A Chickamauga Battlefield Connector Trail is taking shape.
The Walker County, Ga., Commission on Thursday night agreed to hire the Trust for Public Land to oversee the project along Osburn Road to Wilder Road at the park.
Noel Durant, TPL Tennessee state director, said the group reached out to Walker County officials after completing the South Chickamauga Creek Greenway.
He said one aim of the new 10-foot-wide trail is to bring more park visitors to the town of Chickamauga. Currently, he said few of the park's 1.3 million annual visitors stop off at Chickamauga.
Mr. Durant said no private property is being taken for the project, but it will be built on the county's 50-foot right of way. He said the only possible exception is that TPL:would need a small portion of private land if it is to save a large willow oak.
The connector is a 2.5-mile trail from the Chickamauga, Ga., city limits to the Battlefield.
It is part of a 55-mile multi-use path loop called the Chickamauga to Chattanooga Trail.
It will connect Northwest Georgia to the Chattanooga greenway network, officials said.
A nearly one mile section of the Battlefield Connector remains undeveloped, it was stated.
Cost of the work was put at $868,282.