Today, Chattanooga proudly received confirmation from the National Park City Foundation that our application has been approved—officially making us the first National Park City in North America. To celebrate this milestone, Mayor Tim Kelly released a special video message congratulating Chattanoogans on this historic achievement.
“Here in Chattanooga, we’ve used the National Park City movement to encourage folks to think about Chattanooga as a city in a park, rather than a city with some parks in it,” said Mayor Kelly. “The outdoors is our competitive advantage. It’s at the heart of our story of revitalization, and it’s core to our identity. We’ve always known how special Chattanooga’s connection to the outdoors is, and now it’ll be recognized around the world. I could not be more proud that Chattanooga is North America’s first National Park City.”
The journey toward this designation began in late 2023 and was shaped by the voices and passion of thousands of residents, community leaders, businesses, and nonprofit partners. Through a series of public meetings, the City of Chattanooga gathered over 5,600 signatures of support and crafted a National Park City charter grounded in seven core commitments to people, place, and nature.
In November, Chattanooga submitted its “Journey Book”—a vibrant snapshot of our collective work to make the city one of the most livable in the United States. Then in March, a review team from the National Park City Foundation visited Chattanooga to experience our parks, wildlife sanctuaries, and urban landscapes firsthand—and to meet the incredible people driving this movement forward.
The National Park City movement is a long-term, grassroots and grasstops effort that invites everyone—residents, leaders, and organizations—to work together to make their cities greener, healthier, and wilder. In Chattanooga, this designation will help city government and community partners prioritize connecting more people to the outdoors that have long defined our identity.
As Mayor Kelly outlined in a Times Free Press op-ed, being a National Park City means embracing all aspects of outdoor life—from supporting Lookout Mountain Conservancy to celebrating the Highland Park futsal fields. It’s about preserving the forests where hunters harvest deer, the lakes where anglers reel in tournament bass, and the native plants that sustain one of the most biodiverse ecosystems on the planet. National Park City means educating Chattanoogans about native plant species they can plant in their yard to help our ecosystem-one of the most biodiverse on our planet, and helping them get access to those native plants.. It’s also about honoring our cultural diversity—through art, history, and play.
This recognition helps cement Chattanooga’s international reputation as a city that leads with green space, outdoor adventure, and community spirit.
To mark this milestone, the City will host a celebration on Saturday, April 19th, from 12 PM – 7 PM on the Chattanooga Green next to Ross’s Landing featuring local artists and a presentation with National Geographic Explorer and creator of the National Park City movement, Dr. Daniel Raven Ellison. This celebration coincides with Earth Week, featuring over 50 activities and events across the city in partnership with National Park City partners and supporters.
For the full event calendar and National Park City journey details, visit chattanooganationalparkcity.org.
