Williams Island: Chattanooga’s Sanctuary in the TN River
By: Robert Windham
Positioned at the gateway to the TN River Gorge and rising straight out of the river sits the 2-mile-long by roughly 1-mile-wide Williams Island. With Lookout Mountain in view to its south, Elder Mountain to its west, and Signal Mountain/Walden’s Ridge to its north, this 450-acre island provides visitors with a stunning example of nature’s artistry. The island itself includes a mosaic of habitat types such as riparian forests, wetlands, and managed open farmland.
Although just a few miles from the urban center of Chattanooga, Williams Island is home to a variety of wildlife. Ospreys can be seen on nesting platforms, bald eagles soar overhead, belted kingfishers dart along the banks, and indigo buntings fill the summer air with song. During early spring, visitors who sign up for TN River Gorge Trust’s public Woodcock Walk can witness the impressive aerial mating displays of the American woodcock. In the forests and fields, white-tailed deer, wild turkeys, armadillos, and foxes roam, while the wetlands host turtles, frogs, salamanders, and an array of waterfowl. Additionally, as some migratory birds use rivers and mountain ranges as navigational aids throughout their journey, Williams Island may play a role as a potential stopover site for traveling migrants.
Below are some of the wildlife you might encounter when visiting Williams Island. In order from left to right (osprey, american woodcock, female indigo bunting, male indigo bunting, male wild turkey). *All birds handled with proper permits issued by the U.S. Geological Survey’s Bird Banding Laboratory.*
Aside from serving as a refuge for flora and fauna, Williams Island has also been a home for people across millennia, from Indigenous communities who first shaped its landscape to European settlers who farmed its fertile soils. According to archaeological evidence, the island has been inhabited for over 10,000 years! Long before European contact, the island was home to Indigenous tribes of the Mississippian era, ancestors of those of the Cherokee and Muscogee Creek tribes who would later inhabit the island as well. Pottery shards, stone tools, and even Spanish trade goods have surfaced from the soil, telling stories of ancient trade and daily life.
Pottery from Williams Island
Resembling a chestnut burr, this prehistoric artifact was discovered in fifteen pieces in 1929 and has since been restored
As an alluvial island that received deposits of clay, sand, and silt during the regular floods occurring before the construction of the Chickamauga dam in 1940, Williams Island was an attractive farming site for both Indigenous communities and European settlers. Following the tragedy of the Cherokee removal, the island continued to be farmed by generations of different families. Today, farmers have a cattle operation on the west side of the island and regularly hay the open fields. Keeping the fields open through haying is particularly important for TN state archaeologists who annually visit research sites on the island.
The open farmlands during Indigenous and European occupancy likely resembled this historic photo of Williams Island above. Photo Credit: Will Stokes.
Compare the previous historical picture with the photo above of the present day conditions of Williams Island.
While Williams Island is owned by the state of TN, we at the Tennessee River Gorge Trust manage the land under a no-cost lease for public access, outdoor education, and research. The island is only accessible for non-motorized watercraft, with the Coolidge Park boat ramp (8 miles upstream) or the Suck Creek boat ramp (2 miles downstream) as current access points. A boat dock on the eastern facing side of the island just across from Baylor school is the primary access site. There are 8 free campsites on the island (available to reserve here), 2 composting privies, and almost every campsite has its own fire ring and picnic table. A roughly .5 mile trail connects one group of campsites to the other, however, TRGT has plans to implement a longer trail with interpretive kiosks that will guide visitors to scenic vistas across the island’s beautiful countryside. With guidance from members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee and Muscogee Creek nation, TRGT’s goal remains clear: to balance the magic of this culturally and ecologically significant landscape with careful stewardship, ensuring that Williams Island’s wild heart continues to beat for generations to come.
Seen below are examples of the campsites and composting privy available for free with a permit on the island. Also included are before and after photos of our renovated camping platforms, as well as our summer interns and volunteers refurbishing the public access areas.
Check out this short video featuring our public access sites on Williams Island.
If you’d like to learn more about the cultural history of Williams Island, check out this article highlighting the work of our TN state archeologists.