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Tag: Ijams Nature Center

  • Mead’s Quarry Lake

    Photograph of Mead's Quarry Lake at the Ijam's Nature Center in Knoxville, TN
    Photograph of Mead's Quarry Lake at the Ijam's Nature Center in Knoxville, TN
    Photograph of Mead's Quarry Lake at the Ijam's Nature Center in Knoxville, TN

    I recently had the opportunity to hike around Mead’s Quarry Lake, located at the Ijams Nature Center in Knoxville, Tennessee. With cool temperatures and plenty of sunshine, it was indeed an enjoyable and scenic visit.

    Thanks for stopping by!

  • Rock Climbing

    Rock Climbing at Ijams Nature Center, Knoxville, TN
    Rock Climbing at Ijams Nature Center, Knoxville, TN
    Rock Climbing at Ijams Nature Center, Knoxville, TN

    I recently had the opportunity to enjoy rock climbing. No, not using ropes and carabiners. Rather, this was more of an adventure climbing within an old quarry, located at the Ijams Nature Center in Knoxville, Tennessee. It was definitely a good workout, and I’ll provide more photographs in the days ahead.

    Thanks for stopping by!

  • Mead’s Quarry Lake

    Mead’s Quarry Lake

    Located along the Tennessee River in Knoxville, Mead’s Quarry Lake is part of the Ijams Nature Center, a park with over 10 miles of trails to hike & bike, water recreation, rock climbing and bird watching. If you’re looking for an area with easy access to explore and enjoy, you might want to stop by for a visit…

  • Ijams Nature Center

    These photographs were taken while hiking at Ijams Nature Center in Knoxville, Tennessee, including Mead’s Quarry Lake and The Keyhole:

  • Shots Along the Trail

    Here are a few random photographs taken at different spots while hiking…

  • Ijams Nature Center

    Yesterday I visited Mead’s Quarry Lake, part of the Ijams Nature Center, a 315-acre park along the Tennessee River in Knoxville, where I hiked for a few hours. Mining operations in the early 1900’s included extraction of limestone and marble, and remnants of milled-stone are evident throughout the park. Here are a few photographs of the area:

  • Ijams Nature Center In Knoxville, TN

    Ijams Nature Center In Knoxville, TN

    Yesterday I visited Ijams Nature Center, a 315-acre park along the Tennessee River in Knoxville. Originally a marble and limestone quarry in the early 1900’s, it’s been converted now to serve as an outdoor recreation area with Mead’s Quarry Lake and a network of hiking/biking trails. There’s also a stand for refreshments.

    Enjoy your visit!

  • Ijams Nature Center

    Camera in hand, I returned to Ijams Nature Center today to explore the Ross Marble Quarry Loop & Hayworth Hollow Trail (see map).

    Ijams Nature Center, Knoxville, TN

    For more information, read my earlier post on Ijams Nature Center In Knoxville, TN

  • Hiking Knoxville, Tennessee

    As a follow-up to two previous posts…

    Yesterday I visited Ijams Nature Center a second time, hiking around Mead’s Quarry Lake along a 1.1 mile trail known as Tharp Trace –

    Looped trail, steep in places. Named after Minnie Tharp who championed the restoration of Mead’s Quarry. Views of the lake and Mt. LeConte, plus the historic Stanton Cemetery, punctuate long stretches of woodland canopy along the trail above the cliffs.

    This sign greets hikers at the beginning of the trail –

    Ijams Nature Center, Knoxville, TN

    After a short walk along the north edge of Mead’s Quarry Lake, the trail inclines for a more strenuous hike. In some areas, stone steps and the roots of trees provided helpful footholds along a damp, slick path –

    Ijams Nature Center, Knoxville, TN

    Here are some more photographs I shot along the Tharp Trace trail –

     

    Ijams Nature Center, Knoxville, TN
    Ijams Nature Center, Knoxville, TN
    Ijams Nature Center, Knoxville, TN
    Ijams Nature Center, Knoxville, TN
    Ijams Nature Center, Knoxville, TN
    Ijams Nature Center, Knoxville, TN

    Near the end of the hike, an informational display provides an historical perspective of the early years at the quarry, including these two black & white photographs –

    Ijams Nature Center, Knoxville, TN
    Ijams Nature Center, Knoxville, TN

    Despite overcast weather, the temperature was tolerable and I had a very nice hike through the woods. On my way back to the parking lot, I passed a few more spots beckoning to be photographed –

    Ijams Nature Center, Knoxville, TN
    Ijams Nature Center, Knoxville, TN

    Enjoy the great outdoors in Knoxville, Tennessee!

