State Parks Guide
Tennessee's state parks, East, Middle and West, one page at a time: the story of each park, when to go and what to wear, and the design it inspired. An independent guide by Tennessee Pride Apparel; not affiliated with Tennessee State Parks.
West Tennessee
Big Cypress Tree State Park
Bottomland-forest boardwalk in a park named for a champion bald cypress, an estimated 1,350 years old, killed by lightning in 1976
Shirt available
Big Hill Pond State Park
70-foot observation tower, Dismal Swamp boardwalk and Travis McNatt Lake
Shirt available
Chickasaw State Park
Lake Placid, horseback riding and WPA cabins in the Chickasaw State Forest
Shirt available
Meeman-Shelby Forest State Park
Bottomland cypress-tupelo forest below the Chickasaw Bluffs on the Mississippi River near Memphis
Shirt available
Middle Fork Bottoms State Park
Restored floodplain of the Middle Fork Forked Deer River; day-use wildlife viewing
Shirt available
Natchez Trace State Park
Pin Oak Lake and horse trails in the 48,000-acre Natchez Trace state forest and park complex
Shirt available
Pilot Knob
Pilot Knob overlook of Kentucky Lake and the Tennessee River Folklife Center
Shirt available
Reelfoot Lake State Park
Earthquake-formed flooded cypress forest, bald eagles and fishing
Shirt available
T.O. Fuller State Park
Urban Memphis park built by a Black CCC company; adjoins Chucalissa mounds
Shirt available
Fort Pillow State Park
Civil War earthworks and museum on the Chickasaw Bluffs above the Mississippi; site of the 1864 Fort Pillow massacre
Not in the guide yet
- Pinson Mounds State Archaeological Park
Middle Tennessee
Burgess Falls State Park
Falling Water River's waterfalls, ending in Burgess Falls, which drops more than 130 feet into a gorge
Shirt available
Cedars of Lebanon State Park
Globally rare cedar glades and WPA-era lodge beside the Cedars of Lebanon State Forest
Shirt available
Cummins Falls State Park
75-foot Cummins Falls and its swimming hole on the Blackburn Fork State Scenic River
Shirt available
Fall Creek Falls State Park
256-foot Fall Creek Falls, one of the tallest waterfalls in the eastern United States; lodge and golf
Shirt available
Long Hunter State Park
Percy Priest Lake shoreline and cedar glades close to Nashville
Shirt available
Montgomery Bell State Park
Birthplace of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church; New Deal park with two CCC-built lakes, a lodge and golf
Shirt available
Radnor Lake State Park
Serene wildlife-viewing natural area inside Nashville, saved from development in 1973
Shirt available
Rock Island State Park
Great Falls, Twin Falls and the Caney Fork gorge at the head of Center Hill Lake
Shirt available
Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park
Downtown Nashville outdoor museum of Tennessee history below the State Capitol, with a granite state map and a 95-bell carillon
Bledsoe Creek State Park
Camping, fishing and a wetland observation boardwalk on Old Hickory Lake
Buffalo River State Park
The largest horseshoe bend on the free-flowing Buffalo River, with about two miles of riverfront; not yet open
Cardwell Mountain State Archaeological Park
5,000 years of archaeology above Cumberland Caverns; not yet open to the public
Cordell Hull Birthplace State Park
Birthplace cabin and museum of Secretary of State Cordell Hull, plus Bunkum Cave
David Crockett State Park
Crockett's Shoal Creek mill site, museum, Lake Lindsey and LEED-certified cabins
Devil's Backbone State Park
Rugged Western Highland Rim trail reached from the Natchez Trace Parkway; day use only
Dry Branch State Park
Rare wetland holding what the State counts as Tennessee's largest population of the endangered Tennessee yellow-eyed grass
Dunbar Cave State Park
Guided cave tours to see Mississippian-era Native American cave art; the 1930s bandstand and dance floor at the cave mouth, where big bands and Roy Acuff played
Edgar Evins State Park
Center Hill Lake shoreline, marina and the visitor-center observation tower
Fiery Gizzard State Park
Fiery Gizzard Trail gorge, Foster Falls, Denny Cove climbing and the historic Grundy Lakes
Harpeth River State Park
Narrows of the Harpeth and the 1818-1819 Montgomery Bell Tunnel, cut by enslaved workers; river paddling
