Every one of Tennessee’s 65 state park units lists free entry. The Tennessee State Parks FAQ says no access fee is charged at any state park. What does cost money is the extras: camping, cabins, shelters, tours and some activity permits. Fees and rules below were read from tnstateparks.com on 2026-10-19.
What costs money
| Item | Where it applies |
|---|---|
| Entry | Free at all 65 units. |
| Cummins Falls State Park | A Gorge Access Permit is required to visit the base of the waterfall; the permit price is not on the park page. |
| Dunbar Cave State Park | Guided cave tours run May to September only; the tour price is not on the park page. |
| Camping, cabins, shelters, reservations | Charged separately; each park page lists what applies. |
Source: Tennessee State Parks FAQ, read 2026-10-19.
Entry and dogs, park by park
| Park | City | County | Region | Entry (checked 2026-10-19) | Dogs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bicentennial Capitol Mall | Nashville | Davidson | Nashville Area | Free | Leashed or crated; not in lodges, cabins, eating places or swim beaches |
| Big Cypress Tree Park | Greenfield | Weakley | Memphis & West Tennessee | Free | Leashed or crated; not in lodges, cabins, eating places or swim beaches |
| Big Hill Pond State Park | Pocahontas | Hardeman | Memphis & West Tennessee | Free | Leashed or crated; not in lodges, cabins, eating places or swim beaches |
| Big Ridge State Park | Maynardville | Union | Knoxville Area | Free | Leashed or crated; not in lodges, cabins, eating places or swim beaches |
| Bledsoe Creek State Park | Gallatin | Sumner | Nashville Area | Free | Leashed or crated; not in lodges, cabins, eating places or swim beaches |
| Booker T. Washington State Park | Chattanooga | Hamilton | Chattanooga & Southeast | Free | Leashed or crated; not in lodges, cabins, eating places or swim beaches |
| Burgess Falls State Park | Baxter | Putnam | Upper Cumberland & Plateau | Free | Leashed or crated; not in lodges, cabins, eating places or swim beaches |
| Cardwell Mountain State Archaeological Park | not stated (page address is the Nashville HQ; page says park is in Warren County) | Warren | Upper Cumberland & Plateau | Free | Leashed or crated; not in lodges, cabins, eating places or swim beaches |
| Cedars of Lebanon State Park | Lebanon | Wilson | Nashville Area | Free | Leashed or crated; not in lodges, cabins, eating places or swim beaches |
| Cherokee Trail of Tears State Park | Birchwood | Meigs | Chattanooga & Southeast | Free | Leashed or crated; not in lodges, cabins, eating places or swim beaches |
| Chickasaw State Park | Henderson | Chester | Memphis & West Tennessee | Free | Leashed or crated; not in lodges, cabins, eating places or swim beaches |
| Cordell Hull Birthplace State Park | Byrdstown | Pickett | Upper Cumberland & Plateau | Free | Leashed or crated; not in lodges, cabins, eating places or swim beaches |
| Cove Lake State Park | Caryville | Campbell | Knoxville Area | Free | Leashed or crated; not in lodges, cabins, eating places or swim beaches |
| Cumberland Mountain State Park | Crossville | Cumberland | Upper Cumberland & Plateau | Free | Leashed or crated; not in lodges, cabins, eating places or swim beaches |
| Cummins Falls State Park | Cookeville | Jackson | Upper Cumberland & Plateau | Free; permit or tour fees apply (see note) | Leashed or crated; not in lodges, cabins, eating places or swim beaches |
| David Crockett Birthplace State Park | Limestone | Greene | Tri-Cities & Northeast | Free | Leashed or crated; not in lodges, cabins, eating places or swim beaches |
| David Crockett State Park | Lawrenceburg | Lawrence | Southern Middle Tennessee | Free | Leashed or crated; not in lodges, cabins, eating places or swim beaches |
| Devil's Backbone State Park | Hohenwald | Lewis | Southern Middle Tennessee | Free | Leashed or crated; not in lodges, cabins, eating places or swim beaches |
| Dunbar Cave State Park | Clarksville | Montgomery | Nashville Area | Free; permit or tour fees apply (see note) | Leashed or crated; not in lodges, cabins, eating places or swim beaches |
| Edgar Evins State Park | Silver Point | DeKalb | Upper Cumberland & Plateau | Free | Leashed or crated; not in lodges, cabins, eating places or swim beaches |
