Seven Islands Birding State Park – Kodak, TN
Located a few miles west of the parkway in Kodak, TN, about 20 miles east of Knoxville, is Seven Islands Birding State Park. The park has about 8 miles of hiking trails and a canoe/kayak launch on the French Broad River. The website states that 180 species of birds have been sighted within the parks 400+ acres. We may have seen about a half dozen, but heard the calls of several dozen. We spotted turtles, groundhogs, beavers and countless butterflies among the bounty of wildflowers that paint the landscape.
As with all of Tennessee State Parks, there is no fee to enter. In addition, Seven Islands Birding State Park does not have a fee for canoe/kayak use. The park is open from dawn to dusk and camping is not permitted. Although I have not encountered either, biking and fishing are permitted.
During our walks in the park, we’ve encountered a total of 5 other people, compare that to the ‘parking lot’ you may experience trying to visit The Great Smoky Mountains NP during the summer.
One of the future plans of this state park is the construction of a footbridge crossing the French Broad River to Newman’s Island. This should open up much more hiking and birding to future guests.
Although it’s small, and you won’t see the waterfalls or dramatic landscape you’ll see in the Smokies, we loved the peaceful afternoons spent at Seven Islands State Birding State Park. We will definitely be visited many more times while we’re in the area.
