Clinch-Powell is excited to share that its one time dream is coming to fruition – River Place on the Clinch is set to become Clinch River Valley State Park.

When the Rutledge-based nonprofit purchased the River Place property in 2005, it was with a vision to bring the once thriving community in rural Hancock County back to life.

The building at the heart of River Place on the Clinch began as a grocery store. It was constructed in 1940 by Elmer and Jewell Wallen and served as one of four stores in the Kyles Ford community. When Elmer died in 1964, Walter and Alice Willis purchased the store and continued to operate it until 1983.

In 2005, Clinch-Powell RC&D purchased the property 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 recently decided to sell River Place, the State of Tennessee expressed interest in purchasing the property for use as a state park.

River Place on the Clinch is now undergoing the transformation to become Clinch River Valley State Park, and is slated to open sometime later in 2026.

Anyone who would like to learn more about the future state park will have the opportunity to do so at a community meeting with the Tennessee Department of Environment & Conservation to be held Thursday, April 23 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the Hancock County Courthouse, 1237 Main St., in Sneedville, TN. Attendees are asked to register for the meeting at this link.