Good news, you little felons: Augusta Quarry is back open for business.
No more pretending you “didn’t see the sign.” As of yesterday, you can cannonball into that ice-cold, emerald-green bliss totally legally—with plush amenities like actual bathrooms to boot.
After a round of upgrades that’s shut things down since March 2024, the city has officially reopened the South Knoxville quarry with floating swim platforms, an expanded overlook, water bottle refill station, outdoor shower, a changing room (no more trying to wriggle out of a wet swimsuit in the front seat of a Subaru), and paths that won’t shred your flip-flops before you even make it down to the water.
And it’s just in time for a Fourth of July weekend that’s forecasted to be hotter than a bottlerocket in a bonfire.
I ran into Wes Soward, the City’s Urban Wilderness Coordinator, as folks were starting to trickle in yesterday afternoon. When a family with kids walked by, he lit up: “That’s what we want to see.”
I recounted the quarry’s journey from look-the-other-way trespassing destination to legit public amenity in a story earlier this year.
As Wes explained in a news release yesterday, “Augusta Quarry didn’t even open to the public until 2017. Even then, it was a raw experience. You’d have to make your way down a rutted old gravel quarry road, and parking was severely limited, so it was challenging just to get to the water … Now, it’s a safer environment, and a lot more family-friendly.”
Also new: a vendor run by River Sports Outfitters where you can rent stand-up paddleboards ($15/hour) and tubes ($5/hour) or borrow a life vest for free if you want one. Want to bring your own gear? You can, as long as it’s a real paddleboard, kayak or life vest (aka not your sad, half-deflated Big Lots unicorn float).
Gates to the quarry will be opened at 7:45 a.m. daily, and staffing will be on site from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily through October. The gates will be closed at 8 p.m. (#ProTip for the hooligans: I’ve done my share of midnight skinnydipping here too, but heads up—there are cameras now.). All Augusta Quarry rules remain in effect throughout the day, whether or not staff is present.
Important: This is still not a free-for-all.
There are no lifeguards, and no wall jumping – DON’T be that guy. Also not cool: alcohol, smoking, vaping, fires or grilling, glass containers, amplified music or motorized vehicles.
For the full scoop on rules, parking, pets and all the other FAQs, head to www.KnoxvilleTN.gov/AugustaQuarry.
The City partnered with Sanders Pace Architecture, Port Urbanism, JMT Engineering, and Haines Structural Group to make all this magic happen, with funding from Aslan Foundation and construction by Southern Constructors Inc.
While you’re there, don’t skip the Urban Wilderness trails—Fort Dickerson Park offers 3.5 miles of them, most right on the quarry side and all accessible from the parking lot.
“One thing that makes Augusta Quarry so special is its history and location,” Wes said. “It’s an old quarry, so it still has a bit of an industrial feel to it if you look hard for it. But it’s also less than a mile from the Henley Bridge, so you can escape to the peace and quiet of nature in a few minutes—and not even realize you’re so close to downtown.”
So go ahead—jump in. Just … not off the rocks.
