★ 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.

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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)
— ◆ — ◆ — ◆ —
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.

2.3 miles 265 ft gain Glow Worms
⛰️ 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.

~1.5 miles Swinging Bridge 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.

0.4 miles Rock Shelter Archaeology
🔴 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. Plan a full day. Rewarding every step.

7.9 miles 862 ft gain Bluff Views
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.

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.

🌌Milky Way visible to the naked eye on clear nights
🌠Dedicated astronomy field adjacent to the park
🔭Ranger-led stargazing programs year-round
✦ 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.

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.

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.

1933

Land Donated

Stearns Coal & Lumber Co. donates ~12,000 acres to the State.

1934

CCC Arrives

Civilian Conservation Corps crews begin work teaching masonry and carpentry.

1935

Arch Lake Created

CCC crews build the dam that creates the 12-acre lake.

1938

Cabins Built

Five rustic cabins and the recreation lodge are completed.

What To Do

More Than Just Hiking

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

🚣

Kayaking

Canoes and paddleboards available to rent on Arch Lake in summer.

🎣

Fishing

Arch Lake is stocked with trout. A trout fishing stamp is required.

🏕️

Camping

26 developed campsites with modern bathhouse, plus backcountry camping.

🏡

Cabins

17 cabins ranging from original 1930s CCC rustic cabins to modern premium units.

Plan Your Visit

Everything You Need
Before You Go

📍 Getting There

  • 4183 Pickett Park Hwy, Jamestown
  • ~12 miles NE of Jamestown
  • From Knoxville: ~1.5 hrs via I-40

🕐 Hours & Cost

  • Park open year-round
  • Park entry: Free
  • Cabin rentals: Reserve online

✅ Don’t Miss

  • Hazard Cave glow worms (dusk)
  • Arch Lake swinging bridge
  • Natural Bridge Trail

🌡️ Best Times

  • Spring: wildflowers
  • Summer: swimming & paddling
  • Fall: foliage peak mid-Oct
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.

Adjacent · 0–5 miles 🌊

Twin Arches

The largest twin sandstone arches in the eastern US.

~5 miles · 10 min 💧

Colditz Cove

Stunning 60-foot Northrup Falls hidden in a 165-acre state natural area.

~30 miles · 45 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 May 2026 · GoFentress.com