The year 2012 marks Tennessee State Parks’ 75th Anniversary, and to help commemorate this important milestone, Frozen Head State Park will hold a special community event on Friday, Aug. 10, from 10 a.m. to noon. The park is at 964 Flat Fork Road, Wartburg, Tn. 37887.

“This is a great opportunity to thank the park’s many patrons and the entire local community for their support throughout the years and invite community members to see what the park has to offer,” said Park Manager David Engebretson. 

Come out and meet the park staff and learn more about Frozen Head’s unique past.  State Naturalist Randy Hedgepath will be on hand for a special presentation on the 75 years of Tennessee State Parks history.  Presentations will be followed by light refreshments, including a special commemorative anniversary cake. 

Also making an appearance will be Tennessee State Parks’ new traveling anniversary exhibit, which recently hit the road to tour state parks and various communities – sharing Tennessee State Parks’ rich and storied history. Enclosed in a colorful trailer emblazoned with various images and logos, the exhibit interprets the origins and heritage of Tennessee’s state park system.

Those in attendance will be:

Deputy Commissioner Brock Hill, Tennessee State Parks

Interim Director of Parks Mike Robertson

State Naturalist Randy Hedgepath

East Tennessee Parks Area Manager Herb Roberts

Park Manager David Engebretson, Frozen Head State Park

Special Adviser to Tennessee State Parks, Mike Stubbs

Local elected officials and community members

Mr. Engebretson added that Frozen Head State Park will be hosting its annual Heritage Day on Saturday, Aug. 11 – also a fitting tribute to this year’s 75th anniversary festivities.  Saturday’s events will include folk music and traditional Appalachian and Cumberland Plateau crafts, with a talented roster of craftspeople, artisans and musicians on hand to demonstrate their skills.  Primitive and traditional weapon demonstrations will also be held throughout the day. Designed for the younger crowd, other activities will include games, storytelling and a cornhusk doll workshop.  Food vendors will be on site with delicious plate lunches, funnel cakes and more. This event is also free and open to the public. 

The Tennessee State Parks system was established through legislation in 1937, and those laws – with modifications and additions over the years – remain the framework for park operations today.  As in most states, Tennessee began in cooperation with federal programs that instigated individual parks. Later, Depression era recovery programs gave a boost to the idea and the possibility of creating parks. The Civilian Conservation Corps and Works Progress Administration worked on land conservation, but also delved further into the actual planning and construction of what would become the first of 54 Tennessee State Parks.

Today, there is a state park within an hour’s drive of just about anywhere in Tennessee.  A 2009 University of Tennessee study highlights the positive economic impacts that state parks provide local communities, particularly in rural areas of the state.  The study found that for every dollar spent on trips to Tennessee State Parks, an additional $1.11 of economic activity was generated throughout the state.  When the direct and indirect expenditures were combined, the impact of Tennessee State Parks to the state’s economy was $1.5 billion in total industry output, supporting more than 18,600 jobs.

“Our vision statement highlights the inherent value of our natural environment, along with the value of the many physical reminders of Tennessee’s past,” said Deputy Commissioner Brock Hill.  “Tennessee’s state parks have played such an important role in our history, and they play a critical role in our health and quality of life, which will benefit Tennesseans well into the future.”

Tennessee’s state parks deliver a rich fabric of natural landscapes, wild places, preserved ecologies, outdoor recreational opportunities and protected historic scenes and resources – together representing the heritage of Tennessee in the landscape.

Tennessee's 54 state parks and 82 state natural areas offer diverse natural, recreational and cultural experiences for individuals, families or business and professional groups.  State park features range from pristine natural areas to 18-hole championship golf courses.  For a free brochure about Tennessee State Parks, call toll free at 888 867-2757. For upcoming events in connection with the 75th Anniversary of Tennessee State Parks, please visit the state parks website at www.tnstateparks.com.

In commemoration of the 75th Anniversary of Tennessee State Parks, the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation launched an innovative new microsite at www.tnstateparks75.com. Established in partnership with the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development, the microsite displays Tennessee State Parks’ rich heritage and showcases the many outdoor adventures awaiting state park visitors through rich media and dynamic content.

Frozen Head State Park is located near Wartburg in Morgan County in the scenic Cumberland Mountains.  The park contains undisturbed forest land, small streams and waterfalls, beautiful mountains and some of the richest wildflower areas in Tennessee.  For more information about the park, please call 423 346-3318 or visit www.tnstateparks.com/FrozenHead.