5 incredible State Parks worth visiting in Tennessee

Tennessee is home to amazing, unique cities like Nashville and Memphis. But it’s also home to an incredible wealth of natural beauty that can be found across it in it’s seemingly endless array of parks, National, State and beyond.

Getting out and about in Tennessee is a great way to experience all the wonders this state has to offer. Keeping that in mind, there are a few State Parks in particular that should be on the top of any Tennessee visitor’s list.

Rock Island State Park

Established in 1969, Rock Island State Park surrounds the point where the Caney Fork River and the Collins River meet up. Because of this location, the park contains some the most stunning geological formations and vistas in Tennessee.

There are two epic cascading waterfalls in the park, Twin Falls and Great Falls Gorge, that need to be seen. In addition to its natural wonders, there are also several historic sites worth checking out such as the Great Falls Dam.

Reelfoot Lake State Park

If you’re looking to check out the local wildlife, Reelfoot Lake State Park in Tennessee would likely be a good spot. It’s part of large wildlife refuge that’s home to a massive array of animals, birds and much more as well as stunning foliage.

Not surprisingly, the park also contains Reelfoot Lake, which is open to both boating and fishing. It’s also home to the R.C. Donaldson Memorial Museum which explores a variety of aspects of the park and region.

Radnor Lake State Park

In 1914, a railroad company created Radnor Lake to supply water for steam engines. But as nature is want to do, it took over the area and Tennessee established Radnor Lake State Natural Area there in 1973. It’s now one of the better parks in the state.

Also known as Radnor Lake State Park, this natural area is home to an incredible array of birds as well as muskrat, mink, beavers, river otters, bobcats and much more. It has become a prime spot in Tennessee for birding.

Fall Creek Falls State Park

Sometimes referred to as Fall Creek Falls State Resort Park, this park’s main feature is the upper Cane Creek Gorge. As one would expect from a gorge, it has some incredible views from five different overlooks and seven waterfalls.

The Fall Creek Falls Inn and Conference center offers a great place to stay while enjoying the beauty of the park. It also has several caves that could be explored, though doing so is currently prohibited to prevent the spread of White Nose Syndrome.

Lamar Alexander Rocky Fork State Park

Continuing Tennessee’s trend of really long names for their parks is Lamar Alexander Rocky Fork State Park. Located in the southern Appalachian Mountains, this prime natural space has some of the best views in the state.

Naturally, Rocky Fork State Park has great hiking and biking as well as some solid fishing. But a big reason to hit this park up is the rock climbing. With approximately 40 routes either open or in development on Whitehouse Cliffs, there are a lot of options to choose from.