Public Access Birding Sites in Jackson County, Tennessee
If you have information about other public access birding sites in this county, please send details to me at this e-mail address:
Jackson County covers an area of 828 km2 (319.6 mi2). A map of the county—with the some sites noted below coded on it—is available via the following link:
Many small sites falling under the jurisdiction of the Corps of Engineers dot the shores of the Cumberland River/Cordell Hull Lake in Jackson County. One of these near Gainesboro is the Roaring River Recreation Area (RRRA). To get to this site from I-40, take exit 280 and go north on Rt. 56 to Gainesboro; then follow Rt. 53 toward Celina; a mile or two northeast of Gainesboro, look on the right for Rt. 135 going toward Cookeville; take Rt. 135 about a mile and look on the left for the entrances to this site, which is governed by an access fee ($3) most of the year. There is a small beach at one end of this site; an albino mockingbird has been present near the beach for a couple of years (2001-2002+). To view a check-list of birds so far observed at this site, mainly during 2005 by Winston A. Walden as part of Project Parkwatch, click on the red word near the beginning of this sentence.
Another Corps site in Jackson County is located at Holleman's Bend (HOLB) near the pastoral hamlet of Granville. To get to this site from I-40, take exit 273 and go north on Rt. 96 several miles to Rt. 70; go left on Rt. 70 about eight miles to the community of Chestnut Mound; in Chestnut Mound look for Rt. 53 going toward the northeast and take it about five miles to Granville. In Granville cross the main bridge over Martin Creek and go another half mile; you will see a road on the left for Holleman's Bend. A trailhead for a horseback riding trail is located near this intersection. The fields along the trail are good for sparrows in winter and for species that breed in second growth in summer, while the main lake/river out from the bridge is a good spot to look for waterbirds in spring and fall. All along Holleman's Bend Rd. birding may be fairly good, so drive slowly out the three miles or so to the end of the road. Near the end of the road, there is a camping area on the right with a trailhead for a nice horseback riding/hiking trail known as the Wilderness Trail; this trail leads uphill and follows the top of a cliff above the lake/river for quite a ways.
The small, quaint community of Granville (GRAN) offers a fine view of Cordell Hull Lake/Cumberland River from a small park located just west of the large bridge over Martin Creek on Rt. 53. Park in the small paved parking lot (near the Volunteer Fire Department building) accessing the site and walk down to the shore. Scope the lake here, especially examining any exposed islands (mainly in late fall, winter, and early spring) and logjams for waterbirds. Eight Mute Swans frequented this site from late December 2002 until mid-February 2003.
Please send details about any birds you record in these parks—or any public access site in Jackson Co.—to me at the e-mail address noted above. sjs.
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