Public Access Birding Sites in Pickett 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:
Pickett County covers an area of 452 km2 (174.6 mi2). A map of the county—with the some sites noted below coded on it—is available via the following link:
Pickett State Park and Forest (PSP) is by far the best birding site available in this small Tennessee county. Get to the park by driving north from Jamestown (Fentress County) on Rt. 154 about 18 km (12 mi) from Rt. 127. After you cross the park boundary, the first site that can be birded easily is Hazard Cave on the left; a short trail leads to this rather spectacular "rock house." The main picnic area in the park is located on down the road a bit near the visitor center and campground); it contains a small, impounded lake; this area is occasionally productive of a few waterbirds in early morning, but the main attraction of the park is its woodland birding.
The Hidden Passage Trail, a 15-km loop, offers fine woodland birding for those who like to do their birding on the hoof; Swainson's Warblers are sometimes found along this trail. A side trail off of the Hidden Passage Trail will take you through an old railroad tunnel (bring flashlight!) in case you want to do some nocturnal birding during the day. Get to the trailhead for this trail by going north from the visitor center about 2 km (1 mi); look on the right for a very small parking area that is the trailhead.
The article about Pickett State Park by Hassler and Hassler (1978) is still a very useful guide to this fine birding site.
Pickett State Park adjoins the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area, part of which lies in Pickett Co. along Divide Rd., which can be accessed from Rt. 154 just a couple of km (1 mi) south of the park boundary.
The Cordell Hull Memorial State Park and Museum (CHMSP), located along Rt. 325 (Cordell Hull Memorial Dr.), offers an opportunity for woodland birding along a new 1-km (0.5-mi) long nature trail to Bunkum Cave (the site of a whiskey still operated by Hull's father), located across Rt. 325 from the main parking lot for this facility.
Get to this site from Rt. 111; after you pass over the bridge across Dale Hollow Lake, go about 2 miles and look on the left for Rt. 325 (just before a Shell gas station and convenience store); take Rt. 325 left and go about 2–3 km (1–1.5 mi) to the park on the right.
The Obey River Recreation Area (ORRA) on Dale Hollow Lake just west of where Rt. 111 crosses the lake is a good place to scan for waterbirds during the part of the year when this facility is closed (November through March). Eagles are occasionally sighted here, as well as various ducks, grebes, shorebirds, and gulls. Further information about Dale Hollow Lake may be found via this link:
Formerly known as the Obey River Park, the Obey River Recreation Area is mentioned by Hassler and Hassler (1972), who provide details about a "birding trail" (i.e., auto route) that can be followed in western Pickett County; the birding trail ends at the Obey River Recreation Area.
Please send details about any birds you record in these parks—or any public access site in Pickett Co.—to me at the e-mail address noted above. sjs.
Literature Cited
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