Visit Clarksville is adding five new destination challenge trails through its mobile app. By checking in at places on the trails, app users can earn custom-designed collectible pins. Austin Peay State University students who download the app, indicate that they are students, and complete any trail will receive an exclusive Austin Peay "Proud Gov" pin.
The five new trails are Fashionista Finds, featuring local boutiques; Diverse Delights with more than 30 ethnic restaurants; Best Burgers with all the local burger spots; Architectural Gems, showcasing 25 historic structures; and Music Heritage which includes past and present places and markers that influence Clarksville’s music scene.
In March 2022, Visit Clarksville announced a first round of 13 challenge trails. Since then, more than 12,500 people have used the app for information about things to see and do in Clarksville.
“Since launching the trails 11 months ago, 67 people have earned challenge pins,” said Visit Clarksville Media and Marketing Director Michelle Dickerson. “While that number may not sound impressive, it represents more than 5,000 new check-ins at local businesses and places of interest throughout the community.”
The original 13 trails are also still available on the Visit Clarksville TN App: Family Fun Attractions, Most Instagrammable Places, Heritage Trail, African American Legacy Trail, Uniquely Southern Food, Civil War Trail, Brews & Beverages, Treasure Hunters, Coffee Lovers, Artsy Shopping, Adventure Outside, Public Art and Sweet Treats.
“Nearly 1,000 people downloaded the app within a few weeks of kicking off the trails program last spring, so we knew it was going to be popular,” said Visit Clarksville Chairman Kyle Luther. “We’ve had such good feedback about people having fun and learning. For locals, it’s easy to get stuck in a pattern of going to the same few places all the time – my family and I do that too. It’s fun to have a tool that helps you learn about and experience new places.”
One early example is a retired couple who has lived in Clarksville for 20 years. Within a month of learning about the challenge trails, Ed and Shantel Bennett completed all 13 trails.
“We learned a lot about a community we have lived in for 20 years,” Bennett shared. “We even passed the app on to perfect strangers we met along the way. We met a couple of nice young ladies at the Thirsty Goat and showed them the app that brought us there. One of the young ladies was a new Army spouse, and this is their first duty station. So now they have a way to explore Clarksville and learn about their new town. We didn't even know the Collinsville place was out there, we are excited to revisit it and see more.”
Individuals who complete all 18 trails will receive a Visit Clarksville tumbler.
How it Works:
- Download the free VisitClarksvilleTN mobile app from the Apple Store or Google Play.
- Open the App and choose the Trails icon. Pick a trail and check in at the required number of places (usually around 50%.)
- Once the check-in requirement is achieved, users earn a Challenge Badge in the app, then Visit Clarksville will email users for a mailing address to mail the earned pin(s).
Almost 300 Clarksville places of interest and businesses are included among the 18 trails in the program.
See more information on the Visit Clarksville website at https://www.visitclarksvilletn.com/things-to-do/challenge-trails/.
About Visit Clarksville
The Clarksville-Montgomery County Tourism Commission was established by the State of Tennessee in 1979 to positively influence tourism in the Clarksville-Montgomery County area by promoting tourist attractions, hosting conventions and group tours, and engaging in large-scale marketing efforts. In 2015, the organization adopted the Visit Clarksville brand. Visit Clarksville is governed by a nine-member board of directors and is funded by a portion of the local hotel-motel tax. In 2021, tourism spending in Montgomery County totaled $341 million, according to an annual report from the US Travel Association, Tourism Economics, and U.S. Census Bureau.
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