List of Tennessee state parks and natural areas explained

This is a list of state parks and natural areas in the U.S. state of Tennessee.

State parks

Tennessee has 58 designated state parks, operated by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC). The largest park, Justin P. Wilson Cumberland Trail, is made up of land along the Cumberland Trail, stretching from Cumberland Gap at the Virginia state line to Prentice Cooper State Forest in Marion County, just northwest of Chattanooga.^[1] The smallest state park is Bicentennial Capitol Mall, at just 19acres.^[2]

Park Name^[3]	County/Counties	Size	Year Established
acres	ha
Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park	Davidson	19disp=tableNaNdisp=table	1996
Big Cypress Tree State Park	Weakley	330disp=tableNaNdisp=table	1973
Big Hill Pond State Park	McNairy	4138disp=tableNaNdisp=table	1977
Big Ridge State Park	Union	3687disp=tableNaNdisp=table	1934
Bledsoe Creek State Park	Sumner	164disp=tableNaNdisp=table	1973
Booker T. Washington State Park	Hamilton	353disp=tableNaNdisp=table	1937
Burgess Falls State Park	Putnam	350disp=tableNaNdisp=table	1971
Cedars of Lebanon State Park	Wilson	9420disp=tableNaNdisp=table	1937
Chickasaw State Park	Chester	1435disp=tableNaNdisp=table	1937
Cordell Hull Birthplace State Park	Pickett	58disp=tableNaNdisp=table	1997
Cove Lake State Park	Campbell	673disp=tableNaNdisp=table	1937
Cumberland Mountain State Park	Cumberland	1720disp=tableNaNdisp=table	1938
Cummins Falls State Park	Jackson	211disp=tableNaNdisp=table	2011
David Crockett State Park	Lawrence	1100disp=tableNaNdisp=table	1959
David Crockett Birthplace State Park	Greene	105disp=tableNaNdisp=table	1973
Dunbar Cave State Park	Montgomery	110disp=tableNaNdisp=table	1973
Edgar Evins State Park	DeKalb	6300disp=tableNaNdisp=table	1975
Fall Creek Falls State Park	Van Buren, Bledsoe	26000disp=tableNaNdisp=table	1935
Fort Loudoun State Historic Park	Monroe	1200disp=tableNaNdisp=table	1977
Fort Pillow State Park	Lauderdale	1642disp=tableNaNdisp=table	1971
Frozen Head State Park	Morgan	24000disp=tableNaNdisp=table	1970
Harpeth River State Park	Cheatham, Davidson	520disp=tableNaNdisp=table	1978
Harrison Bay State Park	Hamilton	1200disp=tableNaNdisp=table	1937
Henry Horton State Park	Marshall	1523disp=tableNaNdisp=table	1960s
Hiwassee/Ocoee Scenic River State Park	Polk	—	—	1972
Indian Mountain State Park	Campbell	213disp=tableNaNdisp=table	1971
