Looking for a lovely, hand-holding stroll for two? You’ll find it at TVA’s newly opened Marbut Bend Trail. This easy, flat and A.D.A.-accessible 1.1-mile walk will take you across boardwalks through a wetland and a pond created by a beaver dam, along the shoreline of two embayments (or coves) of the Elk River and through an open field filled with hay bales. The trail is approximately 5,500 feet and includes a gravel walking area, a bridge and elevated boardwalk constructed over Beaver Pond.

The combination of wetland and field draws a lively mix of wildlife; expect to see migratory shore birds, wood ducks, blue-winged teals, great blue herons, egrets, deer, raccoons—and, of course, beavers. Throw out a blanket on the farmland and snuggle in for a romantic picnic. Courtesy: Tennessee Valley Authority

In the fall and spring this area is full of migrating waterfowl. Wintering waterfowl are also in the area.