Head of the Crow State Park
Sewanee Natural Bridge and Buggytop Cave in a karst landscape
Henry Horton State Park
Lodge, golf and trap-and-skeet on the Duck River, on a former governor's estate
Johnsonville State Historic Park
1864 Battle of Johnsonville site and the town submerged by Kentucky Lake
Mousetail Landing State Park
Tennessee River campground and swimming beach at a historic river landing
Old Stone Fort State Archaeological Park
2,000-year-old Native American earthwork enclosure with waterfalls
Pickett CCC Memorial State Park
CCC-built park with natural bridges, Arch Lake and Dark Sky certification
Port Royal State Park
Site of a 1797 town, restored 1859 general store and a Trail of Tears segment
Savage Gulf State Park
Stone Door, gorges and waterfalls with backcountry camping on the Cumberland Plateau
Scott's Gulf Wilderness State Park
Rugged Caney Fork canyon wilderness for hiking and hunting
Sgt. Alvin C. York State Historic Park
Home, farm and gristmill of World War I hero Alvin C. York
Standing Stone State Park
New Deal-era rustic cabins and the Rolley Hole marbles championship
Tims Ford State Park
Lake life on Tims Ford Reservoir with golf, boating and the Blueway paddle trail
East Tennessee
Big Ridge State Park
Norris Lake park with CCC cabins, Big Ridge Lake and the restored Norton Gristmill
Shirt available
Booker T. Washington State Park
Chickamauga Lake fishing and mountain-bike trails; one of two Tennessee parks built for Black visitors under segregation
Shirt available
Clinch River Valley State Park
Biodiverse Clinch River access and the historic River Place general store/visitor center
Shirt available
Cove Lake State Park
200-acre Cove Lake at the foot of the Cumberland Mountains; Cumberland Trail access
Shirt available
Cumberland Mountain State Park
CCC stone bridge and dam of Crab Orchard sandstone that forms Byrd Lake; the Bear Trace golf course
Shirt available
Cumberland Trail State Park
Tennessee's only linear state park: a footpath planned for more than 300 miles along the Cumberland Plateau escarpment
Shirt available
David Crockett Birthplace State Park
David Crockett's 1786 birthplace where Limestone Creek meets the Nolichucky River; closed for rebuilding since Hurricane Helene's 2024 flood
Shirt available
Fort Loudoun State Historic Park
Reconstructed 1756 British fort on Tellico Lake with living-history events
Shirt available
Fort Southwest Point State Historic Park
1797 federal frontier fort at the Tennessee-Clinch confluence, Cherokee agency headquarters 1801-1807
Shirt available
Frozen Head State Park
3,324-foot Frozen Head peak and summit observation deck, rugged backcountry, home of the Barkley Marathons
Shirt available
Hiwassee Scenic River State Park
Paddling and fishing on one of Tennessee's first State Scenic Rivers, named in 1968; Gee Creek Campground
Shirt available
Indian Mountain State Park
Reclaimed strip mine turned lakeside campground in the Cumberland Mountains
Shirt available
Norris Dam State Park
CCC-era cabins and Lenoir Museum on Norris Lake, TVA's first dam
Shirt available
North Chickamauga Creek Gorge State Park
Rugged gorge with whitewater and climbing; southern gateway to the Cumberland Trail
Shirt available
Panther Creek State Park
Cherokee Lake views and 28+ miles of hiking and biking trails
Shirt available
Red Clay State Historic Park
Last seat of Cherokee national government before the Trail of Tears
Shirt available
Roan Mountain State Park
Doe River valley at the foot of the Roan massif, below the highland rhododendron gardens and grassy balds
Shirt available
Seven Islands State Birding Park
Premier birding on the French Broad River with 130+ acres of pollinator habitat
Shirt available
Sycamore Shoals State Historic Park
Reconstructed Fort Watauga; 1775 treaty and Overmountain Men muster site
Shirt available
Warriors' Path State Park
Busy Kingsport recreation park on Fort Patrick Henry Lake with golf and boating
Shirt available
Angel's Hollow State Park
Tennessee's 70th state park, beside Hamilton County's McDonald Farm, with a 2.5-mile section of the Cumberland Trail open so far
Cherokee Trail of Tears State Park
Trail of Tears memorial and museum at the Blythe Ferry crossing