Johnsonville State Historic Park	Humphreys	2000disp=tableNaNdisp=table	1971
Justin P. Wilson Cumberland Trail State Park	Anderson, Bledsoe, Campbell, Claiborne, Cumberland, Hamilton, Marion, Morgan, Rhea, Scott, Sequatchie	31500disp=tableNaNdisp=table	1998
Long Hunter State Park	Davidson	2600disp=tableNaNdisp=table	1978
Meeman-Shelby Forest State Park	Shelby	12539disp=tableNaNdisp=table	1944
Middle Fork Bottoms State Park	Madison	860disp=tableNaNdisp=table	2024
Montgomery Bell State Park	Dickson	3782disp=tableNaNdisp=table	1943
Mousetail Landing State Park	Perry	1247disp=tableNaNdisp=table	1986
Natchez Trace State Park	Henderson	10154disp=tableNaNdisp=table	1955
Nathan Bedford Forrest State Park	Benton	2587disp=tableNaNdisp=table	1929
Norris Dam State Park	Anderson, Campbell	4038disp=tableNaNdisp=table	1953
Old Stone Fort State Archaeological Park	Coffee	776disp=tableNaNdisp=table	1973
Panther Creek State Park	Hamblen	1444disp=tableNaNdisp=table	1967
Paris Landing State Park	Henry	841disp=tableNaNdisp=table	1945
Pickett CCC Memorial State Park	Pickett	19200disp=tableNaNdisp=table	1942
Pickwick Landing State Park	Hardin	681disp=tableNaNdisp=table	1969
Pinson Mounds State Archaeological Park	Madison	1200disp=tableNaNdisp=table	1966
Port Royal State Park	Montgomery, Robertson	26disp=tableNaNdisp=table	1978
Radnor Lake State Park & Natural Area	Davidson	1368disp=tableNaNdisp=table	1973
Red Clay State Park	Bradley	263disp=tableNaNdisp=table	1979
Reelfoot Lake State Park	Lake, Obion	280disp=tableNaNdisp=table	1925
Roan Mountain State Park	Carter	2006disp=tableNaNdisp=table	1959
Rock Island State Park	Warren, White	883disp=tableNaNdisp=table	1969
Rocky Fork State Park	Unicoi	2036disp=tableNaNdisp=table	2012
Savage Gulf State Park	Grundy, Sequatchie	19000disp=tableNaNdisp=table	2023
Seven Islands State Birding Park	Knox	425disp=tableNaNdisp=table	2013
Sgt. Alvin C. York State Historic Park	Fentress	295disp=tableNaNdisp=table	1967
South Cumberland State Park	Franklin, Marion, Grundy	12166disp=tableNaNdisp=table	1978
Standing Stone State Park	Overton	855disp=tableNaNdisp=table	1939
Sycamore Shoals State Historic Area	Carter	70disp=tableNaNdisp=table	1975
Tims Ford State Park	Franklin	2200disp=tableNaNdisp=table	1978
T. O. Fuller State Park	Shelby	1138disp=tableNaNdisp=table	1938
Warriors' Path State Park	Sullivan	950disp=tableNaNdisp=table	1952

