Overton Park Conservancy, the Memphis Zoo, and the City of Memphis are excited to announce that after nearly 40 years, the fence is coming down in the Old Forest. On Thursday, November 13 at 11:00 AM, we will formally open a brand-new trail in the Old Forest State Natural Area. This roughly half-mile loop will be visitors’ first chance to experience a section of forest that has been closed to the public since the 1980s.
These 17 mostly-forested acres are part of a 33-acre tract that Memphis City Council added to the Zoo’s managed area as part of the Zoo’s 1988 master plan. The other 16 acres became exhibits like Teton Trek, while this section was slated to include an exhibit focused on the local forested ecosystem. The Zoo elected to return this land to public use as part of a 2022 agreement that moves its maintenance facility to the park’s southeast corner, freeing up space on Zoo property to add more parking and end the use of the Greensward for overflow parking. Adding the acreage to Overton Park Conservancy’s managed area will allow the Conservancy to apply the knowledge and practices gained from managing the other 126 acres of the Old Forest State Natural Area since 2012.
“We are so excited to welcome the community onto this new trail,” said Kaci Murley, Executive Director of Overton Park Conservancy. “Memphis is one of only a few American cities that has an old-growth forest right in the center of town, and this trail will allow an even deeper experience of this priceless ecosystem.”
“Our role is to safeguard the natural places that make Memphis unique,” said Matt Thompson, President & CEO of the Memphis Zoo. “This trail opening is a reminder that conservation is something we do together with care, intention, and respect for the life that has thrived here long before us.”
“Overton Park is a living piece of Memphis history,” said Memphis Mayor Paul Young. “Opening this trail brings new life to the Old Forest and gives our community another way to connect with nature right in the heart of our city.”
“I was pleased to secure the $3 million to restore the Overton Park old-growth forest to public use and to solve the longstanding Greensward parking challenge for zoo patrons and park visitors through the annual appropriations process,” said Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9). “This event is the culmination of efforts by many of us who have always cherished the park. I congratulate Overton Park Conservancy and all who have helped bring these transformational improvements to fruition. Peter Taylor is smiling down on us today.”
About the Project
The new trail, along with the move of the Zoo’s maintenance facility, was made possible by a $3 million grant from the Department of Housing and Urban Development secured by Congressman Steve Cohen, and is a partnership of Overton Park Conservancy, the Memphis Zoo, and the City of Memphis.
In 2024, the Conservancy began working with A2H – Engineers + Architects and Bob Richards of Bob’s Trails, Trees & Gardens to design a new half-mile loop. The trail is designed to take advantage of the varied topography of this section of forest, maximizing views and providing habitat value. Over the past few weeks, a crew from Invasive Plant Control, Inc. has been conducting large-scale removals of invasive plants, and this winter the Conservancy will add these acres to its regular invasive plant removal schedule.
The fence removal process will begin on November 13 and continue for several days. The new trail will have two entrance points from the forest’s paved trail, connecting it with the Old Forest Loop to the south and the Green Trail to the east.
The new trail means new acreage to maintain! Please support the Conservancy’s work to care for the Old Forest by making a gift today.
