{"id":419,"date":"2021-05-25T13:00:40","date_gmt":"2021-05-25T13:00:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/norrislakeproject.com\/nats\/?page_id=419"},"modified":"2026-03-04T17:34:27","modified_gmt":"2026-03-04T17:34:27","slug":"big-ridge-state-park","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/norrislakeproject.com\/nats\/the-trails\/big-ridge-state-park\/","title":{"rendered":"Big Ridge State Park"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-page\" data-elementor-id=\"419\" class=\"elementor elementor-419\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-4b76dc5 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"4b76dc5\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-66 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-21f092b\" data-id=\"21f092b\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-603f2eee elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"603f2eee\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2><strong><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Big Ridge State Park<\/span><\/strong><\/h2><p>1015 Big Ridge Park Rd, Maynardville<br \/><a href=\"tel:865-992-5523\">865-992-5523<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/tnstateparks.com\/assets\/pdf\/additional-content\/park-maps\/Big_Ridge_web.png\">Trail Map\u00a0<\/a><\/p><p>Located on the shorelines of Norris Lake and on the footprint of the historic Sharp\u2019s Fort, Big Ridge State Park offers a wide array of recreational activities for all ages.\u00a0 The park\u2019s 16.5-mile trail system will take you to where the fort stood, the historical site where settler Peter Graves was attacked and killed by the local Cherokee Indians in 1794 and the Norton Gristmill that was built in 1825. Be sure to check out the Ghost Trail. There are guided hikes led by rangers or you can explore on your own. In addition to having access to Norris Lake, the park has a 49-acre lake that is great for paddling and fishing.<\/p><p>Trails are open year round and overnight camping is allowed on designated backcountry campsites located on Indian Rock Trail and Dark Hollow Trail. Backcountry campsites are by\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/tnstateparks.com\/parks\/campground\/big-ridge\">reservation only<\/a>.<\/p><h3><a href=\"https:\/\/tnstateparks.com\/parks\/activity-detail\/big-ridge-hiking\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Click Here for Specific Trail Information<\/strong><\/a><\/h3>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-33 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-c574775\" data-id=\"c574775\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5625b65 elementor-widget elementor-widget-spacer\" data-id=\"5625b65\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"spacer.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer-inner\"><\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-02a7b5c elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"02a7b5c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Park Amenities<br \/><\/strong><\/h3><hr \/><ul><li style=\"text-align: left;\">15 miles of hiking trails<\/li><li>1.5 multi-use trail\u00a0<\/li><li style=\"text-align: left;\">campground with electrical and water hookups<\/li><li style=\"text-align: left;\">cabins<\/li><li style=\"text-align: left;\">swimming area<\/li><li style=\"text-align: left;\">picnic area<\/li><li style=\"text-align: left;\">kayak and SUP rentals<\/li><li style=\"text-align: left;\">boat ramp<\/li><li style=\"text-align: left;\">Programs conducted by park rangers<\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-66e263f elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"66e263f\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-d19ea2d\" data-id=\"d19ea2d\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6a8f24d elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"6a8f24d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"color: #333333;\">In 2025, Big Ridge State Park opened the Lyon\u2019s Loop Trail, a 1.5 Miles Multi-Use Trail. <\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"color: #333333;\">This 1.5-mile multi-use trail is the park\u2019s first mountain biking trail. The trail contains some twists and turns as well as inclines and declines through the hardwood forest. The trail is named for its proximity to Lyon\u2019s Spring Branch, and it runs along property that was owned by Mrs. Calvin Lyons before TVA acquired the land. The trail is wide enough to be used by both bikers and hikers, but hikers should always yield to the bikers while on this trail. The parking lot for the trail is located approximately .5 miles east of the main park entrance, off State Highway 61 W. The gate opens at 9:00 AM daily (weather permitting) and closes 30 minutes before sunset.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-7a847d1e elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"7a847d1e\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-6cb22f85\" data-id=\"6cb22f85\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Big Ridge State Park 1015 Big Ridge Park Rd, Maynardville865-992-5523 | Trail Map\u00a0 Located on the shorelines of Norris Lake and on the footprint of the historic Sharp\u2019s Fort, Big Ridge State Park offers a wide array of recreational activities <span class=\"excerpt-dots\">&hellip;<\/span> <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/norrislakeproject.com\/nats\/the-trails\/big-ridge-state-park\/\"><span class=\"more-msg\">Continue reading &rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":407,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-419","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/norrislakeproject.com\/nats\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/419","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/norrislakeproject.com\/nats\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/norrislakeproject.com\/nats\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/norrislakeproject.com\/nats\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/norrislakeproject.com\/nats\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=419"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/norrislakeproject.com\/nats\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/419\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1220,"href":"https:\/\/norrislakeproject.com\/nats\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/419\/revisions\/1220"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/norrislakeproject.com\/nats\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/407"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/norrislakeproject.com\/nats\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=419"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}