  • Old Quarry In Knoxville, Tennessee

    As a second part to an earlier post entitled, Ijams Nature Center In Knoxville, TN, the following photographs include scenes from another trail known as Haworth Hollow (see marker, below):

    Ijams Nature Center, Knoxville, TN

    It’s difficult to read the small print, which cites that the area houses the rare Berry Cave Salamander, known almost exclusively from five caves within a 12 mile radius of Knoxville, Tennessee.

    Walking along the trail seemed rather uneventful, until I turned a corner to see the beginning of a quarry with a limestone wall reaching approximately 100′ tall. It was quite a surprise!

    Ijams Nature Center, Knoxville, TN

    Here are a few more photographs taken in Haworth Hollow at Ijams Nature Center, Knoxville, Tennessee:

    Ijams Nature Center, Knoxville, TN
    Ijams Nature Center, Knoxville, TN
    Ijams Nature Center, Knoxville, TN
    Ijams Nature Center, Knoxville, TN

    Have a nice hike!

  • Ijams Nature Center In Knoxville, TN

    I recently visited Mead’s Quarry Lake, part of the Ijams Nature Center, a 315-acre park along the Tennessee River in Knoxville, where I hiked various trails for a few hours. One of my favorites was the Ross Marble Quarry Loop, which included the Keyhole. A sign along the trail read:

    If you take the time to look around, you will find large blocks of limestone strewn about this abandoned quarry pit and the wall that surrounds the Keyhole. Operations began in the early 1900s on the property originally known as the John M. Ross Quarry. The quarrying involved removing overburden, drilling the marble to form large blocks, prying the blocks from the rock face, lifting them using derricks and cables and transporting them out for cutting and polishing elsewhere.

    Additional information included the following:

    Mead’s Quarry Rail Line. FYI Railcars moved the large marble blocks to the nearby Tennessee River along rail spurs via adjacent Mead’s Quarry. During the 1920s, operations shifted to the Williams Lime Manufacturing Company, which is an indication that the large-scale marble extraction had tapered off.

    When I came across the area called the Keyhole, I looked down to see a pathway leading to two sets of stairs. Recent rains had left the ground damp and the clay-mud dangerously slick. And, with moss growing everywhere, I decided to proceed with caution.

    Ijams Nature Center, Knoxville, TN

    Winding my way across ledges, over rocks and around puddles, I could finally see the Keyhole at the base of a 40′ wall of stacked rocks. It was an impressive sight to be sure, no small undertaking.

    Ijams Nature Center, Knoxville, TN

    Standing at the entrance, I felt small among the many massive boulders. The passageway itself was probably 7′ from floor to ceiling, a scale not apparent in these pictures.

    Ijams Nature Center, Knoxville, TN
    Ijams Nature Center, Knoxville, TN

    On the other side, I encountered Sasquatch! Just kidding, but there were surprises around every corner. I was greeted by the sun brightening the surrounding landscape, and I descended a series of steps toward the bottom of the quarry.

    Ijams Nature Center, Knoxville, TN
    Ijams Nature Center, Knoxville, TN
    Ijams Nature Center, Knoxville, TN

    Standing in the middle of the forest while surrounded by walls made of large blocks of limestone was certainly an unusual and interesting way to spend the afternoon. And I wasn’t alone, either, meeting several people who were also visiting the area for their first time. Which brings me to my advice – if you have time, the weather is decent and you’re in the area, I suspect you’ll enjoy hiking this quarry!

    Ijams Nature Center, Knoxville, TN

    I’d also recommend hiking the Haworth Hollow trail – more on that another time…