Big Cypress Hiking Trails | Tennessee State Parks

A group of people hike along a lush, narrow forest trail surrounded by vibrant green foliage. The scene conveys a sense of adventure and camaraderie.

Hiking at Big Cypress Tree 

The park offers a paved tree identification trail and a short boardwalk trail into the seasonally flooded hardwood bottomland forest.

Trails

Hunter's Trail

Big Cypress Tree State Park

Distance

0.25 mi.

Difficulty

—

Surface

Natural

Availability
Open

Allowed
Hiking
Paved Path

Big Cypress Tree State Park

Distance

0.55 mi.

Difficulty

Easy

Surface

Paved

Availability
Open

Allowed
Hiking wheelchair
Paved Path to Boardwalk

Big Cypress Tree State Park

Distance

0.15 mi.

Difficulty

Moderate

Surface

Paved

Availability
Open

Allowed
Hiking wheelchair

Paved Path to Boardwalk

Big Cypress Tree State Park

Distance

0.15 mi.

Difficulty

Moderate

Surface

Paved

Allowed

Hiking wheelchair

Trail Type

Information unavailable

Elevation

Gain 17.80'

Loss 17.30'

Grade

Typical 1.5%

Max 5.6%

Cross Slope

Typical 1.9%

Max 6.1%

Tread Width

Typical 71"

Minimum 60"

Surface Type

Asphalt 100%

Obstructions Exist

Grate: 1 in tall; Grate: 1 in tall
River Trail Boardwalk

Big Cypress Tree State Park

Distance

0.20 mi.

Difficulty

Moderate

Surface

Natural

Availability
Open

Allowed
Hiking

River Trail Boardwalk

Big Cypress Tree State Park

Distance

0.20 mi.

Difficulty

Moderate

Surface

Natural

Allowed

Hiking

Trail Type

Information unavailable

Elevation

Gain 3.20'

Loss 6.70'

Grade

Typical 0.9%

Max 6.2%

Cross Slope

Typical 0.5%

Max 1.6%

Tread Width

Typical 85"

Minimum 85"

Surface Type

Wood decking 100%

Obstructions Exist

No obstructions present

Trail Definitions

Cross Slope 

Describes the degree of incline from one side of the trail path to the other; measured as a percentage. Cross slope aids in water drainage and impacts the overall trail stability.  
Grade 

Describes the rise in elevation over a horizontal distance on the trail; measured as a percentage.  Higher percentages represent a steeper grade indicating a more challenging ascent or descent for hikers.   
Standard Ramp Grade

Serves as a reference guide for the grade of the trail.  Standard Ramp Grade is 8.3% across all trail assessments. 
Surface 

A characteristic of the trail expressed in terms of material type, grading, compaction, and roughness of the path. Possible surface types include soil, gravel, paved, and mulch.  
Tread Width 

Represents the horizontal distance from one edge of the trail path to the other; measurements can vary.  Tread width helps to determine the amount of space a hiker has to pass through. Obstacles on the trail can alter the remaining tread width.  
Trail Types: Loop

Trail returns at or near the point from which you started.
Trail Types: Network

Offers multiple route options within one trail, and each route is connected
Trail Types: Out and Back

This type of trail travels out to an endpoint where hikers turn around and travel back to the starting point.  
Trail Types: Stacked Loop

A loop trail contained completely within another trail.

Boardwalk Trail

The 1,142-foot-long boardwalk trail leads the visitor into the park’s seasonally flooded hardwood bottomland forest. The boardwalk trail consists of boardwalk surfaces.

At the end of the paved portion are some stairs which lead to the natural surface part of the trail. The natural surface portion is not open late winter through early spring (January - April) due to the swampy conditions. The paved portion is ADA-compliant.