THE GEOLOGY OF THE TWEETSIE TRAIL: TRADITIONAL AND SMARTPHONE OPPORTUNITIES FOR PUBLIC OUTREACH

“The Geology of the Tweetsie Trail” is a geoscience-based educational outreach project inspired by the recent rails-to-trails conversion of the ET&WNC Railroad. The “Tweetsie” was originally built to bring iron ore from Roan Mountain, NC to Johnson City, TN but was abandoned in 1950. The trail, now 9.6 miles (13.5 km) long, was opened in 2014 to connect communities and provide recreational opportunities for families, walking groups, joggers, cyclists, scouts, school students, and nature enthusiasts. A cooperative project between East Tennessee State University, city officials and civic groups, has allowed the trail to become a focus for geoscience education and outreach.

The first 4.4 miles (7 km) of the Tweetsie Trail, from the Johnson City trailhead to Elizabethton, TN, transects a major fold sequence and many geologic features. The trail cuts across three formations and exposes faults, shear zones, joints, bedding and sedimentary structures, solution features, and areas of soil creep. Lithologies along the trail include in situ carbonates, shales, and sandstones, ballast materials including limestone, granite, gneiss, and “Tweetsie” coal and magnetite. The presence of easily accessible rocks and minerals and well exposed rock outcrops affords an opportunity to introduce the public to a host of geologic concepts, a natural laboratory for student groups, and convenient locations for Scouts to earn merit badges. Five posters that explain the history and geologic context of the trail have been installed, however, more needs to be done to take advantage of the ubiquitous presence of smartphone technology on the trail. Geologic points of interest explained using ArcGIS Story Maps and QR codes, via smartphones, provides an innovative method for engaging public interest in the geosciences.