Frequently Asked Questions

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  • The Tennessee Highlander Trail project is in its infancy and is NOT open to the public yet. Please check the News page for updates.

  • You can help by donating money of course. But there are also many other ways you can help. We are always looking for volunteers to help with the planning and future management of the trail. Leave your name and contact information in the comment section and we will do our best to involve you and keep you informed for the next opportunity to get involved.

  • An argument was made that users of the trail will either be local or bring their own equipment and leave without spending money in the area. Facts found by interviewing dozens of other trail managers around the state and country have pointed, in every case, towards and increase in traffic to commercial areas by locals and tourists and a subsequent increase in spending at existing and new businesses built to support the trail users. Bike shops, shuttle services, ice cream shops, restaurants, lodging…are all examples given of business seen in these other communities. The one guarantee in this effort, is that in the absence of trying to develop a reason for people to come to Scott County, ZERO dollars will be added to our local economy.

  • The project is in planning stages currently. The buildout could take years to complete over the entire 41 mile stretch, however the idea will be to build in phases. It is also hoped that the good condition of the road that remains with the recent removal of the tracks.

  • The committee, in direct response to the demands of the residents along the railroad track bed, is raising money to buy barriers and signage to help prevent trespassing.

    When the committee first met to hear opinions about the potential for a bike trail, and even when the County Commission met to consider a trail, the overarching reaction from landowners adjacent to the railroad was that people were trespassing. While the railroad company ignored pleas and the county commissioners chose to “resolve” to be against the idea of a trail, neither did anything to stop the issues raised by citizens.

    Through privately donated funds, the committee is working to place barriers at access points to the railbed, which is still owned by RJ Corman and is under federal jurisdiction, to eliminate or at least deter the majority of vehicular use of the railroad in its current condition. After this is accomplished, we sincerely hope that conversations can shift to other important issues under consideration, such as costs to acquire, build and maintain the corridor for some use. All of this is based on the reality that the primary hope of adjacent landowners to be given private use of the old rail land owned by RJ Corman, is a false hope.

  • Not if you consider the fact that the majority of the land in question is owned outright (even after it is no longer a railroad) by a Kentucky-based railroad company - in fact it is their opinion that matters most as they are the ones proposing to sell it to the highest bidder. The fact that land adjacent to another person’s property might be changed from use as a railroad into another use is what is being discussed, and the costs and benefits of the proposed use for that land as a publicly accessible park (or allowing or preventing it from becoming an ATV road) requires the collection of many opinions both in opposition and in support to judge the viability of such a project. Opinions matter from those adjacent to the railroad, within the rest of Scott / Campbell / Anderson Counties and from anyone who might one day come to visit to use the trail wherever they live.

    No one is ignoring the concerns of the landowners, (which we have captured as being primarily safety, protection from trespassers, peace from noise, littering, and privacy), but what is being considered and advocated for is a solution in the form of a bike trail that has proven in other communities to solve every one of these concerns.

  • NO. The benefits to the community from a trail are varied and are not only financially oriented. It is important to note that the committee members would only gain economically, if the whole community were to gain economically - non of us would gain from the purchase, design or building of the trail - but we feel opportunities for all residents exist and are worth our time and effort to explore. Some of the non-financial benefits include:

    1) Improved Health - a flat trail accessible to all types of capabilities will improve the health of local citizens as well as visitors.

    2) Conservation - many regard the area in question as a beautiful and peaceful piece of nature, this committee agrees 100% and wants to see the region’s natural resources protected from users or even local residents who would prefer to treat the land as a race track or as a trash dump.

    3) Historic Preservation - the railroad was a huge part of the history of the area and its families. A well planned park can preserve that history and pride through historic markers and rest stops which would educate visitors and locals alike about the rich past of the area.

    4) Community Building - Charitable walks, runs and rides can bring neighbors together for causes and give residents all over the region a place to proud of for decades to come.

  • It is the opinion of the majority of people commenting that the worse case scenario for the former railroad would be to allow it to become simply a road, one allowing for ATV’s in addition to other uses. The truth is that there are many dedicated ATV trails and roads allowing ATV riders in the region, but there are no dedicated bike paths through the Cumberland Mountains. Some say that the Big South Fork offers bike use, but those trails are for experienced mountain bikers, not the casual bike rider or hiker who wishes to enjoy a low-grade path through the New River Valley. Safety further dictates that mixed uses increases the chance of injuries.

Proposed Uses for a trail

  • Current conversations are focusing only on bicycles (including, street bikes, mountain bikes and e-bikes, but not motorized dirt bikes) and pedestrian traffic (i.e. walkers, hikers, joggers and runners).

  • Not by the Advisory Committee, though other groups might be open to or encouraging ATV access. It would be the intention of any proposed rail-trail supported by the local membership of the Exploratory Committee to prohibit all unauthorized vehicular traffic. Authorized traffic would be that used by law enforcement or maintenance teams only. If the decision about use of land is left to others, there can be no such guarantee.

  • At present, there are no plans to permit horses on a proposed rail-trail. Reasons given are that combining horses with bike riders might be dangerous, the additional cleaning required to remove manure could be costly, and that there are miles of dedicated horse trails in the region, not the least of which are throughout the Big South Fork park.

    That said, it is also possible through the planning process that sections of the 41 miles might be designed for different uses, so there is still a chance a portion of the trail would allow horses, but the intent is to prohibit motorized traffic along the entire route.

  • The Advisory Committee is seeking immediate sponsors to provide barriers that would be placed, at the least, at the 64 crossings where ATVs might today find it easy to access the corridor. Signage prohibiting trespassing and unauthorized vehicular traffic will be posted.

  • To be determined. Discussions and feasibility analysis is needed with local authorities. Effectiveness, commitment levels, and costs are all open topics that still need to be answered.

