Not far off the beaten path is a state park that does not receive the credit it deserves. Frozen Head State Park is a very beautiful and often low trafficked park in Wartburg, Tennessee. Recently we visited the park for the first time in years. Honestly, we had forgotten just how beautiful the park was.
The drive into the park is a little worrisome at first because you drive in next to the Morgan County Corrections Department. Prisons have actually been a part of the park from the beginning. The land the park sits on used to be owned by the state for use with Brushy Mountain State Prison. It was not until 1973 that almost all the land used by the prison was transferred to the park. Now that Brushy is open for tours, Frozen Head is a great way to extend your trip and learn more about the area.
Once you pass the correctional complex you will begin to notice just how thick the forest really is. Surprisingly the forest in its current form has only been growing since the fall of 1952. That year the entire forest burned down in the worst fire season in state history. Many of the trees grow together over the road as you make your way into the park.
The facilities at the park are all very impressive. They offer an outdoor stage where they often host events. The visitor center is very nice and the staff that we talked to were super helpful and friendly. I have to mention the bathrooms were very well kept. My only complaint is that they do not offer a free trail map to visitors besides the online version. They do sell a map for about three dollars that’s very detailed, but it would be nice to have a basic one for free. However, the money is used to better the park so I cannot get too upset.
The park also offers two campgrounds both on the river. One seems to be more for RV campers and tent campers in need of power. The other is more suited for off the grid tent camping. Both of them looked very nice and they had a surprising amount of campers at both.
If you want to eat in the park, but you are not looking to spend the night you are still in luck. They have picnic tables galore, all surrounded by trees. Many are even by the river so can enjoy it’s peaceful sounds while you enjoy lunch. If you need an area suitable for large groups you are still in luck. They have a pavilion area that is often used for larger events in the park.
We cannot forget about the little ones. They offer a great looking playground. I cannot speak to how the playground is now, but I did spend a good amount of time in that play area as a child. Growing up just a few miles down the road I would often be brought to this park to burn off all that excess energy. I think sometime LaBre wishes she could take me to the park to burn off energy now. Not only did I play at the park, but I also fell while playing in the river below a few times.
Wild animals are abundant in the park. They have everything from birds and insects to wild boars. They are actually having quite a time with boars right now. We were told that you can often see them in the park. No need to worry because they are not known for attacking people, but they may not be too afraid of you. So far during our visits, we have not seen any, but we would kind of like to.
Frozen Head takes precautions for bear safety. However, they currently do not have any bears that reside in the park full time. They often get used as a pass-through for bears moving across the state. A ranger told us they are not sure why the bears do not stay in the park since they have all the resources that should make bears feel at home. The main theory is that the hogs have become the king of the forest so the bears do not feel there is enough food. They did say they hope that some bears choose to take up residence in the future.
Now on to why we are really interested in visiting Frozen Head. Trails! They offer a ton of hiking trails, you can see the full list here. All the hiking trails are a natural surface. Anyone can find a trail that fits their ability. The difficulty of the trails ranges all the from easy to difficult. Many of the trails connect one to another and allow you to rack up the miles.
One of our favorite hikes starts at the very end of the road that runs through the park and allows you to see several small waterfalls while enjoying the sounds of the river. You are able to read about that more in a coming post. One of the hikes we plan to do in the future is the Lookout Tower Trail, which is said to offer a great view of the mountains. We were told it is even better when the leaves are changing.
Not only can you hike in the park. They also offer one trail for biking. The total length is nine miles and is a fire road that offers a great view of the park. It is rated as an advanced trail though. If horses are more your thing they even have a place for you. I do not know much about it other it is referred to as Riding in the Emory River Valley of Frozen Head State Park. They do not offer camping or facilities for horses though. You can find more information about horseback riding on the park website.
All of this together makes for an excellent park. Frozen Head State Park truly is beautiful and worth a visit. I asked how busy they are on average and the ranger we spoke with said most days are not very busy. He went on to say that when the leaves are in full color the park gets a little busier but still is not very bad. I honestly cannot wait to go back. We have plans to hike many more of the trails and really experiencing all the park has to offer. As always we will share all we learn about the park with our awesome readers.
Thank you so much for reading!
I hope this has inspired you to visit Frozen Head soon! Don’t forget to check us out on social media! We are on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Youtube. For more posts about adventures, click here! Again, thank you for reading! God Bless!
