The Most Remote State Park In Tennessee Is The Perfect Place To Escape
By Chris Dodge|Updated on April 19, 2024(Originally published August 22, 2023)
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Chris Dodge
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My name is Chris Dodge and I live right here in the great state of Tennessee. My family and I are full adventurers filled with passion to see the amazing things our state has to offer. We are avid hikers and have explored many different places in Tennessee and beyond but we are always thankful to be living in such a glorious state.
If you find yourself in need of a little reconnection to nature then we have a very unique place to feature for you today. Pickett CCC Memorial State Park in Jamestown, Tennessee, is the perfect middle-of-nowhere place to escape. This park is almost otherworldly and features many rock formations you would only see out west in places like Utah. Take a look at this state park and we guarantee it will impress you — I know it impressed me.
Pickett CCC Memorial State Park is a small remote state park in Tennessee. You will find it in the northern part of the state right next to Big South Fork.
This area is teeming with interesting finds around every corner. The rock formations in this part of Tennessee are different and offer a lot of variety. I will show you just a couple of the park’s trails to whet your appetite for a visit for yourself.
I love finding trails with multiple destinations, especially when it's a loop trail. Our first hike has those things in spades.
The Hazard Cave and Natural Bridge Trail will take you to an epic cave opening and a large natural bridge. Hazard Cave is a massive opening and not only is it the perfect place to explore and take pictures, but it is also home to a rare species of glow worms. With such other-worldly rock formations, it seems hard to believe this is a Tennessee state park.
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This 2.3-mile loop trail only has 265 feet of elevation gain and along the way, you will also come across the Natural Bridge. This bridge spans 86 feet in length and stands 35 feet from the ground. This impressive arch can be seen from the ground or you can even hike across the top of it.
The Pickett Lake Trail will take hikers 1.6 miles around the water with a mere 147 feet of elevation gain. Enjoy the views of the arch reflecting in the calming waters and feast your eyes upon the beautiful sapphire pool. Along your travels, if you want to extend your trip, make sure to take the Island Trail which will give you even more views of this beautiful lake. These are only a few of the trails and features found in one of the best state parks in Tennessee and if you kept exploring, you would find mesas, waterfalls, and more.
This place is also registered as a dark sky park in Tennessee and offers fantastic views of the night sky above.
Make sure to bring your flashlight with a red bulb or a good headlamp and stay up late for the celestial show. Even if you don’t consider yourself an amateur astrologist, lay down a blanket and experience the awe-inspiring spectacle of the heavens.
If you end up staying late for the star show, there is no better place to spend the night than the historic stone cabin right in the park.
These cabins were built in the 1930s and will give guests some modern amenities, but you will still enjoy the rustic and charming feel of these historic cabins. This is the perfect place to call home base and offers plenty of cozy places to relax while you enjoy the park.
This state park is filled with a plethora of fun things to do. Spend some time appreciating the beauty of the otherworldly landscape and rock formations, take a stroll around the lake, enjoy a beautiful blanket of stars unlike anywhere else in Tennessee, and so much more. You can experience all of this while staying in a historic stone cabin. It sounds like an amazing adventure just waiting to be had. For more information please visit the Pickett CCC Memorial State Park website.
While hiking a tool I always have by my side when I explore parks and our glorious natural beauty in our state is the AllTrails+ app. It helps me keep track of where I am on the trail and is incredibly helpful to me so I would highly recommend it.
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