★ International Dark Sky Park · Tennessee’s First

Pickett State ParkTennessee’s Best Kept Secret

19,200 acres of ancient sandstone, glowing caves, 58+ miles of trails, a hand-built CCC lake, and some of the darkest skies in the eastern United States — all within minutes of Jamestown.

🌌 Silver-tier International Dark Sky Park — First in the Southeast (2015)
19,200Acres
58+Miles of Trail
1934CCC Built
FreePark Entry
17Cabins
About the Park

Sandstone, Stars &
Ancient Wonder

Pickett CCC Memorial State Park lies within the 20,887-acre Pickett State Forest, adjacent to Big South Fork National Recreation Area. Together they form one of the largest protected wilderness areas in the eastern United States — and Pickett is the quieter, more intimate half.

The landscape is the result of millions of years of water cutting through Cumberland Plateau sandstone — creating the caves, natural bridges, rock shelters, and bluffs that make every trail here feel like a geological revelation. This is a place where you round a corner and stop dead in your tracks.

Most people have never heard of it. That’s part of what makes it extraordinary.

“Most travelers zoom past Jamestown completely unaware that one of Tennessee’s best-kept secrets sits just off the main road.”
— TakeMeToTN.com
📋 Park Facts
Full NamePickett CCC Memorial State Park
LocationJamestown, TN (Pickett County)
From Jamestown~12 miles northeast
Total Acres19,200 acres
Trails58+ miles
Cabins17 (historic & premium)
Campsites26 sites + backcountry
Lake12-acre Arch Lake
Park EntryFree
Dark SkySilver-tier IDA (2015)
NRHP ListedYes — CCC structures
Phone(931) 879-5821
— ◆ — ◆ — ◆ —
Hit the Trail

Best Trails in
Pickett State Park

From 20-minute family strolls to all-day backcountry adventures — Pickett’s trail system is the best argument for coming here.

⛰️ Easy

Hazard Cave & Natural Bridge Trail

The park’s signature hike — a 2.3-mile loop combining an enormous rock shelter (Hazard Cave, home to rare glow worms) and a natural sandstone bridge spanning 86 feet. Family-friendly and unmissable. Rated 4.6 stars on AllTrails.

2.3 miles 265 ft gain Glow Worms Natural Bridge
⛰️ Easy

Pickett Lake Trail

A peaceful loop around 12-acre Arch Lake — built by CCC crews in the 1930s and still as beautiful as ever. The highlight is crossing a swinging suspension bridge to a small island. Perfect for families and first-time visitors. Rated 4.7 stars on AllTrails.

~1.5 miles Swinging Bridge Island Access CCC Lake
⛰️ Easy

Indian Rockhouse Trail

A short 0.4-mile trail hugging the cliff face to one of the largest rock shelters in the park — a cavernous overhang that once sheltered early inhabitants 12,500 years ago. The Pickett Archaeology Museum showcases artifacts found here. Dramatic and brief.

0.4 miles Rock Shelter 12,500 yr History
🔴 Challenging

Hidden Passage Trail Loop

The park’s longest and most dramatic trail at 7.9 miles — winding along sandstone bluffs with cliff-top views unlike anything in Tennessee. The longest trail in the park and the one with the most elevation gain (862 ft). Plan a full day. Rewarding every step.

7.9 miles 862 ft gain Bluff Views Full Day
🟡 Moderate

Ladder Trail

A unique shorter trail that requires climbing single-rung ladders fixed into the rock face to navigate the terrain — a genuine adventure that kids love and adults remember. One of the most distinctive hiking experiences in any Tennessee state park.

Short Loop Rock Ladders Kid Favorite
⛰️ Easy

Story Book Trail

Behind the picnic area playground — a short, charming trail where pages of a children’s picture book are posted on signs spaced along the path. The perfect introduction to the park for young children and families with toddlers.

