Greater Chattanooga REALTORS® has selected Walker County as its 2026 Placemaking Project recipient, awarding funding to enhance safety and accessibility at Walker Rocks Park on the Walker County Civic Center campus in Rock Spring.
The project will focus on adding a protective fence around the park’s inclusive playground, creating a secured perimeter designed especially to support children with special needs. The playground was named a Playcore National Demonstration Site for Inclusive Play in 2024 and has become a popular destination for families across the region.
“Autistic children are known to elope, due to their lack of sense of danger,” said Joe Legge, Director of Communications and Community Development for Walker County. “We’re thankful the Greater Chattanooga REALTORS team wanted to partner with us to address this issue and recognized the impact it will have on our community. The new playground fencing will give parents and caregivers greater peace of mind, ensuring safety, security, and fun for all.”
The Placemaking Project also includes a filtered water bottle filling station and four new benches, offering more comfort to visitors and additional seating space for families.
Greater Chattanooga REALTORS® selects Placemaking Projects that demonstrate creativity, community support and a clear local need. Previous efforts have funded a pollinator garden, a new St. Elmo trailhead and a community flower garden.
“Our Placemaking Committee was inspired by Walker County’s vision for Walker Rocks Park,” said Winnie Paris, 2025 Chair of the Placemaking Committee. “This project truly reflects the goals of the committee. By helping fund the protective fencing and a new water fountain, we’re investing in features that will serve local families by making the space safer, more inclusive, and more welcoming for years to come.”
Walker Rocks Park opened in 2024 following completion of the first two phases of the inclusive playground. The final phase, funded in part by a Land and Water Conservation Fund grant from the U.S. Department of the Interior–National Park Service, is nearing completion this fall.
The Placemaking Project is one of several enhancements planned for the park. Construction of four pickleball courts is expected to be finished by year’s end, and the county recently received a Recreational Trails Program grant to resurface the park’s walking trail in 2026.