Chattanooga went from 'Dirtiest City in America' to North America’s first National Park City
A former pollution poster child now has 150+ miles of trails within 15 minutes of downtown and even lends camping gear through its public library.
Chattanooga, Tennessee, is being highlighted as North America’s first National Park City, a designation focused on making urban areas greener, wilder and easier to explore.
The city has spent decades cleaning its air and river, restoring habitat and connecting residents to surrounding trails and waterways.
Why it’s worth going
Within roughly 15 minutes of downtown are more than 150 miles of hiking and mountain-bike routes. The public library even lends tents, lanterns and backpacks.
When not to
The 'National Park City' designation is not the same as a U.S. National Park Service unit, so don’t arrive expecting a conventional national park entrance or visitor center.
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What is a National Park City?
After exploring America's First ‘National Park City’ is Chattanooga, Tennessee, you might wonder what a National Park City actually is: What is a National Park City?.
The movement behind the title: London became the first National Park City in 2019, followed by Adelaide, then Chattanooga and Breda in 2025.
National Park City Foundation · Wade · 5 min
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How Chattanooga cleaned up its air
The local agency's history: in 1961 Chattanooga was the third-worst U.S. city for particulate pollution, and how the cleanup began.
Chattanooga-Hamilton County Air Pollution Control Bureau · Swim · 30 min
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