Frozen Head State Park - Wartburg, TN - Tennessee State Parks

BIG COVE CAMPING AREA - RESERVATIONS REQUIRED
Twenty rustic campsites are scattered throughout the Big Cove Camping area. Visitors will find a modern bathhouse that provides hot showers. A centrally located water faucet is provided for drinking water and a sink basin behind the bathhouse is provided for dish washing. Each campsite is equipped with a parking slip, picnic table, grill, lantern hanger and fire ring. Electricity, water hookups and dump stations are not available at Frozen Head.
Two group sites, #5 & #18, with a capacity of 15 to 20 people are available in the Big Cove Campground and may be reserved on-line or by calling the park office up to a year in advance. The Big Cove Campground is open from March 15th to November 1st.

GROUP FACILITIES
Frozen Head Stage Area
Rates: $75
Taxes and fees are not included. Rates subject to change.
The Frozen Head Stage Area is great for weddings, concerts, and other group functions. This space contains a covered stage surrounded by an open field that is approximately one acre. This area has electrical outlets and twelve picnic tables. There are restroom facilities in the Visitor Center across the road for your guests’ convenience. Reservations for the Stage Area can be made one year in advance by calling the park office.

Frozen Head Amphitheatre
Rates: $40
Taxes and fees are not included. Rates subject to change.
The Frozen Head Amphitheatre is a beautiful 150-seat venue that is perfect for your next event. The rental of this private amphitheatre includes access to Pavilion B, which is a covered picnic shelter that seats 60 people. The amphitheatre is equipped with a projector and screen. Both the amphitheatre and the pavilion have access to electrical outlets. The restrooms for this area is a short walk across the bridge to the Pavilion A restrooms.
Reservations can be made on-line at http://tnstateparks.com/parks/pavilions/frozen-head-pavilions or by calling the park office.

PAVILIONS
Rates: $40 — $55
Taxes and fees are not included. Rates subject to change.
Frozen Head State Park has 3 picnic shelters/pavilions that may be reserved for your next event or gathering. Depending on the shelter, the maximum capacity ranges from 60 to 80 people. The shelters are equipped with picnic tables, a grill and access to restrooms.
Full day shelter reservations may be made online or by calling the park. If you are interested in reserving a shelter for less than a full day, please contact the park office for availability information.
Picnic shelters or pavilions may be reserved online up to one year in advance with a paid reservation fee. There is a $3.00 cancellation fee for picnic shelter or pavilion reservations cancelled 8 days or more in advance of the reserved date. Reservations cancelled 7 days or less in advance of the reserved date forfeit all paid fees.

BIRDING
The Audubon Society recognizes Frozen Head as part of the South Cumberland Mountains Important Bird Area. Important Bird Areas, or IBA’s are sites that provide essential habitat for one or more species of bird.

Frozen Head supports high breeding populations of several Neotropical migrant birds, including the cerulean warbler, as well as breeding populations of a few high elevation species which are rare in Tennessee outside of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Acadian flycatcher, blue-gray gnatcatcher, northern parula and yellow-throated warbler and Louisiana waterthrush are common during spring and summer along the creek. Swainson's warblers have also occurred in this area. Check the fields and field edges for brown thrasher, American robin, and Eastern bluebird. Eastern wood pewee, red-eyed vireo and yellow-throated vireo, wood thrush, black-and-white warbler, ovenbird and scarlet tanager are common in the roadside forests. Cerulean warbler can occasionally be seen - or more often heard - from the main park road. They are much more numerous along many of the park's hiking trails. The park's breeding populations of veery, chestnut-sided warbler, black-throated blue warbler, blackburnian warbler, Canada warbler and rose-breasted grosbeak are only observable by hiking to higher elevations. Ruffed grouse can often be seen from the parks many hiking trails. The Natural Area is within the Cumberland Mountains Important Bird Area. Over 130 species of birds have been observed throughout the year.
BIKING
The parks trail system is for hikers only but a nine mile fire road offers a great view of the park all while climbing to the parks high point.
Trail Length: 9 miles
Trail Rating: Advanced

FISHING
We are happy to report that we have received the first stocking of trout in Flat Fork Creek!
Flat Fork Creek flows through the park and is stocked with Rainbow Trout each spring. Fishing is allowed anywhere below DeBord Waterfall down to the park entrance. A TWRA trout stamp is required. The park does not rent boats nor does it have a boat launch ramp.

HIKING
Bird Mountain Trail — 4.0 Miles — Natural Surface — Difficult
Chimney Top Trail — 6.6 Miles — Natural Surface — Difficult
Coffin Spring Trail — 0.8 Miles — Natural Surface — Easy
Emory Gap Trail to Falls — 0.5 Miles — Natural Surface — Easy
Fodderstack Mountain Trail — 1.6 Miles — Natural Surface — Moderate
Interpretive Trail — 0.5 Miles — Natural Surface — Easy
Judge Branch Trail — 1.2 Miles — Natural Surface — Easy
Lookout Tower Trail (116 side) — 2.0 Miles — Natural Surface — Moderate
Lookout Tower Trail (Big Cove) — 6.9 Miles — Natural Surface — Moderate
North Bird Mountain Trail — 7.0 Miles — Natural Surface — Difficult
North Old Mac Trail — 3.3 Miles — Natural Surface — Moderate
Old Mac Trail — 0.3 Miles — Natural Surface — Easy
Old Prison Mine Trail — 0.1 Miles — Natural Surface — Easy
Panther Branch Trail — 2.1 Miles — Natural Surface — Moderate
Panther Gap Rockhouse Trail — 0.1 Miles — Natural Surface — Easy
Spicewood Trail — 2.5 Miles — Natural Surface — Difficult
South Old Mac Trail — 2.4 Miles — Natural Surface — Moderate
Visitor’s Center Trail — 0.3 Miles — Natural Surface — Easy

HORSEBACK RIDING
Horseback riding is only offered in the Emory River Valley of Frozen Head State Park. (Riding is no longer offered in the Flat Fork Valley area.) There are no overnight facilities or camping for horses in the Emory River Valley of the State Park. Visitors must bring their own horses. Trailers should be unloaded and parked in the Gate # 5 area of the State Park known as the Emory River Headwaters Trail Head. Horseback riders may access all roads and trails located on the State Park & Conservation Easement property.
Horse Health: Note that proof of a negative Coggins Test for Swamp Fever is required to bring horses into the Emory River Valley of Frozen Head State Park .