State natural areas

Tennessee has 85 state natural areas that are divided into two classes:^[4]

• Class I – Scenic-Recreational
• Class II – Natural-Scientific

Nine areas have restricted access and are not open to the public; a tenth, Hubbard's Cave, has limited access during the summer.

Park Name	Class	County/Counties	Size	Property Owner	Access Status (Public/Private)	Year Established
acres	ha
Auntney Hollow State Natural Area	II	Lewis	26disp=tableNaNdisp=table	Private	Private – No access	2002
Barnett's Woods State Natural Area	II	Montgomery	40disp=tableNaNdisp=table	State of Tennessee	Public – Limited access	1995
Bays Mountain State Natural Area	I	Sullivan	3650disp=tableNaNdisp=table	City of Kingsport	Public – Full access	1973
Beaman Park State Natural Area	II	Davidson	1678disp=tableNaNdisp=table	Nashville Parks & Recreation	Public – Full access	2013
Big Cypress Tree State Natural Area	I	Weakley	270disp=tableNaNdisp=table	State of Tennessee	Public – Full access	1973
Bone Cave State Natural Area	II	Van Buren	400disp=tableNaNdisp=table	State of Tennessee	Public – Limited access	1974
Burgess Falls State Natural Area	I	Putnam	217disp=tableNaNdisp=table	State of Tennessee	Public – Full access	1973
Campbell Bend Barrens State Natural Area	II	Roane	35disp=tableNaNdisp=table	Private	Public – Limited access	2006
Carroll Cabin Barrens State Natural Area	II	Decatur	250disp=tableNaNdisp=table	State of Tennessee	Public – Full access	2002
Mr. and Mrs. Harry Lee Carter State Natural Area	II	Franklin	931disp=tableNaNdisp=table	State of Tennessee	Public – Full access	1975
Cedars of Lebanon State Forest Natural Area	II	Wilson	2690disp=tableNaNdisp=table	State of Tennessee	Public – Limited access	1974
Chimneys State Natural Area	I	Marion	33disp=tableNaNdisp=table	State of Tennessee	Public – Limited access	1999
Coldiz Cove State Natural Area	II	Fentress	165disp=tableNaNdisp=table	State of Tennessee	Public – Full access	1984
Couchville Cedar Glade State Natural Area	II	Davidson, Wilson	140disp=tableNaNdisp=table	State of Tennessee	Public – Full access	1995
Crowder Cemetery Barrens State Natural Area	II	Roane	15disp=tableNaNdisp=table	Private	Public – Limited access	2006
Devil's Backbone State Natural Area	I	Lewis	950disp=tableNaNdisp=table	State of Tennessee	Public – Full access	1997
Dog Cove State Natural Area & Beecher Wallace Homestead^[5]	—	White	757disp=tableNaNdisp=table	State of Tennessee	Public – Full access	2019
Dry Branch State Natural Area	II	Lewis (primary), Hickman, Perry	2169disp=tableNaNdisp=table	State of Tennessee	Private – No access	2007
Duck River Complex State Natural Area	II	Maury	2612disp=tableNaNdisp=table	State of Tennessee	Public – Full access	2002
Dunbar Cave State Natural Area	I	Montgomery	144disp=tableNaNdisp=table	State of Tennessee	Public – Limited access	1973
Elsie Quarterman Cedar Glade State Natural Area	II	Rutherford	185disp=tableNaNdisp=table	USACE	Public – Limited access	1998
Fall Creek Falls State Natural Area	II	Bledsoe, Van Buren	16181disp=tableNaNdisp=table	State of Tennessee	Public – Full access	1974
Falling Water Falls State Natural Area	I	Hamilton	136disp=tableNaNdisp=table	State of Tennessee	Public – Full access	1973
Fate Sanders Barrens State Natural Area	II	Rutherford	230disp=tableNaNdisp=table	USACE	Public – Limited access	1999
Flat Rock Cedar Glades & Barrens State Natural Area	II	Rutherford	846disp=tableNaNdisp=table	State of Tennessee	Public – Full access	1999
Frozen Head State Natural Area	I, II	Morgan	15150disp=tableNaNdisp=table	State of Tennessee	Public – Full access	1974
