Pickett Civilian Conservation Corps Memorial State Park

Pickett Civilian Conservation Corps Memorial State Park is a 19,200-acre wilderness in the Cumberland Mountains featuring dramatic rock formations, caves, natural stone bridges, and thick forest coverage. The terrain varies across the park with different woodland habitats and karst geology that reveal themselves as you walk the various trails.

The Civilian Conservation Corps built the park's infrastructure between 1934 and 1942 as part of New Deal employment during the Great Depression. Young workers constructed trails, lodges, cabins, and stone structures using sandstone quarried locally, creating facilities that remain in use today.

The park stands as a testament to the New Deal program that employed young men during the Great Depression era.

The park operates 32 campsites with electricity and water hookups alongside 20 rental cabins equipped with modern appliances and kitchen setups for various visitor needs. Spring and fall offer the most comfortable visiting conditions with moderate temperatures and easier cave access.

Hazard Cave houses rare glow worms that emit blue light throughout the year, reaching their brightest display in early June when conditions align perfectly. This represents one of few places where visitors can witness this natural phenomenon within a cave system.