Our State Park System is Growing!
It’s an exciting time for Tennessee State Parks as our state park system is growing! During Gov. Lee’s State of the State address in February, he announced plans to open four new state parks, with a goal to fund an additional eight. This fall, two new parks opened, bringing the total number of state parks in Tennessee to 59.
In August, Middle Fork Bottoms State Park in Madison County was dedicated. Conservation of this 1,000-acre tract had begun since the Conservancy’s Executive Director, Alex Wyss, toured the property in 2015 with TDEC Commissioner David Salyers. At the time, Commissioner Salyers was the head of the West TN River Basin Authority. The vision was to take flood-prone marginal farmland, restore more natural flows, and demonstrate the multiple benefits wetlands provide. It is nothing short of amazing to see how the community has worked together to create a unique state park that is already highly popular for fishing, biking, kayaking, and walking.
North Chickamauga Creek Gorge State Park was dedicated in September. It spans nearly 6,000 acres in north Hamilton and Sequatchie counties and is home to miles of trails, kayaking, and the popular Blue Hole swimming spot. Previously, the state managed the natural area as part of the Justin P. Wilson Cumberland Trail State Park. It is Tennessee’s 59th designated state park.
Additional future parks include:
- Devil’s Backbone State Park in Lewis County
- Fort Southwest Point State Historic Park in Roane County
- Head of the Crow State Park in Franklin County
- Hiwassee Scenic River State Park & Ocoee River State Park — Currently managed jointly as Hiwassee/Ocoee Scenic River State Park (Polk County)
- Scott’s Gulf Wilderness State Park.
Growth of TN State Parks System, Middle Fork Bottoms State Park, North Chickamauga Creek Gorge, Tennesse State Parks Conservancy, Tennessee State Parks