Walnut Street Bridge

Yet another tourist spot. We only got so far and stopped to take pics and left because it was so freaking HOT! But would love to go back when it’s cooler. As beautiful as the views are in Chattanooga, it seemed beautiful to walk it in the moonlight above the rive and see all the lights. Driving on one of the bridges across from it looked beautiful as well. Definitely a great photo op! Entrance is located down a few paces from the Coolidge Park entrance.

The Walnut Street Bridge is an old railroad bridge that has been refurbished into a pedestrian bridge. This then connects you with the Chattanooga riverfront on both sides of the Tennessee River.
The bridge I lined with LED lights and well lit in the evening and overnight hours allowing users to feel safe at all times. The bridge also allows for spectacular views of the mountains surrounding the area along with the river.
I think its great that they have something like this allowing people on both sides of the river a way to connect and keep a more active lifestyle vs jumping in a car and driving from side to side.

Nice bridge for a small town with great views of the river. Plenty of places to sit and enjoy the breeze… And lots of good restaurants nearby. Instead of waking, you can also rent a bike and bike the length of the bridge and back. It’s a wonderful place to relax if you have time. If you’ve been to other bigger and fancier bridges (eg Golden Gate Bridge); this may not be that impressive.

The bridge is awesome as this is only for pedestrians. You can definitely rent a bike and pedal across, but that’s about it. The bridge has a nice view of the water and connects the north and south ends. The northern end has a district for shopping, but it’s not grand btw. It’s composed of mini shops, restaurants, and misc businesses. The southern end has Warehouse Row if you’re looking for something more mall-​like and fancier.
Anyway, the bridge will give you a good walk. On a hot day like the high 80’s, well, be sure to have sunscreen, a fan, and possibly even an umbrella as this is an open bridge. You can feel the breeze if there is any, but it’s open to the all the elements.
Parking at the south end you can find free parking after 6 PM on Saturdays and free on Sundays. There are a few private parking lots near the bridge, but if you can do parallel parking, try for the free options.

Great for a walk, stroll, run with your family, kids, pets, etc. This is a beautiful bridge and you get some great views as you cross the river on the bridge. According to the tourism website, this is one of the longest pedestrian bridges. There are several parking lots on the south side of the bridge that is adjacent to some shops and restaurants (i.e. Clumpie’s ice cream, Good Dog, etc.). It also overlooks Coolidge Park, which has water fountains for kids to play in and an antique carousel, so this is a nice spot to either start or end your trip across the bridge. Based on my short time there, I saw the Hunter museum, ice cream shop, and a couple of other shops on the north side of the bridge. The north side seems to have less stuff to do than the south side but this may be because I I did not have much time to explore and discover.

I’m sorry to admit it and no offense to any locals, but I really have a hard time liking Chattanooga. Where I work is not on the greatest side of town and has me dealing with a lot of the not so nice of Chattanooga.
But, when I come down here and walk across this beautiful bridge looking down on that beautiful park and beautiful river and see those buildings, etc, I remember the reason I was so attracted to Chattanooga when I first came to check the city out.
We love taking out of town company down here where we can show off our «new» city.

I crossed a lot of bridges. For better or worse, I’ve burned a lot of them too.
This is one of the nicest ones I’ve ever crossed and should always be kept as is.

Love this bridge! Awesome scenery and really beautiful. I love to walk the bridge on a nice spring or summer day

A 2.5 mile round trip walk on the longest pedestrian bridge in the USA. A nice romantic walk on the weekends to fall in love with Chattanooga’s sights and sounds. You can watch the boats and cruises. Plenty of rest stops in half mile marks. Both sides are flanked by plenty of restaurants and coffee shops. The South side of it features Ice Cream Show and Hunters Museum. The North side of it is North shore with its variety of shops and restaurants.

The neighborhood the art the bridge the view was spectacular I loved it! People taking pics and enjoying the view and walking great evening

I ran this bridge multiple days during my trip ranging from 9am to 2pm and I never saw any sketchy people and felt safe. Lots of moms with strollers, older couples & couples along with business people. Great place for a walk or run!

This is such a beautiful piece of history in the city. Lots of folklore and history associated with it. What a great thing Chattanooga did when they converted into a walking bridge. I have watched 4^th of July fireworks from the bridge, watched the sunset, done the Chattanooga Ghost Tour where you hear fascinating stories involving the bridge. I’ve done Wine Over Water on the bridge and watch the hot air balloons down below.
This is a great representation of what Chattanooga is. A bridge between the old and new Chattanooga. I love it!

