Frozen Head Birding

Warning Alert

Renovations at Frozen Head State Park

Frozen Head State Park

Frozen Head State Park is undergoing several major renovations. As construction progresses, we will keep you updated on which sections have reopened. We thank you for your patience and understanding. If you have any questions about your reservation, please call 1 (888) 867-2757.

Currently Closed:

All Big Cove Campsites
All Flat Fork Campsites
The Visitor Center (but the public restrooms remain open)
Shelters B & C
The Rocky Fork Area (including the Ross Gap Trailhead and volleyball courts)
A number of trails
- The only accessible trail at this time is the Chimney Top Trail behind the Visitor Center. This trail is considered strenuous with significant elevation gain and up to a 14-mile hike.

During this renovation, we encourage campers to check out our nearby parks. Some nearby parks to consider are:

Norris Dam State Park: Tent and RV sites and cabins, 41 miles away.
Cove Lake State Park: Tent and RV sites, 42 miles away.
Cumberland Mountain State Park: Tent and RV sites and cabins, 47 miles away.
Big Ridge State Park: Tent and RV sites, 50 miles away.

Two park rangers observing nature from a wooden bridge.

Birding at Frozen Head

The Audubon Society recognizes Frozen Head State Park as part of the South Cumberland Mountains Important Bird Area.

Important Bird Areas, or IBA’s, are sites that provide essential habitat for one or more species of bird. 

Frozen Head supports high breeding populations of several Neotropical migrant birds, including the cerulean warbler, as well as breeding populations of a few high elevation species which are rare in Tennessee outside of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

The Natural Area is within the Cumberland Mountains Important Bird Area.  Over 130 species of birds have been observed throughout the year.

Experience Birding at Frozen Head

Acadian flycatcher, blue-gray gnatcatcher, northern parula and yellow-throated warbler and Louisiana waterthrush are common during spring and summer along the creek. Swainson's warblers have also occurred in this area.
Check the fields and field edges for brown thrasher, American robin, and Eastern bluebird. Eastern wood pewee, red-eyed vireo and yellow-throated vireo, wood thrush, black-and-white warbler, ovenbird and scarlet tanager are common in the roadside forests.
Cerulean warbler can occasionally be seen - or more often heard - from the main park road. They are much more numerous along many of the park's hiking trails.
The park's breeding populations of veery, chestnut-sided warbler, black-throated blue warbler, blackburnian warbler, Canada warbler and rose-breasted grosbeak are only observable by hiking to higher elevations. Ruffed grouse can often be seen from the parks many hiking trails.

Featured Birds

Double-crested Cormorant
Turkey Vulture
Red-shouldered Hawk
Broad-winged Hawk
American Crow
Woodpecker
Ruffed Grouse
Sandhill Crane
Golden Eagle (rare)
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Carolina Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
Northern Cardinal
Kinglets
Barred Owl
Sparrows
Eastern Screech-Owl
Cerulean Warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Blackburnian Warbler
Canada Warbler
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Veery
Hermit Thrush
Winter Wren
Northern Parula
Yellow-throated Warbler
Louisiana Waterthrush
Brown Thrasher
American Robin
Eastern Bluebird
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Scarlet Tanager
Black-crowned Night Heron
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Cattle Egret
Double-crested Cormorant
Osprey
Belted Kingfisher
Red-winged Blackbird
American Goldfinch
Gull
Geese 
Red-headed Woodpecker
Prairie Warbler
Yellow-breasted Chat
White-eyed Vireo
Common Yellowthroat
Ovenbird
Northern Bobwhite
Ring-billed Gull
Bonaparte's Gull
American Coot
Mallard
Double-crested Cormorant
Cedar Waxwing
American Goldfinch
Red-winged Blackbird
Tree Swallow
Barn Swallow
Purple Martin

Birding Locations

East Lookout Tower Trail

Featured birds: Double-crested Cormorant, Turkey Vulture, Red-shouldered Hawk, Broad-winged Hawk, American Crow

The tower offers a great view from the top of Frozen Head Mountain. During fall and spring passing flocks of sandhill cranes are often seen or heard.
Spicewood Trail

Featured birds: Warblers, Woodpecker, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse

This trail, a spur-tail off of the Old Mac Trail, skirts along Spicewood Branch Creek before ascending Frozen Head Mountain.
North Old Mac Trail

Featured birds: Cerulean Warbler, Black-throated Blue Warbler, Blackburnian Warbler, Canada Warbler, Rose-breasted Grosbeak

This trail, a spur-tail off of the Old Mac Trail, offers a more gradual ascent to the top of Frozen Head Mountain with excellent views along the way. This trail and many others in the park offer great high-elevation birding opportunities.
Flat Fork Creek Trail

Featured birds: Northern Parula, Yellow-throated Warbler, Louisiana Waterthrush, Brown Thrasher, American Robin

This trail parallels the main park road and Flat Fork Creek. It is a great place to view Louisiana waterthrushes during spring and summer.
TVA Lakeshore Park (Nearby)

Featured birds: Black-crowned Night Heron, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Cattle Egret, Double-crested Cormorant

TVA manages this wetland park complex. This ecological restoration area acts as an important refuge for waterbirds. 159 species of birds identified.

Learn More
Catoosa Wildlife Management Area: Oak Savanna Restoration

Featured birds: Red-headed Woodpecker, Prairie Warbler, Yellow-breasted Chat, White-eyed Vireo, Common Yellowthroat

(Hunting Area) Catoosa WMA contains extensive oak-hickory forest, gravel roads and an actively managed oak savanna restoration area to maintain open woodlands and native grass systems that historically occurred in the region before fire was removed from the system and forests dominated the area. Ninety species of birds identified.

Wildlife Management Areas
Melton Hill Park (Nearby): Boat Launch

Featured birds: Ring-billed Gull, Bonaparte's Gull, American Coot, Mallard, Double-crested Cormorant

This 112-acre park, bordered by the Clinch River, offers excellent waterfowl habitat in the winter and spring. 155 species of birds were identified.

Outdoor Knoxville

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.