Tennessee Dedicates 54th State Park at Cummins Falls

Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation Commissioner Bob Martineau will join members of the General Assembly, local elected officials and members of the community today for a dedication ceremony announcing the newly created Cummins Falls State Park. The new state park will serve as the 54th addition to the Tennessee State Parks system.

Located on the beautiful Blackburn Fork State Scenic River, this idyllic 211-acre site in Jackson County is home to Tennessee’s eighth largest waterfall at 75 feet high. Cummins Falls is formed on the Eastern Highland Rim and has been a favorite scenic spot and swimming hole for residents of Jackson and Putman counties for more than 100 years. Cummins Falls also has been listed as one of the ten best swimming holes in the United States by Travel and Leisure magazine.

Located in the Cordell Hull watershed, Cummins Falls’ forest includes a variety of oaks, beech, buckeye, sycamore and hemlock trees. The property’s forested streamside protects turkey, quail and eagles, as well as a variety of fox and mink. Through a cooperative agreement with the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, fishing for bluegill and bass along the riverbank will be permitted with a Tennessee fishing license. The park will be a day-use park and will be open from 8 a.m. until sunset year-round.

The addition of the new park at Cummins Fall was made possible through the leadership of Gov. Haslam, the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency and through the very generous support of the Tennessee Parks and Greenways Foundation. Other key partners include the Nature Conservancy’s Tennessee Chapter, the Cummins Family, the State Lands Acquisition Fund and the Tennessee Department of Transportation.

For more information on today's ceremony, please click here.


Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com