Gattinger's Cedar Glade & Barrens State Natural Area	II	Rutherford, Wilson	57disp=tableNaNdisp=table	Private	Private – No access	2003
Ghost River State Natural Area	I	Fayette	2306disp=tableNaNdisp=table	State of Tennessee	Public – Full access	1997
Grundy Forest State Natural Area	I	Grundy	234disp=tableNaNdisp=table	State of Tennessee	Public – Full access	1974
Hampton Creek Cove State Natural Area	I	Carter	693disp=tableNaNdisp=table	State of Tennessee	Public – Full access	1986
Hawkins Cove State Natural Area	II	Franklin	249disp=tableNaNdisp=table	State of Tennessee	Public – Limited access	1985
Hicks Gap State Natural Area	II	Marion	350disp=tableNaNdisp=table	State of Tennessee	Public – Limited access	1989
Hill Forest State Natural Area	II	Davidson	225disp=tableNaNdisp=table	Friends of Warner Parks Nashville Parks & Recreation	Public – Limited access	2010
Honey Creek State Natural Area	II	Pickett	109disp=tableNaNdisp=table	National Park Service (Big South Fork)	Public – Full access	1973
House Mountain State Natural Area	I	Knox	527disp=tableNaNdisp=table	State of Tennessee	Public – Full access	1987
Hubbard's Cave State Natural Area	II	Warren	50disp=tableNaNdisp=table	The Nature Conservancy	Public – Limited access during summer	1995
John & Hester Lane Cedar Glades State Natural Area	II	Wilson	45disp=tableNaNdisp=table	State of Tennessee	Public – Limited access	2009
John Noel at Bon Aqua State Natural Area	I	Hickman	35disp=tableNaNdisp=table	State of Tennessee	Public – Full access	2007
Langford Branch State Natural Area	II	Lewis	23disp=tableNaNdisp=table	Swan Conservation Trust	Private – No access	2001
Laurel–Snow State Natural Area	II	Rhea	2259disp=tableNaNdisp=table	State of Tennessee	Public – Full access	1973
Lost Creek State Natural Area	—	White	200disp=tableNaNdisp=table	State of Tennessee	Public – Full access	2012
Lucius Burch Jr. Forest State Natural Area	I	Shelby	728disp=tableNaNdisp=table	Shelby County	Public – Full access	1988
Manus Road Cedar Glade State Natural Area	II	Rutherford	22disp=tableNaNdisp=table	State of Tennessee	Private – No access	2004
May Prairie State Natural Area	II	Coffee	492disp=tableNaNdisp=table	State of Tennessee	Public – Limited access	1973
Meeman-Shelby State Natural Area	II	Shelby	11000disp=tableNaNdisp=table	State of Tennessee	Public – Full access	2002
Montgomery Bell State Natural Area	II	Dickson	1086disp=tableNaNdisp=table	State of Tennessee	Public – Full access	1998
Morrison Meadow State Natural Area	II	Warren	20disp=tableNaNdisp=table	State of Tennessee	Public – Limited access	2008
Mount View Glade State Natural Area	II	Davidson	9disp=tableNaNdisp=table	State of Tennessee	Public – Full access	1995
Natural Bridge State Natural Area	I	Franklin	3disp=tableNaNdisp=table	State of Tennessee	Public – Full access	1973
North Chickamauga Creek Gorge State Natural Area	II	Hamilton, Sequacthie	7093disp=tableNaNdisp=table	State of Tennessee	Public – Full access	1999
Overbridge State Natural Area	II	Rutherford	70disp=tableNaNdisp=table	State of Tennessee	Public – Limited access	1995
Old Forest State Natural Area	II	Shelby	125disp=tableNaNdisp=table	City of Memphis	Public – Full access	2011
Ozone Falls State Natural Area	I	Cumberland	43disp=tableNaNdisp=table	State of Tennessee	Public – Full access	1973
Piney Falls State Natural Area	II	Rhea	818disp=tableNaNdisp=table	State of Tennessee	Public – Full access	1973
Pogue Creek Canyon State Natural Area	II	Fentress	3000disp=tableNaNdisp=table	State of Tennessee	Public – Full access	2006
Powell River Preserve State Natural Area	II	Claiborne	15disp=tableNaNdisp=table	State of Tennessee	Public – Full access	1995
