Access Fund Working In Upper Cumberland To Develop Rock Climbing Tourism

The Tennessee Tourism Department recently connected the Access Fund Land Trust Alliance with Fentress and Pickett County representatives to identify areas for rock climbing.

Access Fund representative Daniel Dunn said both counties are currently working towards developing their recreation economy.

“Climbers are major economic drivers in all these little rural county bringing in sometimes millions of dollars annually from visitation to the area,” Dunn said. “And so that link between folks going out and climbing rocks whether it be some little boulder or a big cliff, it’s part of something larger.”

Dunn said Access Fund has done a number economic impact reports of rock climbers or surrounding rock climbing areas in the southeast. He said their data shows value in establishing and protecting these areas.

Dunn said he thought there was a lot of potential for what could be worthwhile resource that would draw in people from around the state and even people outside of the state for a long weekend.

“There are strong hubs of rock climbers in places like Knoxville over into North Carolina near Asheville up into West Virginia and into Kentucky,” Dunn said. “People like to visit these new climbing areas. Climbers really like to travel. It’s sort of part of the sport and activity and they’ll spend their money on lodging, food in the local economy.”

Dunn said as a location develops a following it isn’t unusual for rock climbers to travel from as far away as Colorado to climb in Chattanooga in the winter.

“And that money gets injected into your local economy,” Dunn said. “That’s kind of the one of the main signatures for rock climbers when it comes to economic development.”

Dunn said he looked forward to continued cooperation with Fentress and Picket counties and he encourages other Upper Cumberland counties to consider potential opportunities in cooperation with AccessFund.org.