The Clinch River flows through the Great Appalachian Valley, then joins the Tennessee River in East Tennessee. It used to be a major producer of freshwater mussels and pearls before it was dammed. In Oak Ridge, it is a scenic river used for recreational activities.
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The Clinch River is used for many recreational activities. That includes rowing and fishing. Many people row in Oak Ridge. Less people fish, but it is still common.
Haw Ridge Park is 780 acres. It was donated to the City of Oak Ridge in 1972 by the Department of the Interior for recreational use.
Haw Ridge Park is a great place for walking, running, and bicycling.
The University of Tennessee Arboretum is a 250-acre research and educational arboretum operated by the University of Tennessee Agricultural Experiment Station. It is open to the public without charge. Outdoor areas are open daily from 8:00 a.m. until sunset; the office and visitor center are open weekdays during normal office hours.
There are multiple hiking trails you can take through the arboretum.
The arboretum contains approximately 2,500 native and exotic woody plant specimens, representing 800 species, varieties, and cultivars, with good collections of azaleas, conifers, crabapples, dogwoods, hollies (pictured above), junipers, magnolias, oaks, rhododendrons, and viburnums.
The Melton Hill Dam is a hydrolic dam on the Clinch River. It was built by
the Tennessee Valley Authority to extend the Tennessee Valley's continuous navigation
channel up the Clinch and to increase TVA's power-generating capacity. The Melton
Hill Lake was created because this dam kept the water from flowing into the
river and becoming part of the river.
Multiple triathlons take place on or near the Melton Hill Dam every year. That includes the Atomic Kids Triathlons and the Secret City Sprints.
The hills in Oak Ridge are beautiful and everywhere. They have lots of grass and trees. One of the famous landmarks in Oak Ridge is the Chapel on the Hill. This chapel stands on one of the hills and is surrounded by many other hills. It is almost hidden from sight by the trees that grow around it. It was the city's main church during World War II. It is quite lovely.
Before the government created the city of Oak Ridge during World War II, all it was was just a bunch of black oak ridges. That was how the city got its name. There are still many black oak ridges throughout the city, and you can see them from almost anywhere in the city.