Radnor Lake State Park & Natural Area	II	Davidson	1368disp=tableNaNdisp=table	State of Tennessee	Public – Full access	1973
Reelfoot Lake State Natural Area	I	Lake, Obion	18000disp=tableNaNdisp=table	State of Tennessee	Public – Full access	1973
Riverwoods State Natural Area	II	Shelby	21disp=tableNaNdisp=table	State of Tennessee	Public – Full access	1978
Roundtop Mountain State Natural Area	II	Sevier	237disp=tableNaNdisp=table	National Park Service (Great Smoky Mountains)	Public – Full access	1974
Rugby State Natural Area	I	Morgan	762disp=tableNaNdisp=table	State of Tennessee	Public – Full access	2006
Savage Gulf State Natural Area	II	Grundy, Sequatchie	15590disp=tableNaNdisp=table	State of Tennessee	Public – Full access	1974
Sequatchie Cave State Natural Area	II	Marion	133disp=tableNaNdisp=table	State of Tennessee	Public – Full access	2001
Sherwood Forest State Natural Area	—	Franklin	3075disp=tableNaNdisp=table	State of Tennessee	Public – Full access	2020
Short Springs State Natural Area	I	Coffee	420disp=tableNaNdisp=table	State of Tennessee, TVA, City of Tullahoma	Public – Full access	1994
Stillhouse Hollow Falls State Natural Area	I	Maury	90disp=tableNaNdisp=table	State of Tennessee	Public – Full access	2006
Stinging Fork Falls State Natural Area	II	Rhea	783disp=tableNaNdisp=table	State of Tennessee	Public – Full access	1973
Stones River Cedar Glade and Barrens State Natural Area	II	Rutherford	185disp=tableNaNdisp=table	National Park Service	Public – Full access	2003
Sunk Lake State Natural Area	II	Lauderdale	1873disp=tableNaNdisp=table	State of Tennessee	Public – Full access	1986
Sunnybell Cedar Glade State Natural Area	II	Rutherford	36disp=tableNaNdisp=table	State of Tennessee	Private – No access	1995
Taylor Hollow State Natural Area	II	Sumner	173disp=tableNaNdisp=table	The Nature Conservancy	Private – Access by permission only	1995
Twin Arches State Natural Area	II	Fentress, Pickett, Scott	1500disp=tableNaNdisp=table	National Park Service (Big South Fork)	Public – Full access	1974
Vesta Cedar Glade State Natural Area	II	Wilson	150disp=tableNaNdisp=table	State of Tennessee	Public – Full access	1986
Vine Cedar Glade State Natural Area	II	Wilson	35disp=tableNaNdisp=table	State of Tennessee	Public – Limited access	2000
Virgin Falls State Natural Area	II	White	1157disp=tableNaNdisp=table	State of Tennessee	Public – Full access	1973
Walker Branch State Natural Area	II	Hardin	520disp=tableNaNdisp=table	State of Tennessee	Public – Limited access	1997
Walls of Jericho State Natural Area	II	Franklin	750disp=tableNaNdisp=table	State of Tennessee	Public – Full access	2006
Walnut Knob State Natural Area	—	Smith	18disp=tableNaNdisp=table	State of Tennessee	Private – No access	2020
Walterhill Floodplain State Natural Area	II	Rutherford	34disp=tableNaNdisp=table	State of Tennessee	Public – Limited access	1985
Washmorgan Hollow State Natural Area	II	Jackson	73disp=tableNaNdisp=table	The Nature Conservancy	Public – Limited access	1995
Watauga River Bluffs State Natural Area	II	Carter	50disp=tableNaNdisp=table	State of Tennessee	Public – Full access	1998
William B. Clark Conservation Area	II	Fayette	460disp=tableNaNdisp=table	The Nature Conservancy	Public – Full access	2000
William L. Davenport Refuge State Natural Area	II	Polk	120disp=tableNaNdisp=table	State of Tennessee	Public – Limited access	1997
Wilson School Road Forest and Cedar Glades State Natural Area	II	Marshall	58disp=tableNaNdisp=table	State of Tennessee	Private – No access	2008
Window Cliffs State Natural Area	II	Putnam	275disp=tableNaNdisp=table	State of Tennessee	Public – Full access	2014

