a campground in a private setting. So you will certainly reserve your camp places, come in,   check in and camp, ” Miller said.   “And then the public amenity will be the bathhouse, pavilion area. So we’ll operate off of concessions, drinks, refreshments, hopefully hosting some events in the future, some educational occasions as well. ”

Guests will be able to  reserve one of  15  camping spots with parking and check-in online, although the cost has not been set. Visitors also can  gain access to The Drop Inn through the trails.  

“What we really want is to have nice showers, the bathhouse, and the pavilion  prior to having campers in here, ” Foster said.   “So maybe a few test campers to test things out, but breaking ground and completing, hopefully, spring of 2023 and then doing a soft opening  soon thereafter. ”

Knoxville things to do: Places to go  around Knoxville to help boost your happiness

Smoky Mountains: Climate change bill could clear the air in Great Smoky Mountains 

Setting the stage for the future

Miller said they  plan to build a stage in order to host events, weddings, plus small concerts. Events will be held at the pavilion until that’s completed.

“It really is just a neat, natural amphitheater that would make for great small, acoustic music, ” Foster said.

Millwood also wants to restore a year-round pond that used to be on the property. She stated it drained into Mead’s Quarry  in the mid-20th century.

Abriged’s next act: K Town Tavern has closed its doors. What’s brewing for the West Knoxville location?

35 North: Farragut spot  ditches food trucks to partner with a Knoxville restaurant group

“The opportunity to be able to re-establish a wetland is a really special thing, inch Millwood said. “And it’s going to take a lot of collaboration between a lot of different entities to make that happen. So , we’re in the exploratory phase of figuring out how to do that. ”

They want to use the pond  for educational purposes,   meditative walks, and  bird watching.

“You can come as a novice, you can come as an artist, you can come as whatever you’d like, ” Miller mentioned.   “Just sit, hang out, and come as you are. ”