Standing Stone State Park covers nearly 11,000 acres on the Cumberland Plateau of north-central Tennessee. The quaint and rustic park is noted for its outstanding scenery, spring wildflowers, fossils and other natural diversity.
The park is located in Overton County within a triangle formed by highways connecting Livingston, Gainesboro and Celina, Tennessee. In the 1930's, Standing Stone was an area plagued with soil erosion and sub-marginal lands. With the assistance of the Civilian Conservation Corps, the Work Projects Administration, the Resettlement Administration and U.S. Forest Service, the area was made productive again. The project was threefold: to relocate area farmers on better land, to stop soil erosion and reforest the area and to develop opportunities for open space or outdoor recreation.
The park takes its name from the Standing Stone, an eight-foot tall rock standing upright on a sandstone ledge, which was supposedly used as a boundary line between two separate Indian nations. When the rock fell, the Indians placed a portion of it upon an improvised monument to preserve it. The stone is still preserved in Monterey, Tennessee.
Standing Stone State Park - Official TN State Park Site
Situated in a remote section of the upper Cumberland Mountains, the 17,372-acre Pickett State Park and Forest possess a combination of scenic, botanical and geological wonders found nowhere else in Tennessee. Of particular interest are the uncommon rock formations, natural bridges, numerous caves and remains of ancient Indian occupation. Some say Pickett is second only to the Great Smoky Mountains in botanical diversity. The park is adjacent to the massive Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area, with more than 100,000 acres of prime wilderness country.
Standing Stone State Park - Official TN State Park Site
A paradise of more than 20,000 acres sprawled across the eastern top of the rugged Cumberland Plateau, Fall Creek Falls State Park is one of the most scenic and spectacular outdoor recreation areas in America. Laced with cascades, gorges, waterfalls, streams, and lush stands of virgin hardwood timber, the park beckons those who enjoy nature at her finest. While Fall Creek Falls, at 256 feet, is the highest waterfall in the eastern United States, other waterfalls in the park are Piney and Cane Creek Falls and Cane Creek Cascades.
The oak and hickory forest that covers most of the park gives way to tulip poplar and hemlock forest in the gorges. The plants and animals of the moist, protected gorges are not unlike the species found in southern Canada. Mountain laurel and rhododendron are abundant throughout the park, as are other plants and animals.
With its many amenities and panoramic natural setting, it is little wonder that Southern Living magazine readers voted Fall Creek Falls the best state park in the Southeastern United States.
The park is located in Bledsoe and Van Buren counties, 11 miles east of Spencer and 18 miles west of Pikeville. It may be entered from Highway 111 or Highway 30.
Standing Stone State Park - Official TN State Park Site
Burgess Falls State Natural Area, located in Middle Tennessee, lies on the eastern edge of Tennessee's Highland Rim adjacent to the Cumberland Plateau and is noted for its natural beauty. Sheer bluffs, narrow ridges, rolling water and abundant mixed forest, characterize this area. The Falling Water River drops approximately 250 feet, providing numerous waterfalls, breathtaking scenery and overlooks. The park is home to over 300 species trees and plants and an abundance of wildlife. Park visitors can visit the large Native Butterfly Garden located adjacent to the upper parking lot.
Standing Stone State Park - Official TN State Park Site
Center Hill Lake is a 64 mile long reservoir consisting of 415 miles of shoreline, and 18,200 acres of deep, pure water for many species of fish. Center Hill Dam is on the Caney Fork River.
Nearly all of the shoreline is undeveloped and natural. Center Hill Lake is owned and managed by the federal government through the US Army Corps of Engineers. There are 3 gorgeous waterfalls and many excellent places to hike, swim, and camp. Also on the lake are 8 marinas, 5 restaurants, 1 state park, 9 Army Corps recreation areas, and the Joe L. Evins Appalachian Center for the Crafts.
In addition to its rare beauty, ULTRA-clear water and unspoiled shoreline, Dale Hollow Lake is one of the nation's premier bass fisheries.
Come float the pristine waters and relax, surrounded by the sounds of nature. There are no McMansions staring you in the face as you cruise the peaceful lake. It feels like you are back in time, back to a virgin forest with an unspoiled lake teeming with fish.