Very Short Kid Friendly Picnic Area
International Dark Sky Park

The First Dark Sky Park
In the Southeast

In 2015, Pickett CCC Memorial State Park became the first state park in the Southeast to earn International Dark Sky Association (IDA) Silver-tier designation. It joined an elite group of parks worldwide recognized for exceptional night sky preservation.

On a clear night at Pickett, the Milky Way is not a faint smudge — it is a river of light across the sky. No city glow on any horizon. No private development for miles. The Cumberland Plateau’s topography and sparse population create a natural light barrier that’s increasingly rare east of the Mississippi.

The park’s dedicated astronomy field is the ideal launch point. Meteor showers, planetary conjunctions, and deep-sky objects visible to the naked eye make Pickett a destination for amateur astronomers from across the region. Ranger-led stargazing events are offered throughout the year.

🌌Milky Way visible to the naked eye on clear nights
🌠Dedicated astronomy field adjacent to the park
🔭Ranger-led stargazing programs year-round
🏆IDA Silver-tier — first in the Southeast (2015)
✦ Recognition ✦
🌌 International Dark Sky Park Silver-tier Designation · 2015
International Dark-Sky Association
🏛️ National Register of Historic Places CCC Structures · 1930s–1942
Lodge · Cabins · Ranger Station
One of a Kind

The Glow Worms
of Hazard Cave

Deep inside Hazard Cave, something remarkable happens after dark. Bioluminescent glow worms — larvae of the fungus gnat Orfelia fultoni — cling to the cave walls and emit a soft, pulsing blue-green light that covers the rock face like a fallen constellation. The effect, when they are at their peak, is described by visitors as looking like the night sky reflected on the ground. These glow worms were discovered in 1975 and are found in only a handful of locations in the entire United States — Hazard Cave and certain remote sites in the adjacent Big South Fork are among the only places on Earth where they exist in significant numbers. Much about their behavior is still unknown. They are believed to use their luminescence to attract small flying insects, which mistake the glow for stars and fly into the larvae’s silk webs. The cave also shelters the endangered Cumberland Sandwort — a delicate plant found only in shaded rockhouses in this immediate region of Tennessee and Kentucky.

Built by Hand

The CCC Legacy:
Built to Last

The park’s full name — Pickett CCC Memorial State Park — exists because almost everything you see here was built by the hands of young men in Franklin Roosevelt’s Civilian Conservation Corps during the Great Depression.

In 1933, the Stearns Coal and Lumber Company donated nearly 12,000 acres to the State of Tennessee. Between 1934 and 1942, CCC crews transformed that raw plateau wilderness into a functioning park — cutting trails through sandstone, building a dam to create Arch Lake, raising stone cabins that are still standing and rentable today, and constructing the recreation lodge that anchors the park.

Seventeen Tennessee state parks trace their origins to CCC work. Pickett is one of the best-preserved examples — which is why the park and its structures are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The small CCC Museum (get the key from the park office) tells their story in their own words.

1933

Land Donated

Stearns Coal & Lumber Co. donates ~12,000 acres to the State of Tennessee for recreational development.

1934

CCC Arrives

Civilian Conservation Corps crews begin work. Young men from across the country are taught masonry, carpentry, and forestry skills.

1935

Arch Lake Created

CCC crews build the dam that creates the 12-acre lake — still the heart of the park and one of the most peaceful spots on the plateau.

1938

Cabins & Lodge Built

Five original rustic cabins and the recreation lodge are completed — still standing, still available to rent, still listed on the National Register.

1942

CCC Disbands

The program ends as WWII mobilizes the workforce. The men leave behind trails, cabins, a lake, and a park that will outlast them all.

1975

Glow Worms Discovered

Scientists identify the bioluminescent glow worm colonies in Hazard Cave — a species found in only a handful of places on Earth.

2015

Dark Sky Designation

First state park in the Southeast to earn IDA Silver-tier International Dark Sky Park status.

What To Do

More Than Just Hiking

Pickett has enough variety to fill a weekend — or a week.