| Fall Creek Falls State Park | Spencer | Van Buren | Upper Cumberland & Plateau | Free | Leashed or crated; not in lodges, cabins, eating places or swim beaches |
| Fiery Gizzard State Park | Monteagle | Marion | Chattanooga & Southeast | Free | Leashed or crated; not in lodges, cabins, eating places or swim beaches |
| Fort Loudoun State Historic Park | Vonore | Monroe | Chattanooga & Southeast | Free | Leashed or crated; not in lodges, cabins, eating places or swim beaches |
| Fort Pillow State Historic Park | Henning | Lauderdale | Memphis & West Tennessee | Free | Leashed or crated; not in lodges, cabins, eating places or swim beaches |
| Frozen Head State Park | Wartburg | Morgan | Knoxville Area | Free | Leashed or crated; not in lodges, cabins, eating places or swim beaches |
| Harpeth River State Park | Kingston Springs | Cheatham | Nashville Area | Free | Leashed or crated; not in lodges, cabins, eating places or swim beaches |
| Harrison Bay State Park | Harrison | Hamilton | Chattanooga & Southeast | Free | Leashed or crated; not in lodges, cabins, eating places or swim beaches |
| Head of the Crow State Park | Sewanee | Franklin | Southern Middle Tennessee | Free | Leashed or crated; not in lodges, cabins, eating places or swim beaches |
| Henry Horton State Park | Chapel Hill | Marshall | Southern Middle Tennessee | Free | Leashed or crated; not in lodges, cabins, eating places or swim beaches |
| Hiwassee River State Park | Delano | Polk | Chattanooga & Southeast | Free | Leashed or crated; not in lodges, cabins, eating places or swim beaches |
| Indian Mountain State Park | Jellico | Campbell | Knoxville Area | Free | Leashed or crated; not in lodges, cabins, eating places or swim beaches |
| Johnsonville State Historic Park | New Johnsonville | Humphreys | Nashville Area | Free | Leashed or crated; not in lodges, cabins, eating places or swim beaches |
| Justin P. Wilson Cumberland Trail | Pikeville | Bledsoe | Chattanooga & Southeast | Free | Leashed or crated; not in lodges, cabins, eating places or swim beaches |
| Lamar Alexander Rocky Fork | Flag Pond | Unicoi | Tri-Cities & Northeast | Free | Leashed or crated; not in lodges, cabins, eating places or swim beaches |
| Long Hunter State Park | Hermitage | Davidson | Nashville Area | Free | Leashed or crated; not in lodges, cabins, eating places or swim beaches |
| Meeman-Shelby Forest State Park | Millington | Shelby | Memphis & West Tennessee | Free | Leashed or crated; not in lodges, cabins, eating places or swim beaches |
| Middle Fork Bottoms | Humboldt | Gibson | Memphis & West Tennessee | Free | Leashed or crated; not in lodges, cabins, eating places or swim beaches |
| Montgomery Bell State Park | Burns | Dickson | Nashville Area | Free | Leashed or crated; not in lodges, cabins, eating places or swim beaches |
| Mousetail Landing State Park | Linden | Perry | Southern Middle Tennessee | Free | Leashed or crated; not in lodges, cabins, eating places or swim beaches |
| Natchez Trace State Park | Wildersville | Henderson | Memphis & West Tennessee | Free | Leashed or crated; not in lodges, cabins, eating places or swim beaches |
| Nathan Bedford Forrest State Park | Eva | Benton | Memphis & West Tennessee | Free | Leashed or crated; not in lodges, cabins, eating places or swim beaches |
| Norris Dam State Park | Rocky Top | Anderson | Knoxville Area | Free | Leashed or crated; not in lodges, cabins, eating places or swim beaches |
| North Chickamauga Creek Gorge | Soddy Daisy | Hamilton | Chattanooga & Southeast | Free | Leashed or crated; not in lodges, cabins, eating places or swim beaches |
| Ocoee River State Park | Delano | Polk | Chattanooga & Southeast | Free | Leashed or crated; not in lodges, cabins, eating places or swim beaches |
| Old Stone Fort State Archaeological Park | Manchester | Coffee | Southern Middle Tennessee | Free | Leashed or crated; not in lodges, cabins, eating places or swim beaches |
| Panther Creek State Park | Morristown | Hamblen | Knoxville Area | Free | Leashed or crated; not in lodges, cabins, eating places or swim beaches |
| Paris Landing State Park | Buchanan | Henry | Memphis & West Tennessee | Free | Leashed or crated; not in lodges, cabins, eating places or swim beaches |
| Pickett CCC Memorial State Park | Jamestown | Fentress | Upper Cumberland & Plateau | Free | Leashed or crated; not in lodges, cabins, eating places or swim beaches |
