Walk Memphis by the Mississippi
Memphis sits on a bluff over the Mississippi, and you can walk out over the river to Arkansas. FOG starts the map dark and clears only what you walk, so that crossing draws one of the best lines in the South.
Downtown on the bluff
Downtown Memphis runs along the bluff above the river. Beale Street is the famous block of blues clubs, and the South Main arts district has old buildings, galleries and the National Civil Rights Museum at the former Lorraine Motel. Tom Lee Park and the riverfront walks run below the bluff.
Main Street has a trolley line through the centre, and north of downtown are the Pinch district and the Pyramid on the river.
A walk to another state
The Big River Crossing is a walking and cycling path along a railroad bridge over the Mississippi, nearly a mile long, which links Memphis with West Memphis, Arkansas. Walk from Beale Street down to the riverfront, south to the crossing, out over the river and back.
Midtown, a few miles east, is good grid walking: Overton Square, Cooper-Young and Overton Park with its old forest. The Shelby Farms Greenline is a long rail trail running east for very long walks.
Heat and safety
Summers are hot and very humid, so start early. Spring and autumn are the best seasons. As in any city, keep to busy streets after dark and plan routes in advance.
Downtown and Midtown are separate clusters with a few miles of less walkable ground between them, so your map will show two bright patches joined by whatever route you take between them.
Share the shape you walked
After a proper walk FOG can offer a walk card: the shape of the route you just covered in Memphis, ready to post as a square, a story or the bare shape. The lifetime card shows the area you have unfogged, the distance travelled and how much of the city you have lit.
It all runs on your phone with no account and no cloud. Choose miles in Settings, pick a fog colour (Midnight, Abyss, Violet, Ember or Slate) and a density, and walk. Exploring is free, and one purchase of FOG Unlimited opens every rank, every path and Google Timeline and GPX import.
Questions people actually ask
Can you walk across the Mississippi in Memphis?
Yes. The Big River Crossing carries a walking and cycling path over the river to Arkansas.
Where is the best walking in Memphis?
Downtown along the river and Beale Street, and Midtown around Overton Park and Cooper-Young.
Is there a subscription?
No. Exploring is free and FOG Unlimited is a single purchase. There is never a subscription.
Start with a dark map.
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