Concord Cove Park

Knoxville, Tennessee · Concord Park

Verified · 4 independent sources

WATER: lake
ACCESS: Designated swim area
FEE: No fee found
SEASON: Varies by conditions

About Concord Cove Park

Concord Cove Park (officially 'The Cove at Concord Park') is a Knox County-managed swimming beach on Fort Loudoun Lake, a Tennessee River impoundment, at 11808 S. Northshore Drive in Knoxville, TN. Part of the larger 500-acre Concord Park complex, this county-run swimming hole features a designated sand swimming beach alongside paddling, fishing, and greenway trail access, giving Knoxville an in-town lake to swim in.

The Cove sits on the shoreline of Fort Loudoun Lake within Concord Park, a roughly 500-acre county park that spans both sides of Northshore Drive near the Concord/Farragut area of west Knoxville. The site combines a sandy swimming beach with paved multi-use greenways (a 0.9-mile paved connector links to 2.6 miles of additional trail) and adjoins the Concord Marina, a large full-service marina on the lake.

Swimming at Concord Cove Park

Swimming takes place at a designated, county-maintained sand beach on the shoreline of Fort Loudoun Lake (a reservoir on the Tennessee River), suited to families and casual lake swimmers rather than whitewater or backcountry seekers. Seasonally, a rental operation at the Cove (River Sports Cove) offers standup paddleboards, canoes, and kayaks for use in the same cove.

How to get to this swimming hole

The Cove entrance to Concord Park is at 11808 S. Northshore Drive, Knoxville, TN, on the south side of Northshore Drive along Fort Loudoun Lake; the broader Concord Park West section (with additional trailheads and a boat launch) is nearby at 11719 S. Northshore Drive.

The walk in

No real hike here. The water is a short walk from where you park. No hike is needed to swim; the beach is accessed directly from on-site parking. Separately, an optional paved walk of 'just under a mile' along the Concord Greenway from The Cove connects to the trailhead of the easy, shoreline Calloway Ridge Trail (per Visit Knoxville), but this is a bonus hike, not a requirement to reach the water.

Plan your visit

Bringing kids

OK with supervision

Official Knox County page and Visit Knoxville describe The Cove as a family summer destination with a sand swim beach and adjacent playground, which suits kids for shallow-water wading. No lifeguard presence is confirmed on any official page, and the cove sits next to Concord Marina and a boat launch on Fort Loudoun Lake, so adult supervision around boat traffic and open-lake depth is warranted.

Parking

Available

Visit Knoxville's guide instructs visitors to 'Park at The Cove at Concord Park to access amenities' (as opposed to using the separate Calloway Ridge Trailhead for hiking only), confirming on-site parking exists, but no source specifies lot size, surface, or any fee.

Restrooms

Yes

One restroom facility at The Cove beach area, per the official Knox County Parks page for the site (11808 S. Northshore Drive).

Hours

Dawn to dusk, per the official Knox County Parks page for The Cove at Concord Park.

On the water

KayaksCanoesPaddleboards

The official Knox County park page for The Cove describes a seasonal rental operation (River Sports Cove/River Sports Outfitters) renting standup paddleboards, canoes, and kayaks for use in the cove. Concord Park separately has a boat launch and adjoins the full-service Concord Marina (per the Concord Park West page), but no source specifies whether motorized craft or wake are restricted within the designated swim beach itself, so that detail is left null.

Rentals nearby

River Sports Outfitters

Canoes, kayaks, and fishing kayaks (plus standup paddleboards per the county park page) at a seasonal rental stand located at 'The Cove' in Farragut/Concord Park, in addition to their main Sutherland Avenue store

Seasonal on-site rental stand at The Cove at Concord Park (11808 S. Northshore Drive); parent retail store at 2918 Sutherland Avenue, Knoxville