Big Ridge Bird Watching | Tennessee State Parks

Colorful wood duck standing on a mossy log in a pond.

Birding at Big Ridge 

Common loons sometimes visit during the winter and can be seen on Norris Lake.

The trails are good places to see migratory birds in the spring and fall. Over 110 species of birds have been observed here throughout the year, but the fall is the most popular time.

Featured Birds

Great Blue Heron
Bald Eagle
Osprey
Belted Kingfisher
Wood Duck
Canada Goose
Red-tailed Hawk
Bald Eagle
Gull
Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Common Loon
Red-shouldered Hawk
Great Horned Owl
Warblers
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Hermit Thrush
Carolina Wren
Dark-eyed Junco
Eastern Towhee
American Woodcock
Goldfinch
Carolina Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
Northern Cardinal
Eastern Bluebird
Blue Jay
Red-tailed Hawk

Responsible Birding

Do not endanger the welfare of birds.
Tread lightly and respect bird habitat.
Silence is golden.
Do not use electronic sound devices to attract birds during nesting season, May-July.
Take extra care when in a nesting area.
Always respect the law and the rights of others, violators subject to prosecution.
Do not trespass on private property.
Avoid pointing your binoculars at other people or their homes.
Limit group sizes in areas that are not conducive to large crowds.

Birding Locations

A hiking map is available at the park.

Lake Trail

Featured birds: Great Blue Heron, Bald Eagle, Osprey, Belted Kingfisher, Wood Duck

This 1.5-mile (distance one way) easy to moderate trail meanders around one side of the 49-acre Big Ridge Lake. It crosses Big Ridge Dam, which was constructed in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corp. The young men of the CCC are responsible for building the dam and many of the other structures in the park. This trail is an excellent one for viewing wildlife such as deer, frogs, heron, wood ducks and much more. If you like, you can also make a stop at the Snodderly Cemetery where many of the area's earlier inhabitants are buried. You can return along the same trail, or take a slightly shorter walk along the park road back to your origination point.
Fisherman’s Trail

Featured birds: Bald Eagle, Belted Kingfisher, Gull, Woodpecker, Northern Flicker

This short and easy trail begins near the back entrance of the park and takes you to an area of Norris Lake known as Poor Land Valley. 
Big Valley Trail

Featured birds: Red-shouldered Hawk, Great Horned Owl, Warblers, Woodpecker, Golden-crowned Kinglet

The 1.7-mile Big Valley Trail starts near the gristmill and takes you to the start of the Indian Rock Loop, passing the Ghost House Loop Trail and the Dark Hollow trails along the way. The trail is a strenuous hike that travels a road once used by many of this area's earlier settlers as they hauled corn down to the Norton Gristmill. The trail traverses Pinnacle Ridge, descends into Dark Hollow and then climbs to the top of Big Ridge. It passes Langley Cemetery, where the only modern gravestone marks the resting place of young Edward Loy, who died in 1932 at the age of five. Several species of spring wildflowers can be seen along the entire trail, including pink lady's slippers, yellow star grass, crested dwarf iris and many others.
Softball Field

Featured birds: American Woodcock, Goldfinch, Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Northern Cardinal

This site offers both open field and edge habitat. You can often see American woodcocks perform their aerial displays here at dusk during late winter and early spring.