Ater spending time on vacation at the Yorktown Waterfront, I wanted to spend some time by the water now that I am home. While I know I can go to Volunteer Landing or travel out west to Concord Park, Suttree Landing Park had been on my radar for several weeks. I’ve heard good things about it. I decided it was time to grab a friend and figure out what’s so great about Suttree Landing Park.
Located just one mile from downtown Knoxville across the Henley Street Bridge, Suttree Landing Park skirts the Tennessee River between James White Parkway and the Gay Street Bridge. The park is what’s known as a linear park. I didn’t know what that was, so I Googled it. In short, a linear park is basically an urban park that is longer than it is wide. Some of the more popular linear parks are located along waterways just like Suttree Landing Park.
While other linear parks are long enough to encompass several neighborhoods, Suttree Landing is much smaller. It is only 7.57 acres (according to the City of Knoxville’s website).
What’s So Great About Suttree Landing Park?
Can I just say, “water”? There is something about walking alongside the beach, a river, or a stream that just relaxes you. Suttree Landing Park has plenty of water. It has three accessible river overlooks and a “put-in” for kayaks and canoes. (just make sure to check the TVA website for the water release schedules for Fort Loudoun before putting in).
In addition, it has a children’s playground and picnic tables along with a pavilion with restrooms. Because of very little shade, this park is more suited to early morning and late afternoon/evening strolls. So, if you’re looking for an early morning walk by the water or a romantic stroll in the evening, this is the place to go. Unlike many parks in Knoxville, Suttree Landing Park is open 24 hours a day.
Suttree Landing Park is Centrally Located
I love Concord Park as much as the next person. But, my goodness, I feel like I should be in Nashville by the time I get there. And traffic….ughh. Anybody who has tried to make it to North Knoxville from West Knoxville knows what a pain that is. I love the fact that Suttree Landing Park is so much closer to my home in Halls.
It’s located in the Up-and-Coming Sevier Avenue Area (also known as SoKno) Having lived in South Knoxville decades ago, I’m fascinated by the growth in this area. A lot of that growth is due in part to the Knoxville Urban Wilderness. This is a group of multiple parks, recreation areas, and trails. In fact, I did an earlier post about Ijams Nature Center which stands as the “crown jewel” of the Urban Wilderness. (Visit Knoxville 2023 Visitor’s Guide) and is located close by to Suttree Landing Park. You can read what I wrote about Ijams Nature Center here. These popular locations have served to help the Sevier Avenue area grow.
It’s Got Some Cool Places for Coffee and Lunch Nearby
If you’re headed out for an early morning walk at Suttree Landing Park, stop by Honeybee Coffee to get that jolt of caffeine. Open Monday-Friday from 7am-7p, and Saturday and Sunday from 8am to 7pm, Honeybee Coffee is perfectly located to grab a cup of joe before you go hang out by the water.
In fact, if you’re looking for a place to work remotely with the ability to take a mid-morning break and stroll by the water, Honeybee Coffee is your perfect location. When I visited during the week, it seemed to be a very work-oriented coffee shop. The walls were lined with bar seating (facing the street) with other seating spread throughout.
In fact, I wrote a good part of the rough draft for this blog post at Honeybee Coffee. I would have preferred bar seating that looked out over the water, but unfortunately Honeybee is located too far away from the river to see the water.
I will say that Honeybee Coffee has two drawbacks: inadequate seating for my “coffee pals” on our Saturday “coffee forays”, and very few food choices. But if you are looking for a great place to work and maybe walk by the water, Honeybee is your best bet. Bear in mind, you’ll have a fairly long walk to get to Suttree Landing Park.
Redbud Kitchen, Anyone?
There are a number of different food choices if you’re at Suttree Landing around lunch or dinner. My friend “D” and I chose Redbud Kitchen, named after those gorgeous blossoms, sported by the Redbud tree in the spring. Owned by Lisa and Wally Long, Redbud Kitchen is the sister restaurant of Redbud Deli in Morristown.
When D and I stopped in at Redbud Kitchen, it was a beautiful day, so we decided to sit on the patio. Having spent a lot of time in Sothern California over the past several years, I have embraced the concept of al fresco dining, and Redbud Kitchen does it beautifully. While I didn’t have a view of the water like I did in Yorktown, Redbud Kitchen’s cute little patio gives you that relaxed outdoor dining experience that I have come to love.
The service was great, and my TN BLT was delicious. The house-made steak fries were cooked to perfection and the ketchup glaze provided the perfect complement. Their brunch menu looks like just the thing for a Saturday morning. Make sure you check out their dessert menu. I’m going back for some of that banana pudding. Click here for a link to all their menus.
One Serious Drawback
As much as I enjoyed my trip to Suttree Landing Park, Honeybee Coffee, and Redbud Kitchen, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the one drawback I found. Parking on Sevier Avenue stinks.
At Suttree Landing, there is parking on the street and in a small lot. When we were there on a weekday late morning/early afternoon, there wasn’t a problem finding parking. I’m not sure about the weekend.
Along Sevier Avenue, parking is a challenge. Some businesses such as Honeybee Coffee have small lots. Other businesses have some street parking. In addition, according to knoxnews.com, current construction on Sevier Avenue will continue until summer 2026. While it looks like the city of Knoxville has some interesting plans for this area, parking for the next little while could be interesting.
Is it bad enough not to visit Suttree Landing Park? I don’t think so. Just bear in mind that construction is ongoing and try to visit during times that would be a little less busy. Also, my friend D had some problems with her GPS guiding her to Suttree Landing Park because of construction. So, in the immediate future, it might be a good idea to follow the street signs once you get to Sevier Avenue rather than following your GPS.
What about you? Have you been to Suttree Landing Park?
