COVID-19 UPDATES: Keeping Visitors Healthy

Panther Creek State Park

Tennessee State Parks are open for day-use visitors and overnight guests. We do provide travel tips and FAQs for those wishing to visit our parks. Availability of inventory for online booking may be lower than normal as the park pursues social distancing. 

Certain parks or areas of parks may close if they reach capacity. Events may have limited capacity. Park hours may vary from normal operations in response to COVID-19.

Please Note: Masks are required inside all state park facilities. For more information about this and other guidelines, please see our Keeping Visitors Healthy page to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience.

Statewide Alert (effective August 10, 2020): Visitors are required to wear a mask in any state park facility staffed by employees or where the general public may congregate.  This includes park offices, visitor centers, stores, nature centers, restrooms or while touring any indoor facility being considered for rent.  If visitors do not have a mask, parks will maintain a small amount of paper masks to provide to a visitor for their use. Any park rental facility- including cabins, Lodge rooms, campsites, picnic shelters, group facilities, etc. - are considered as having “restricted use” and will be the responsibility of the party renting that facility.  It is recommended that they follow all CDC recommendations and guidelines regarding social distancing and mask wearing.

Visitors are required to follow the mask ordinances of the county they are in, or the park rules listed above, whichever are more stringent.

Activities

Paddling

Cherokee Lake is a popular spot for paddling. Paddling rental services at Panther Creek are managed by River Sports Outfitters. For more information about rental availability, pricing and hours, please contact (865) 523-0066.

Photo Credit: TennesseePhotographs.com

Panther Creek Playground

The playground at Panther Creek, located near the pool, is a great place for kids to burn off their energy during a trip to the park.

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Disc Golf

Panther Creek State Park is home to a beautiful 18-hole, championship disc golf course with wooded and open fairways, and concrete tees.

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Boating

Cherokee Lake is a beautiful lake for boating. The park provides a boat ramp for visitors to launch from mid-April to late September. Nearby commercial marinas provide boat launching and rental boats and motors, as well as a bait shop that supplies fishing and picnicking needs.

Swimming

The pool at Panther Creek State Park will remain closed for the 2020 summer season. The decision was made to keep this facility closed in the interest of public health and staff safety. COVID-19 presents unique challenges for managing pools. Pools are confined spaces not conducive to social distancing. The very nature of lifeguarding requires close contact with pool users and creates the potential for unnecessary risk in life-saving situations. We apologize for this inconvenience and look forward to the next opportunity we have to reopen the pool for your enjoyment.

Our park remains open and is still a great place for you to enjoy water-based recreation this summer. Find other activities at the park here.

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Hiking

Panther Creek has over 30 miles of hiking trails at all levels of diffiuclty.

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Biking

Panther Creek has several miles of biking trails with an intermediate rating.

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Fishing

Cherokee Lake is a 30,000 acre impoundment on the Holston River and provides great fishing, boating, skiing and other water recreation activities.

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Birding

The shores and islands of Cherokee Lake at Panther Creek State Park offer great opportunities for seeing wintering waterfowl, osprey, and eagles. The forest has a good resident population of songbirds as well. For more park and nearby birding locations, view flyer.

Horseback Riding

Panther Creek offers seven miles of horseback riding trails including Hunt Knob and Maple Arch trails. Horse riders can access both of these trails from the parking area located past the boat ramp.

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