Ghosts and goblins take note. It’s Halloween in Tennessee and there are several “spooky” fun events in store for kids and adults alike. There also are some great early November events planned in the East Tennessee area from leaf peeping to craft shows to outstanding ranger-led programming. Visit a Tennessee State Park and enjoy the colors, sounds and beauty of fall.
Davy Crockett Birthplace
Bring the kids to Davy Crockett Birthplace on Friday, Oct. 29, for the Haunted Forest Trick or Treat event. There will be a lighted trail to lead the way with ghosts, ghouls and haunts handing out treats along the trail and giving participants a “little” scare. Participants are asked to dress appropriately for potential cold weather, bring a flashlight and a candy bag. For more information, please contact Dawn Coleman at Dawn.Coleman@tn.gov or 257-2167.
Davy Crockett's birthplace has been preserved by the state of Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation as an historic site within the state park system. The site consists of 105 partially wooded acres of land along the Nolichucky River in Greene County, Tennessee. For more information about the park's Trick or Treat in the Forest event, call 257-2167. For additional information about the park, please visit www.tnstateparks.com/DavyCrockettSHP.
Harrison Bay State Park
Join Harrison Bay State Park on Saturday evening, Oct. 30, for its Halloween in the Park event. This will be a fun-filled night of games, live music, a bonfire and haunted hayride. There also will be a costume contest and best-carved pumpkin contest with prizes for each. For more information, call 344-6214.
The 1,200-acre Harrison Bay State Park, with approximately 40 miles of Chickamauga Lake shoreline, was originally developed as a Tennessee Valley Authority recreation demonstration area in the 1930s. Its name is derived from a large bay at the main channel of the Tennessee River that covers the old town of Harrison, and the last Cherokee Campground. The parklands are of historic significance because the Cherokee Campground consisted of three villages ruled by one of the last great Cherokee Chieftains, Chief Joe Vann. This beautiful wooded park is a haven for campers, boaters and fishermen, as well as picnickers and other day-use visitors from Chattanooga and the surrounding tri-state area.
For more information about the park, please visit www.tnstateparks.com/HarrisonBay.
Cumberland Trail State Park
Have you ever wanted to get out and just enjoy the fall colors? If so, join Cumberland Trail State Park on Saturday, Oct. 30, for a series of Fall Colors Hikes. At 9 a.m. CST, join Ranger Anthony Jones at the Head of Sequatchie as he leads a hike into the woods of the Sequatchie Valley to enjoy the beautiful colors of fall. This is a great way to enjoy the day with a short hike and to learn about the trees that display such great colors. A second hike will be led by Park Manager Ken Mathews beginning at 1 p.m. CST up to beautiful Black Mountain. This also is a very beautiful hike with views all over Cumberland and surrounding counties. Be sure to bring your camera to capture the magic.
For more information about these Fall Colors Hikes, please call 566-2229.
Volunteers should make plans now for Nov. 2-9 for a Trail Construction effort at Straight Fork in Scott County, as part phase three of the New River section trail construction. This will be a camping outing with camp meals / water provided by the CTC.
Volunteers will need to bring their own tent, sleeping gear and personal items. The base camp will have a kitchen tent equipped with cook stoves.
Please contact the CTC to register for this event at cumberlandtrail@rocketmail.com, www.cumberlandtrail.org or 931 456-6259.
On June 22, 1998, Tennessee State Parks announced the creation of the Cumberland Trail State Park, Tennessee's 53rd state park and the state’s only linear park. The Cumberland Trail wanders among the remnants of the Cumberland Mountains that once rose as high as the Rockies. The trail represented a barrier to all who dared push through storied gaps westward onto and over the Cumberland Plateau.
It now provides a linkage north to south, forming natural connections and opportunities for scenic vistas and curious geological formations. Upon completion, the Cumberland Trail will be 300 miles, cutting through 11 Tennessee counties from the Cumberland Gap National Historic Park on the Tennessee-Virginia-Kentucky border to the Signal Point near Chattanooga.
More than 150 miles of the Cumberland Trail is currently open and ready for exploration. For additional information about the park, please visit www.tnstateparks.com/cumberlandtrail.
Norris Dam State Park
Join Norris Dam State Park for its Annual Fall Color Cruises through Oct. 31. Spend a day admiring the picturesque scenery of Norris Lake, nestled in the majestic mountains of East Tennessee. Visitors will enjoy the wonderful fall mosaic of natural colors during a two-hour cruise via pontoon boat.
Park staff will be on hand to narrate the trip and share information about the area’s natural wonders and the fascinating history of the first dam and lake built in the Tennessee Valley.
Trips depart daily from Norris Dam Marina at 11 a.m., noon, 2 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. For cruise costs and reservations, please call the park office at 865 426-7461 or e-mail at mike.scott@tn.gov.
Groups are encouraged to register early and there is a limit of ten people per ride.
This 4,038-acre park, located on the Norris Reservoir, began in 1933 as the first Tennessee Valley Authority project. Miles of trails lead hikers through deeply forested valleys and ridges. Located on the shores of Norris Lake with 700 miles of picturesque shoreline, the park offers the ultimate in boating, skiing and fishing.