GET TO STEPPIN!
The Walnut street bridge is one of the city’s most recognizable landmarks. If you are visiting the museum, it is just a short walk to the bridge. It is a great place for running, walking or just taking photos. It also has built in seating if you need to stop for rest or just want to chill and take it all in.
Although this bridge connects Riverfront to Northshore, and there is a really nice park on the other side. Unfortunately, I was not able to explore the park today due to a charity event.
This bridge is a must see and don’t forget the photos because the views are spectacular!

The Walnut Street [Pedestrian] Bridge is a testimony to the power of a small group of visionaries determined not to let their city fall by the wayside. This bridge sat decaying for years but thanks to the great efforts of many, it now stands as a true representation to this cities rebirth.
FACTUALS
The Walnut Street Bridge carried vehicular traffic until it was closed for safety reasons in 1978. The city had plans to demolish the bridge, but did not have the funding to do so. Thankfully, a group of activists raised the funds to revitalized it as a pedestrian bridge. Originally completed in 1891 after two years of construction, it measures 2,376 feet long and connects the Downtown Arts District to the vibrant North Shore (once called Hill City). It is said to be «the longest pedestrian bridge in the world» according to
. However, the Poughkeepsie Bridge in New York has an overall length of 1.25 miles (6,768 feet). That’s almost 3x the length of the Walnut Street Bridge and definitely on my ‘must see’ list for my next visit to NYC.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Bridges, especially historic ones like this, make my heart beat… HARD!!!
It is particularly interesting to me that this bridge seemed to be the spark that has jump started a major rebuilding of the cities Downtown and North Shore areas. The building and revitalization continue to spread outwards throughout the city. I predict that as these improvements continue to expand, in just a decade or so Chattanooga will be one of the most desirable cities to live in the South. All thanks to a bridge that was almost demolished.

FACT: The Walnut Street Bridge is .44 of a mile. Interesting!
I would live to live on one end or the other of this bridge so I could use it daily. One side by the Aquarium there’s a rack of Chattanooga citibikes that you can rent and return at another location (love that), and at the other end, there’s a yoga studio with indoor cycling and a boutique, plus a bar, a tattoo shop, an art shop, etc. There’s really a ton of stuff to do nearby the bridge, so it’s a really nice place to start your day’s plans from.
The bridge is not for cars at all, however, runners and cyclists may be seen passing you. There are some benches along the way, and plaques with donators names on them. You can see a great distance out to the mountains from the bridge, and on a sunny day, it’s a great photo opp. In fact, just below us on the grass some folks seemed to be taking their engagement photos. The bridge might be another cool place to do something like that or family photos!
Into this walking bridge, enjoy it!

Awesome walking bridge. The entrance is near the Hunter museum on the riverfront side. Its also near the glass bottom bridge…
This bridge is blue steel beams with a wooden floor. Its great for jogging, walking, or biking. It really isn’t that far across, so don’t worry, its worth the view as you’re going across… go near sunset, amazing!

A MUST GO! What a nice bridge to enjoy the city! It connects downtown and north shore. You can also catch the free shuttle to and from both places. It was a bit tiring and hot to walk both ways when we were there during Memorial Day weekend. Along the way, there are lots of people running and biking, people are so very nice and friendly!

Absolutely LOOOOVE it.
connects Riverfront to Northshore, and is a gorgeous stroll, either by jogging, biking, strolling, etc…
Sets a tone of easy-​going, no rush Chattanooga. Lovely Coolidge park below, whereby one can rent these über cool bikes and get acquainted with the city via 2-​wheeling!

I was in town for work and decided to walk the Walnut Street Bridge. It’s very peaceful, and calm since there are no cars. One side gets you toward the art district, the other has some of the shops. If you want to work off the wonderful food you just ate, take a stroll on the bridge.
Parking is cheap, and the indoor carousel is on the park side.

This is a long footbridge in Chattanooga that crosses the Tennessee river and links two riverfront parks. Apparently it is also one of the longest footbridges in the USA and possibly the world.
The bridge is constructed of steel and wood for the floor. It’s very sturdy. There are benches and planters along the way in case you want to stop and relax and enjoy the sites.
I give Kudos to Chattanooga for having all these great outdoor spaces and features. Had a great time exploring this city on foot!