  • It might be possible, if not likely, for groups (such as Scouts, churches, charities, bicycle clubs, friends, families, …) to want to coordinate events along the proposed trail. The potential issue from group activities of unwanted noise, litter or other increased impositions to adjacent landowners needs to be planned for and made part of any use agreement the trail manager has with a group - for example, the group needs to clean up after, remind members not to stray from the trail, to be off the trail by sundown when the trail is closed, etc.

  • While it is unlikely that this committee would encourage any type of motor vehicle, such as a side-by-side or golf cart (even if designed for a disabled person), every effort will be made to maximize accessibility. Some initial design concepts for surfaces include a very fine crushed rock surface that should handle wheelchair access, but further investigation is worth doing.

Landowner Questions

  • No. Railway abandonment does not automatically mean the corridor Right of Way (ROW) ceases to exist. The Federal Government, managed through the Surface Transportation Board (STB), desires that ROWs be maintained in the chance that there would be a future need to replace the railroad, for economic or military reasons.

    The existence of an STB issued Notice of Interim Trail Use (NITU), issued in 2020 and still in place today for the RJ Corman's Oneida Line, specifically prevents the reversion of ownership of the corridor land to adjacent landowners. If negotiations fail to transfer ROW ownership to a trail manager, or another railroad or to some other entity, then title could revert to ownership as defined by deeds of record - specifically if the original right of way negotiated was an easement and not a fee simple sale. If the land was actually sold, i.e. not just an easement, then the land would go “back” to the owner of record - in this case RJ Corman is that landowner. Individual landowners should review their own circumstances to know what options may exist.

  • Maybe - but this site and the Advisory Committee are by no means offering legal advice. Individuals should seek their own council. That said, it appears only those deeds where an easement would have reverted in the absence of a trail could qualify. If the railroad bought the land over 100 years ago, that was the compensation, nothing more would be offered. Landowners should seek legal advice or confer with neighbors who might have received invitations to participate in class actions on this same topic.

  • The Echoes of TN Rail Foundation will seek partnerships with each of the three counties. The nature and extent of those partnerships is yet to be determined.

  • You can see a list of initial volunteers to the committee by looking at the ‘Who's Who’ page of this site.

    The initial committee was formed on December 8, 2024, by inviting Scott County community residents who represent landowners and those with a broad spectrum of experience with parks, railroads, tourism and local politics.

    If you are interested in being part of the debate or have information to share, please complete the form at the bottom of the website to reach out. Committee members are planning to gather as often as needed.

    While it is not practical to have all of the meetings in an open forum format, the agendas and outcomes of meetings will be posted to this site to remain as transparent as possible.

  • Enough support has been shown by public and private organizations to move forward with this plan to build a trail. RJ Corman is currently negotiating the sale of the corridor to the Trust for Public Land. Following the completion of that sale, plans for building and maintaining the trail will become reality.

Key Terms Defined

  • Railbanking, enacted in 1983, is a provision of the original National Trails System Act of 1968. It is a voluntary agreement between a railroad company and a trail agency, which enables the agency to use an out-of-service rail corridor as a trail until a railroad might need the corridor again for rail service. Because a railbanked corridor is not considered abandoned, it can be sold, leased or donated to a trail manager without reverting to adjacent landowners.

    The official name of the railbanking agreement is a Notice of Interim Trail Use or NITU. When RJ Corman filed to abandon use of the Oneida Line in March 2020, The Tennessee Citizens for Wilderness Planning (TCWP), an environment conservation group out of Oak Ridge, filed for and were granted in April 2020 an NITU with the Surface Transportation Board. This NITU is still in effect and specifically supercedes landowner claims to have parts of the corridor revert to them.

    Railbanking has been responsible for preserving thousands of miles of rail corridors across the country. To date, more than 350 rail corridors (43 states plus D.C.) have been railbanked, with more than 160 trails open partially or fully on railbanked corridors.

  • A rail-trail is a public recreational trail or park that’s built on a railroad corridor that no longer is serviced by an active railroad company. The goal of the Federal Government for seeking a trail manager to be temporary owner of the right of way is to keep the right of way intact for potential future commerce or military uses. More information available on the ‘Resources/Links’ page of this site.

Money & Management Questions

  • This question is at the top of everyone's mind and has not yet been fully answered. The intent is that a combination of grants, sponsors, memberships and donations from businesses and individuals would be found so that local city and county budgets would not be impacted negatively.

  • Grants are allocated from state budgets and funded by taxes. These can be from sales taxes and tourist taxes collected among others. Regardless of desires of Scott County residents, the budgets allocated for public projects such as trails or any other program the state feels is worth of a grant, will get that money. It seems a missed opportunity to not ask for some of the money collected in Nashville and Gatlinburg to be spent to improve Scott County instead of elsewhere.

    Furthermore, it seems hypocritical for anyone in Scott County to be suspicious of grant funding when a large part of the County’s annual budget is funded by grants due to the County’s status as “depressed.”

  • To be determined. If the rail-trail is deemed worthwhile, the long range planning will include sources identified for maintenance.

  • The Exploratory / Advisory Committee has created a non-profit organization whose purpose is to receive tax-free donations. click here to contribute: Donate Now

  • While other states like Missouri have decided to manage their rail trail (“The Katy Trail”), initial comments from the State of Tennessee Parks Department indicate that they do not want to own/manage a trail. Other support from the state does exist and will be explored, but likely to be more in terms of funding rather than ownership.

  • This is a key question that still needs to be further researched, but other trail managers have spoken of use of cameras along with policing by local authorities. A suggestion has been raised to allow trail use only between dawn and dusk making it easier to recognize unwelcome users of the trail after dark - i.e. anyone on the trail after dark could be prosecuted.

  • No fees are planned for the trail.