Edgar Evins State Park Adventures

Kayak-fishing the shoreline; hiking the wooded ridge; an afternoon spent pontooning on the reservoir. One of Tennessee’s most pleasant and scenic bodies of water, Center Hill Lake, is located a mere 65 miles east of Nashville. And along its shores is Edgar Evins State Park, an ideal base for boating, fishing, hiking, birding and exploring the great outdoors of the Volunteer State.

Fishing & Water Recreation

Water recreation is at the center of life at Edgar Evins. Boat rentals are available to the public at the marina, including the ever-popular pontoon boat. Although most popular in the summer months, the marina is open year-round. The marina restaurant, however, is open seasonally, so be sure to call ahead. And for those with their own boat, you can take advantage of slip rentals, boat repair services or any of the two public boat ramps popular for day-use fishermen and jet-skiers.

And the lake’s deep waters are brimming with crappie, Walleye, trout, catfish and three species of bass, making it an angler’s paradise. And even if you aren’t into casting lines and hooking fish, those who enjoy kayaking and canoeing will find paddling along the shoreline as pleasant and scenic as anywhere else in the state.

Wildlife

This beautiful 6,000-acre park is situated along the wooded and hilly northern end of the 18,000-acre reservoir. Located on an impounded stretch of the scenic Caney Fork River, this landscape is populated by owls, hawks, eagles, forest songbirds, deer, turkey, as well as an abundance of butterflies. In fact, according to Tennessee State Parks, of the 139 or so butterfly species found in the state, an incredible 57 of those species can be found at Edgar Evins.

Hiking

Non-water recreation options include approximately 11 miles of hiking trails of varying strenuous levels. They range from the backwoods Meritt Ridge Loop Trail, which delves into some of the park’s remotest recesses on a ridged peninsula between Wolf Creek and the lake, to the family-oriented Storybook Trail, a pleasant nature walk that takes you inside the colorful life-sized pages of the children’s book Where Butterflies Grow, written by Joanne Ryder and illustrated Lynne Cherry.

Camping & Cabins

Available to Edgar Evins visitors are 60 tent and trailer campsites complete with fire circles and bath houses. Now, if you don’t have an RV and don’t feel like roughing it in a tent, a long row of 34 cabins (clean and comfortable with A/C, kitchenettes, indoor plumbing and even satellite TV) are available and ideal for extended stays and family reunions. Each cabin features a balcony, a living area and can sleep several people in two double beds and a sleeper sofa. They come with all the basic luxuries of housekeeping, including utensils and cookware, linens and towels. There are grills out front, a pool in the back and exclusive to cabin guests only is a dedicated courtesy boat dock with 16 slips.

Events

You can rent certain locations throughout the park for events like weddings - the choicest of these spots includes the excellent observation tower rising above the visitor center, from which you get a great view of the dam, as well as Sunset Point Peninsula, which, as its name suggests, is a premier location for viewing the setting sun.

For everyone else, park rangers lead an impressive schedule of events at Edgar Evins, including guided night hikes, guided kayak fishing, junior ranger camp days, swimming hole tours and a whole lot more. (See Upcoming Events for more).

So Much More

Edgar Evins State Park is located near so many other great Tennessee State Parks that it really is the ideal base for exploring the entire region. Within a short drive of the park and lake is both Cummins Falls State Park and Rock Island State Park, two of Tennessee’s most popular and beautiful natural wonders. Several other recreation areas line the opposite shores of Center Hill Lake from Edgar Evins, including Long Branch, Cove Hollow and Center Hill Recreation Areas, just to name a few.

And located just across TN-141 from the park’s entrance is Caney Fork Outdoors, where kayaks and shuttle services can be purchased for recreation along the Caney Fork River.

Edgar Evins State Park is located at 1630 Edgar Evins State Park Road, Silver Point, TN 38582.