🥾

Hiking

58+ miles of trails ranging from 20-minute family strolls to all-day backcountry epics. Natural bridges, rock shelters, caves, bluffs, and waterfalls on almost every route.

🚣

Kayaking & Canoeing

Canoes and paddleboards available to rent on Arch Lake in summer. The calm 12-acre lake is perfect for beginners and a beautiful way to see the park from the water.

🎣

Fishing

Arch Lake is stocked with trout. Fishing licenses available — a trout fishing stamp is required and can be obtained at the visitor center. Quiet, peaceful, and reliably productive.

🏊

Swimming

A sandy beach on Arch Lake is open in summer. One of the few State Park swimming areas in Tennessee that feels genuinely remote — surrounded by forest with no development in sight.

🌌

Stargazing

Silver-tier Dark Sky Park. The dedicated astronomy field adjacent to the park is among the best stargazing locations in the eastern US. Ranger-led programs offered throughout the year.

🏕️

Camping

26 developed campsites with modern bathhouse, free showers. Backcountry camping available with permit from the park office. Historic CCC cabins and newer premium cabins also available.

🏡

Cabin Rentals

17 cabins ranging from the original 1930s CCC rustic cabins to modern 2–3 bedroom premium units sleeping up to 8. Book early — these fill up months in advance for summer and fall.

🦅

Wildlife Watching

White-tailed deer, wild turkey, black bears, songbirds, and raptors throughout the park. Spring wildflower season brings blackberries, blueberries, and extraordinary diversity of native plants.

Plan Your Visit

Everything You Need
Before You Go

📍 Getting There

  • 4183 Pickett Park Hwy, Jamestown TN
  • ~12 miles NE of Jamestown
  • Take TN-154 north from Jamestown
  • From Knoxville: ~1.5 hrs via I-40
  • From Nashville: ~2 hrs via I-40

🕐 Hours & Cost

  • Park open year-round
  • Visitor center: 8am–4:30pm daily
  • Park entry: Free
  • Cabin rentals: Reserve online
  • Trout stamp: Available at office

✅ Don’t Miss

  • Hazard Cave glow worms (dusk)
  • Arch Lake swinging bridge
  • CCC Museum (get key at office)
  • Stargazing at astronomy field
  • Natural Bridge Trail

🌡️ Best Times

  • Spring: wildflowers, cool hiking
  • Summer: swimming & paddling
  • Fall: foliage peak mid-Oct
  • Winter: solitude & clear skies
  • Any clear night: stargazing
While You’re Here

Nearby Attractions

Pickett is the perfect basecamp. Everything Fentress County has to offer is within easy reach.

🌲

Big South Fork NRRA

125,000 acres of gorges, arches, and trails directly adjacent to Pickett. Twin Arches and Honey Creek Loop are just minutes away.

Adjacent · 0–5 miles 🌊

Twin Arches

The largest twin sandstone arches in the eastern US — just off Hwy 154 across from Pickett’s entrance road. A must-do while you’re in the area.

~5 miles · 10 min 🎖️

Sgt. York Historic Park

Pall Mall is 19 miles from Pickett — the farm, gristmill, and grave of America’s most decorated WWI soldier are free to visit.

~19 miles · 30 min 🎣

Dale Hollow Lake

The world record smallmouth lake is about 45 minutes from Pickett. Perfect for a full weekend combining hiking and fishing.

~45 miles · 50 min

Ready to Explore Fentress County?

Pickett is just the beginning. Waterfalls, world-record fishing, Sgt. York’s farm, the 127 Yard Sale — Fentress County keeps delivering. And if you’re thinking about making it home, Tim & Lori Denehy know every road and every ridge.

All Locations 📞 702-569-9557

Tim & Lori Denehy · Mitchell Real Estate · Jamestown, TN

Page last updated April 2026 · Sources: tnstateparks.com, wikipedia.org, alltrails.com · GoFentress.com