The park also offers a fully equipped marina, a boat ramp available to the general public and pontoon boats are available for rent.
For additional information about Norris Dam, please visit www.stateparks.com/NorrisDam.
Big Ridge State Park
Big Ridge State Park will host its Ghost House Hikes every Friday and Saturday throughout the month of October – this weekend is your last chance to join park rangers for a spine-tingling night hike. There will be 1.2 miles of spooky stories from Big Ridge’s past. Bring your own flashlight.
The hike is free but reservations are required. There is a limit of 30 people and the hike is not appropriate for children under six years. For information, including times or to make reservations, please call 865 992-5523.
The heavily forested, 3,687-acre park lies on the southern shore of TVA's Norris Reservoir approximately 25 miles north of Knoxville. Visitors to the park will find a wealth of activities to meet any interest from guided nature tours to backcountry camping.
Big Ridge State Park was one of five demonstration parks developed by the Tennessee Valley Authority in cooperation with the National Park Service and the Civilian Conservation Corps as an example of public recreation development along TVA lakeshores.
The structures on the park reflect the craftsmanship and stonework of the CCC. Other notable features of the park include the Norton Gristmill built in 1825, remnants of Sharp's Station Fort construction in the late 1700s, and Indian Rock where a plaque commemorates the death of Peter Graves, a settler of Sharp's Station who was attacked by Indians at this spot.
For more information about Big Ridge State Park, please visit www.tnstateparks/BigRidge.
Sycamore Shoals State Historic Park
Sycamore Shoals will host a variety of Traditional Arts Workshops during the remaining days of October and throughout November, including topics such as Valley Fifes and Drums, Bird Walks and Step-by-Step Oil painting – just to name a few.
Traditional Arts Workshops are by registration only. Ranger programs and park admission are free and some workshops do charge a fee.
For complete schedules or to make a workshop reservation, please call 543-5808.
Join park staff and friends on Thursday, Oct. 28, beginning at 7:30 p.m. for Sycamore Shoals’ Scary Stories at the Carter Mansion event. Strange things happen around All Hallows Eve, especially in a 200- year-old mansion. This year’s roster of marvelous storytellers includes members of the Homespun Storytelling Guild, presenting a tantalizing and spooky evening of stories for your listening pleasure.
Don’t miss Sycamore Shoals’ Annual Christmas Craft Show, slated for Friday through Sunday, Nov. 12-14. This tremendously popular craft extravaganza is held just in time for the holiday and will feature nearly 50 local crafts persons exhibiting their talents – all with a Christmas twist.
For more information, please call 543-5808.
The staff at Sycamore Shoals also would like to remind local clubs, organizations, churches, schools or other groups about the park’s annual Christmas Tree Exhibit – and they would love to hear from you if you are interested in decorating one of this year’s Fraser Fir trees for public viewing in the park’s museum and visitor center during the month of December.
For additional information or to register for a tree, please call the park at 543-5808.
Sycamore Shoals State Historic Park attracts more than 305,000 people every year. The 85-acre site sits on the banks of the Watauga River where the Overmountain Men assembled in 1780 before marching to defeat the British in the Battle of Kings Mountain, a turning point in the Revolutionary War.
The park features interpretive exhibits, events, a fitness trail and picnic facilities. It is located off U.S. Highway 321 in Elizabethton.
Additional information about the park can be found on the park’s Web site at www.tnstateparks.com/SycamoreShoals.
Fort Loudoun State Park
Join Fort Loudoun State Park on Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 6-7, for a Garrison Weekend – when the daily lives of men, women and children of Fort Loudoun are recreated. Guests will find living history re-enactors in period costume, an 18th century infirmary, soldier’s barracks and more.
For more information, please call 884-6217.
Fort Loudoun State Historic Area is a 1,200-acre site on the location of one of the earliest British fortifications on the western frontier, built in 1756. Nearby were the principle towns of the Cherokee Nation including Tenase, namesake of our state, and Tuskegee, birthplace of Sequoyah. Today the fort and the 1794 Tellico Blockhouse overlook TVA's Tellico Reservoir and the Appalachian Mountains.
For more information about the park, please visit www.tnstateparks.com/FortLoudoun.
Cumberland Mountain State Park
The staff at Cumberland Mountain State Park invites you to a special Birds of Prey Program on Sunday, Nov. 14, beginning at 2 p.m. at the park’s recreation lodge. Free to the public, the event it is presented by S.O.A.R. – Save Our American Raptors.
If you have never seen the majestic Bald Eagle, a beautiful hawk or owl in person – this is your chance to see them all during a lively and informative presentation. The program will feature a variety of birds – some are free-flying, which gives spectators an unforgettable “close” encounter.
Cumberland Mountain State Park is situated on the Cumberland Plateau – a segment of the great upland, which extends from western New York to central Alabama. It is said to be the largest timbered plateau in America.
This 1,720-acre park was acquired in 1938 as a project of the Farm Security Administration to provide a recreational area for some 250 families selected to homestead on the Cumberland Plateau.
For additional information about the park, please call 931 484-6138 or visit the park’s Web site at: www.tnstateparks.com/CumberlandMtn.
Tennessee's 53 state parks and 81 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 888 867-2757. For additional information, visit our Web site at www.tnstateparks.com.