Obed River Park Opens New Playground

Cumberland County’s Obed River Park has opened a new ADA-approved all-inclusive playground.

The county built the new playground using a $100,000 grant from the Tennessee Department of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. Parks and Recreation Director Donnie Moody said the new playground has a merry-go-round, slides, and a rock climbing apparatus. Moody said the new playground is a major upgrade from the previous playground the park had.

“Our playground has been there since the eighties and if you remember the old stuff it was old tough material but it was not built to today’s standards and it didn’t have the amenities that today’s stuff has,” Moody said. “We were looking for that one thing that would tie the entire family unit into our park and I think this piece will do that.”

Moody said it is important for the county to have a wheelchair-accessible playground so every kid can enjoy the park. Moody said even parents can enjoy bonding with their child while using the two expression swings.

“These expression swings the adult actually swings with the child or the toddler or infant and they face each other,” Moody said. “It’s an enjoyable experience for the parent and the child cause you can see the happiness on the child’s face as you are swinging with them and they are experiencing swinging maybe for the first time.”

Moody said the county is still looking to apply for more grants to add more things to the park. Moody said the kids have been playing on the playground day and night. Moody said the playground has received very good feedback.

“It has been nothing but positive since we built the playground,” Moody said. “That was a need that needed to be fulfilled years ago.”