Middle Fork Bottoms State Park

🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 Tennessee — Tennessee’s newest state park — a 235-acre bottomland along the Middle Fork of the Holston River in Washington County. The park focuses on river access, paddling, and environmental education in the river corridor.

Visitor Information

About Middle Fork Bottoms

Middle Fork Bottoms State Park in Sevier County is one of Tennessee’s newest state parks — protecting bottomland along the Middle Fork of the Little Pigeon River near Gatlinburg and the Great Smoky Mountains. The park preserves critical floodplain habitat in the rapidly developing Sevier County corridor. The bottomland forest here provides a green buffer between Gatlinburg’s tourist district and the national park.

Things to Do

Hiking in the river bottomland, fishing in the Middle Fork, wildlife observation, birdwatching, and enjoying a natural retreat within easy reach of Gatlinburg and the Great Smoky Mountains. A quieter alternative to the bustling tourist area.

About Middle Fork Bottoms

Middle Fork Bottoms State Park in Sevier County provides recreation in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains — the most visited national park in America with 12+ million visitors annually. The Middle Fork of the Little Pigeon River drains the Smokies’ western slopes. Sevier County (home to Dollywood and Pigeon Forge) welcomes more tourists than any county in Tennessee.

Things to Do

Fishing, hiking, wildlife watching, using as a gateway to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and escaping the crowds of nearby Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg.

Insider Tips

Cherokee heritage: Middle Fork Bottoms sits in the Hiwassee River valley — historically Cherokee homeland. Pro tip: The Hiwassee River corridor is one of the best paddling and fishing rivers in Tennessee. Trail of Tears: The Cherokee people were forcibly removed from this region in 1838 — the Trail of Tears passed through nearby areas. Understanding this history adds powerful context to any visit.

Best Time to Visit

Summer: River paddling and swimming. Fall: Cherokee National Forest foliage. Spring: Wildflowers and river fishing. Winter: Quiet hiking and eagle watching.

Frequently Asked Questions

What was the Trail of Tears?

In 1838, the US government forcibly removed approximately 17,000 Cherokee people from their ancestral homeland in Tennessee, Georgia, and the Carolinas. They marched 1,200 miles to Oklahoma in winter — an estimated 4,000 Cherokee died from exposure, disease, and starvation. The Trail of Tears is one of the most tragic chapters in American history.