Chikasaw State Park - Henderson, TN - Tennessee State Parks

CAMPGROUND
There are three campgrounds at Chickasaw State Park. The RV campground has 52 sites, each with water and electrical hookups. The tent campground has 29 sites, and water is available. The wrangler campground is designed for visitors traveling with horses. There are 32 sites, each with water and electrical hookups.
All park campsites have picnic tables and grills. Modern bathhouses provide hot showers and restroom facilities. There is a dump station available in the RV campground. There is a playground in each campground.

CABINS
Chickasaw offers 13 historic Works Progress Administration (WPA) cabins nestled among tall pines and located within easy access to Lake Placid.
Seven of the cabins are one bedroom with two twin beds. A double bed is located in the living area of the cabin. These cabins will accommodate up to 4 people.
The five two bedroom cabins will sleep up to 6 people. One bedroom has a double bed and the other has two twin beds. The couch in the living room contains a fold out queen bed.
The kitchens contain full sized appliances as well as utensils for cooking and serving. All of your bed and bath linens are provided and these items can be exchanged out for new linen by contacting our housekeeping staff.
In the main living area is a wood burning fireplace and wood is provided October to March. The cabin also contains a TV with satellite service and a telephone. Adjacent to the cabin is a deck overlooking the surrounding area as well as a picnic table, fire ring, and grill.

BIKING
Bicycles are allowed on park roads, and cyclists may access miles of additional roads in the adjacent Chickasaw State Forest.
Trail Rating: Intermediate

BIRDING
Mixed hardwood and pine forests cover the majority of the park. Year-round residents include owls, woodpeckers, Carolina chickadee, tufted titmouse, white-breasted nuthatch, Carolina wren, and eastern towhee. Nesting migrants such as orchard oriole, red-eyed vireo, wood thrush, and warblers are common in the forest and forest edges. Placid Lake offers views of Canada geese, mallards, barn swallows, and herons. Open areas are good for robins, bluebirds and killdeer. 100 species of birds have been recorded in the park. For more locations, VIEW FLYER.

BOATING
The park provides boating and fishing opportunities on two, beautiful 54-acre lakes. Lake Placid is located on the main part of the park, while Lake LaJoie is located 8 miles west of the park within the Lake LaJoie Group Camp.
Lake Placid is open to the public. The boat dock is open Memorial Day through the first weekend in August and then, weekends only through October 16.
Personal boats are prohibited, with the exception of canoes and kayaks. Guests may rent jon boats, kayaks, canoes and pedal boats at the boat dock for use on Lake Placid. Jon boats are available year-round and may be rented (full day only) from the park office when the boat dock is closed. Personal canoes and kayaks may be launched from the boat dock, year-round.
Lake LaJoie is open to the public only when the Group Camp is vacant, and the launch of personal boats, including canoes and kayaks, is allowed. Visitors may call the Park Office to check availability.

FISHING
Lake Placid and Lake Lajoie each provide year-round fishing for bass, bream, and catfish. Fish length and creel limits are posted. For information about boat rentals, please see the boating section above.

HIKING
Lakeshore Trail — 1.5 Miles — Natural Surface — Easy
Friends Trail — 1.5 Miles — Natural Surface — Moderate
Forked Pine Trail — 0.7 Miles — Natural Surface — Moderate
Fern Creek Trail — 0.8 Miles — Natural Surface — Easy
Tent Loop — 0.3 Miles — Natural Surface — Easy
Owen’s Spring Trail — 0.8 Miles — Natural Surface — Moderate
Lake Lajoie Trail — 1.3 Miles — Natural Surface — Easy
Public Horse Trail — 0.4 Miles — Natural Surface — Moderate

HORSEBACK RIDING
Chickasaw State Park offers five miles of trails on rental horses or bring your own horse and ride hundreds of miles of trails in the Chickasaw State Forest. Enjoy rustic camping, hook-up to one of 52 RV sites or stay with your horse in the Wrangler Campground at one of 32 sites with electricity and water. Stalls are available at the stables. For cost and hours of the stable, please call 731-609-6562.

INTERPRETIVE PROGRAMMING
Ranger Discoveries
Chickasaw State Park offers opportunities for teachers to help students of all ages develop a depth of understanding for the world around them. The park covers roughly 3,000 years of human history, includes 14,000 acres of land, and provides a variety of healthy and fun outdoor recreational opportunities.
Our educational programming reflects this diversity and provides opportunities for teachers to use the park as a classroom for a teaching tool, both in the classroom and in the field. Rangers are available to lead field trips at the park or present classroom programs at your school, free of charge. Various types of programming, which complement required subject matter required to be taught in Tennessee, are available in the following subject areas: Social Studies, History, Language and Culture, Science and Recreation. For more information contact Ranger Ann Paley at 731-989-5141 or ann.paley@tn.gov
Brewer’s Cabin
This historic cabin, built in 1876, serves as a reminder of days-gone-by. Originally built in the Roby Community by O.B. Fields and his wife, Clearandie Stanfill Fields, the cabin was donated to the park by Ruby Nell and Max Brewer and is open for scheduled tours.
Sagamore Lodge
Built by the RA and WPA in 1936-37, Sagamore Lodge is an impressive stone and brick building overlooking the lake. It was the park’s center for dances, lectures, dinners, and evening gatherings with Square Dancing being especially popular. The lodge interior is a splendid example of late Arts and Crafts styling as practiced by New Deal agencies in the 1930s. Centered on the stone fireplace is a metal plaque with the words “Chickasaw Forest and RA,” a reminder of the park’s roots as a land-use reclamation project. This historic building continues to be a popular gathering place for many park guests today and is used for weddings, family reunions and meetings.
Aviary
Come meet our winged friends, Chester and Henry, and learn all about Birds of Prey! Our Barred Owl and Red-Tailed Hawk are viewable from the road at the Aviary across from the Park Office and are also available for Interpretive Programs on and off site.
Annual Events - View our event calendar for details.
October – Arts and Crafts Festival: Mark your calendars! This annual festival is a regional favorite featuring handmade goods for sale. Free to public. $35 for vendors. Food and drink available.
October – Frontier Days: the weekend is filled with frontier spirit and a variety of competitions including a lumberjack competition, at’l at’l throwing competition, and horse show. A variety of craft demonstrations and programs are offered to entertain and enlighten both young and old. Free to public.
December – Lighting of the Park: this annual event is a family favorite. Drive through the park and enjoy the scenery illuminated by thousands of Christmas Lights. It’s rumored that Santa makes a special appearance! Free to public, but donations are accepted.

SWIMMING
The picturesque sand swimming beach on the shore of Lake Placid is very popular with visitors. It is open seasonally from 8 a.m. until sunset. Swimming is free of charge. There are no lifeguards on duty and swimming is at your own risk.