As spring fades and the hot sun begins to emerge in Knoxville, residents, visitors and college students have found Mead’s Quarry to be a natural gem for summertime activities.

Owned and operated by Ijams Nature Center in Knox County, the 25 acres of freshwater offer the opportunity to explore and appreciate nature in a variety of ways.

Sarah Brobst, the visitor services director at Ijams, is preparing to enter her 19th year at the center. She reflected on the Mead’s transformation throughout her career.

“There have been a lot of changes,” Brobst said. “Visitation has increased exponentially through the years. It has definitely become the hub of summer, and we really enjoy that people want to come out, have fun and enjoy.”

Mead’s wasn’t always the pristine attraction that it is now. An active, working quarry until the mid-‘70s, it was eventually abandoned and became an illegal trash dump. After being purchased by the city of Knox County and eventually turned over to Ijams, it took hundreds of hours of volunteer time to clean and rehabilitate.

Mead’s officially opened to the public in 2005, and it now offers a vast range of outdoor opportunities like swimming, paddling, hiking, summer camps and fishing.

With the many activities to enjoy, there are important rules for guests to stay safe and maintain the safety of others. Brobst emphasized being aware of the risks that come with many quarry environments.

“Quarries are notoriously dangerous because of jagged rocks along the side and deep water,” Bobst said. “Mead’s gets down to 80 to 90 feet at the deepest point, and it goes from very shallow to almost a 30-foot drop-off immediately, and then it drops even further beyond there.”

Because of these sudden depth changes, necessary safety precautions are encouraged.

“It is a swim-at-your-own-risk, so if people are not strong swimmers, we highly recommend flotation devices. Bring a (personal flotation device), floaties if you have little kids, noodles, rafts, tubes,” Brobst said. “River Sports also rents tubes for $5. If you don’t want to bring one, just rent one for the day.”

Brobst also reminded guests that jumping off any of the rock walls or cliff faces into the water is not safe.

“There are shallow rocks right at the water’s edge in all of those locations. They can think they can get past it, but the last thing we want is anybody hitting a rock that they cannot see because it is submerged underwater,” Brobst said. “There might also be people in the water on floats, or kids swimming nearby.”

Guests should also stay in the “safety zone,” marked by buoys, to remain safe from any potential rockslides.

Other regulations are in place to protect both visitors and the environment. Outside alcohol, grills and hard-bodied personal boats — such as canoes, kayaks, paddleboards or johnboats — are prohibited. A personal boat launch at the river is open to the public daily, except when a barge is present. Fishing is allowed off the personal dock, but it should be kept out of the indicated swimming area.

To maintain the quarry’s natural beauty, Brobst reminds visitors to be mindful of their belongings and to clean up after themselves. Misplaced trash can be a hazard to wildlife like birds and snakes, which can ingest or become tangled in items like fishing line. Other visitors can also be injured by loose hooks.

“Leave no trace. If you bring it in, pack it out. Take it with you and dispose of it at the trash cans and recycle bins up at the main parking lot area,” Brobst said. “If you enjoy and love it, do your part to keep it as clean and pristine as possible so everybody can enjoy it.”

As for the water quality, Mead’s is one of the cleanest freshwater systems in all of Knoxville. The last major reported toxic algae bloom occurred in March and April 2024, forcing a nearly month-long closure of swimming in the quarry. Ijams takes many precautions to detect any potential contamination of the water.

“If it gets really hot really quick in the beginning of spring, we might see an algae bloom. We haven’t seen that this year,” Brobst said. “We have groups down there regularly that monitor for us, and groups from UT that also help check it out and can tell us if there’s anything out of balance. We also have groups that are testing the cave systems.”

These groups are often given another unique sign of a healthy ecosystem: jellyfish.

“We do have freshwater jellyfish, an indicator species that the water system is really clean. They will bloom in the late summer, early fall. They come up for a couple of weeks, and then they disappear again,” Brobst said. “Those are not found in water sources that are disturbed, dirty or polluted.”

Collectively, these efforts have a significant impact on the maintenance of the quarry.

Ijams staffing also increases over the summer, including River Sports rentals, concession stand workers, summer camp staff and safety volunteers.

“We always take volunteers to help us do trash pickups, water cleanups and invasive species pulls in the area,” Brobst said. “Particularly during summer months, we have safety ambassadors that patrol the quarry to make sure that people aren’t doing things they’re not supposed to.”

Brobst encourages visitors to use these resources to look after one another and the condition of the quarry.

“If they see anything that’s amiss or something going on, there may be other people who are not strong swimmers, even if you are,” Brobst said. “If somebody is struggling, help them out, and feel free to approach the safety ambassadors for assistance.”

The quarry is open from sunup to sundown, with the gates closing at 9 p.m. The quickest, most up-to-date information can be found on Ijam’s Instagram and Facebook pages.

“I would totally recommend it to other students, because it is a nice place to relax while also being outdoors,” UT student Ellie Walker said. “When there is a break and the weather is nice or it’s summer, I try to visit often.”

Overall, Ijams encourages visitors to be considerate of others and mindful of their surroundings. By adhering to the rules, guests can help preserve the quarry so it can be enjoyed for years to come.