Today marks a new beginning for Clinch River Valley State Park – previously known as River Place on the Clinch.

The dedication ceremony taking place today, Friday, August 21 for the new Tennessee State Park is the culmination of Clinch-Powell’s vision when the organization purchased the property in 2005. The idea behind the creation of River Place on the Clinch was to bring the once-thriving Kyles Ford community in Hancock County back to life.

Clinch-Powell and its Appalachia CARES AmeriCorps program poured much blood, sweat and tears poured into the development of River Place on the Clinch, with a goal of creating a sustainable ecotourism development to create jobs and bring much-needed revenue to the community. After much labor to renovate and restore the original building, a grand opening was held in 2008. Development of the property continued, and a sustainable recreation and vacation destination was created. The improvements included a restaurant, a stage for live music performances, rental cabins and campsites, an outfitter with canoe, kayak and tube rentals, and a retreat center for group events.

The effort to transform River Place on the Clinch and other surrounding properties to a state park began in October 2018 with Hancock County government, Clinch-Powell RC&D, the Nature Conservancy and other stakeholders coming together to discuss the viability of the development of a state park in Kyles Ford. A Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) analysis was conducted, and it was decided to pursue the development of a master plan. Despite the efforts of those involved, the proposal to create a state park did not move forward at the time. In 2022, Clinch-Powell sold River Place to Templeton, LLC, who continued to operate the recreation and vacation venue as a sustainable tourism model. When the owners decided to sell River Place, the State of Tennessee expressed interest in purchasing the property for use as a state park.

Today, the former River Place on the Clinch will officially be dedicated as Clinch River Valley State Park in a ceremony slated to take place from 1 until 3 p.m. at the park, 2788 TN Hwy. 70, Kyles Ford. Going forward, the park will be open for visitors weekly, Thursday through Sunday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with a plan to increase available activities and open hours in the future. Admission to the park is free.