| Pickwick Landing State Park | Counce | Hardin | Memphis & West Tennessee | Free | Leashed or crated; not in lodges, cabins, eating places or swim beaches |
| Pinson Mounds State Archaeological Park | Pinson | Madison | Memphis & West Tennessee | Free | Leashed or crated; not in lodges, cabins, eating places or swim beaches |
| Port Royal State Historic Park | Adams | Robertson | Nashville Area | Free | Leashed or crated; not in lodges, cabins, eating places or swim beaches |
| Radnor Lake State Natural Area | Nashville | Davidson | Nashville Area | Free | Only on Otter Creek Road, Hall Drive and the dam; no off-trail use |
| Red Clay State Historic Park | Cleveland | Bradley | Chattanooga & Southeast | Free | Leashed or crated; not in lodges, cabins, eating places or swim beaches |
| Reelfoot Lake State Park | Tiptonville | Lake | Memphis & West Tennessee | Free | Leashed or crated; not in lodges, cabins, eating places or swim beaches |
| Roan Mountain State Park | Roan Mountain | Carter | Tri-Cities & Northeast | Free | Leashed or crated; not in lodges, cabins, eating places or swim beaches |
| Rock Island State Park | Rock Island | Warren | Upper Cumberland & Plateau | Free | Leashed or crated; not in lodges, cabins, eating places or swim beaches |
| Savage Gulf State Natural Area | Beersheba Springs | Grundy | Upper Cumberland & Plateau | Free | Leashed or crated; not in lodges, cabins, eating places or swim beaches |
| Scotts Gulf Wilderness | Sparta | Van Buren | Upper Cumberland & Plateau | Free | Leashed or crated; not in lodges, cabins, eating places or swim beaches |
| Seven Islands State Birding Park | Kodak | Knox | Knoxville Area | Free | Leashed or crated; not in lodges, cabins, eating places or swim beaches |
| Sgt. Alvin C. York State Historic Park | Pall Mall | Fentress | Upper Cumberland & Plateau | Free | Leashed or crated; not in lodges, cabins, eating places or swim beaches |
| Standing Stone State Park | Hilham | Overton | Upper Cumberland & Plateau | Free | Leashed or crated; not in lodges, cabins, eating places or swim beaches |
| Sycamore Shoals State Historic Park | Elizabethton | Carter | Tri-Cities & Northeast | Free | Leashed or crated; not in lodges, cabins, eating places or swim beaches |
| T.O. Fuller State Park | Memphis | Shelby | Memphis & West Tennessee | Free | Leashed or crated; not in lodges, cabins, eating places or swim beaches |
| Tims Ford State Park | Winchester | Franklin | Southern Middle Tennessee | Free | Leashed or crated; not in lodges, cabins, eating places or swim beaches |
| Warriors' Path State Park | Kingsport | Sullivan | Tri-Cities & Northeast | Free | Leashed or crated; not in lodges, cabins, eating places or swim beaches |
Counties come from each park’s address city for 53 of the 65 units because most park pages do not state a county; trails such as the Cumberland Trail cross several counties. Regions are this site’s own eight groupings, based on the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development’s area names and the state’s three Grand Divisions.
Dogs
The statewide policy lets pets in if they are leashed, crated or otherwise under physical restrictive control. They are not allowed in lodges and cabins (except designated pet rooms), public eating places, food stores or designated swimming beaches and pools. Parks may post no-pet trail areas, and Radnor Lake State Natural Area limits dogs to a few named roads. Source: Tennessee State Parks policies.
Are Tennessee state parks free?
Yes. Entry is free at every state park. Camping, cabins, tours and some activity permits cost extra.
Do Tennessee state parks have stroller rules?
The park pages we read do not state stroller rules, so we have not listed any. Call the park office before you go.
Do I need a pass to visit a Tennessee state park?
Not for entry. Some activities, such as the Cummins Falls gorge, need a permit.
Looking for something to do nearby? Browse events by region.
Sources: tnstateparks.com park pages, read 2026-10-19. See our editorial standards.
Cite this page: It's Tennessee, “Tennessee State Parks: Free Entry, Fees and Dog Rules”, itstennessee.com/state-parks-passport/ (updated ). By the It's Tennessee editorial team. Free to quote with attribution and a link to this page; data and tables are licensed CC BY 4.0.