State scenic rivers

Tennessee state scenic rivers are divided into three classes:^[6]

• Class I – Natural River Area – Free flowing, unpolluted, and with primitive shorelines and scenic vistas generally inaccessible except by trail.
• Class II – Pastoral River Area – Free flowing, unpolluted, and with shorelines and scenic vistas partially or predominantly used for agricultural and other recreational activities.
• Class III – Developed/Partially Developed River Area – Free flowing, unpolluted, and with shorelines and vistas more developed.

River	Class	County/Counties	Location	Length	Year Designated
miles	km
Blackburn Fork Scenic River	I	Jackson	Cummins Mill Road downstream for 1.5miles, the entire distance within Cummins Falls State Park	1.5disp=tableNaNdisp=table	1968
	II		1.5miles downstream of Cummins Mill Road to the confluence of the Roaring River	12.5disp=tableNaNdisp=table
Buffalo Scenic River	II	Lawrence	Entire section within Lawrence County, from the head of the river to the Lewis County line	15.5disp=tableNaNdisp=table	1968
Clinch Scenic River	III	Anderson, Knox, Roane	Melton Hill Dam upstream to the Highway 62 bridge in Solway	18.5disp=tableNaNdisp=table	1996
Collins Scenic River	II	Grundy	Section within Savage Gulf State Natural Area	5disp=tableNaNdisp=table	1968
Conasauga Scenic River	I	Polk	Segment in the Cherokee National Forest from the Georgia state line downstream to the U.S. 411 bridge in Conasauga	9disp=tableNaNdisp=table	1969
Duck Scenic River	II	Maury	Iron Bridge Road near Columbia upstream to Maury–Marshall county line	37.3disp=tableNaNdisp=table	2001
French Broad Scenic River	III	Cocke	North Carolina state line downstream to J.W. Walters Bridge in Douglas Lake	33disp=tableNaNdisp=table	1968
Harpeth Scenic River	II	Davidson, Rutherford	Entire section in Rutherford County, from the head of the river to the Williamson County line	6.75disp=tableNaNdisp=table	1968
	III		Section in Davidson County, from the Williamson County line at Highway 100 bridge to the Interstate 40 bridge	8.5disp=tableNaNdisp=table
	II		Section in Davidson County, from the Interstate 40 bridge to the Cheatham County line	6disp=tableNaNdisp=table
Hatchie Scenic River	I	Hardeman, Haywood, Lauderdale, Madison, McNairy, Tipton	Entire length in Tennessee from Mississippi state line to Mississippi River confluence	163disp=tableNaNdisp=table	1970
Hiwassee Scenic River	III	Polk	Segment in the Cherokee National Forest from the North Carolina state line downstream to the U.S. 411 bridge in Delano	23disp=tableNaNdisp=table	1968
Obed Wild & Scenic River	I	Cumberland, Morgan	Western edge of the Catoosa WMA to the confluence with the Emory River (24.3miles), as well as: Clear Creek from the Cumberland–Morgan line to the confluence with the Obed River (18.5miles) Daddys Creek from the Cumberland–Morgan line to the confluence with the Obed River (2.3miles) Emory River from the confluence with the Obed River to the Nemo Bridge (0.9miles)	46disp=tableNaNdisp=table	1976
Roaring River Scenic River	I	Jackson, Overton	Highway 136 bridge to a point 2miles downstream	2disp=tableNaNdisp=table	1968
	II		A point 2miles downstream of the Highway 136 bridge to the confluence with the Cumberland River at Cordell Hull Lake	19disp=tableNaNdisp=table
Soak Creek Scenic River	III	Bledsoe, Rhea	Confluence with Georgia Branch in Bledsoe County downstream to its confluence with the Piney River in Spring City	6.75disp=tableNaNdisp=table	2016
Spring Creek Scenic River	I	Jackson, Overton	Waterloo Mill downstream to the Jackson–Overton county line	4.4disp=tableNaNdisp=table	1968
	II		Jackson–Overton county line to the confluence with the Roaring River	4.6disp=tableNaNdisp=table
Tuckahoe Creek Scenic River	III	Knox	Entire length in Knox County, from Jefferson County line to confluence with French Broad River	16.1disp=tableNaNdisp=table	1968

Former state parks and natural areas

State parks

• Poor Valley Creek State Park (cancelled)
• Ross Creek Landing

State natural areas

• Morril's Cave (Worley's Cave) State Natural Area, Sullivan County
• Short Mountain-Jim Cummings State Natural Area, Cannon County, 500acres
• Sneed Road Cedar Glade State Natural Area, Williamson County, 1acres

See also

• List of U.S. national parks

External links

• Tennessee State Parks

Notes and References

1. Web site: Cumberland Trail State Park.
2. Web site: Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park.
3. Web site: Find a Park.
4. Web site: List of Natural Areas.
5. Web site: Beecher Wallace Homestead Added to State Park System . www.tn.gov . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20190413075945/https://www.tn.gov/environment/news/2019/1/23/beecher-wallace-homestead-added-to-state-park-system.html . 2019-04-13.
6. Web site: Tennessee Scenic Rivers . www.tn.gov . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20180112194757/https://www.tn.gov/environment/program-areas/na-natural-areas/natural-areas-redirect/na-sr-scenic-rivers.html . 2018-01-12.