Welcome to Union County -A Nature Lover's Paradise

Union County has much to offer those interested in nature and recreational pursuits.  The pristine clear, clean water of Norris Lake is available for all kinds of water sports – swimming, boating, fishing and water skiing.  The lake’s miles of shoreline allow ample space for campsites.  Seven strategically placed, managed boat docks provide boat access ramps; and conveniently, other areas are available for boat launching.                                         

            Big Ridge State Park, via State Highway 61, is a family oriented facility adjacent to Norris Lake.  Featuring a small lake and a century grist mill, this picturesque, full service park has a swimming pool, tennis and basketball courts, a baseball field, picnic areas, playgrounds, shelters, a recreation hall, a group camp, a nature center, campgrounds, rental cabins, and well maintained hiking trails.  The park is carefully patrolled, making it a safe place for vacationing or just playing.

            Union County is a haven for all nature lovers.  Both plant and animal wildlife are allowed to flourish unabatedly.  Many different species, with above average population densities, appear in the county.  TVA maintains wild areas at Stiner’s Woods, Beech Island, and Hemlock Bluff as well as other public use lands throughout the county.  Chuck Swan Wildlife Management Area (operated by TWRA), containing 26,ooo acres in the northwestern portion of the county, is an area wherein wildlife is carefully managed and protected.  This area has miles of unpaved roads allowing for easy viewing of wildlife by vehicle.  The hiking trails in Big Ridge Park wander into remote areas in which the natural environment is undisturbed, thus an excellent area for exploration.  The rural nature of the entire county allows one to observe wildlife without great difficulty. 

            There are good populations of duck and geese, whitetail deer, and wild turkey; small game populations, including rabbit and quail, are fair, with conditions improving as habitat management is implemented.  Most of these species have been observed throughout the county; however, populations are dense in the Norris Lake area.  Very often an American eagle puts in an appearance around the lake, thrilling the viewer.

            Sportsmen can take advantage of scheduled managed hunts.  Deer, geese and wild turkey are popular quests for the hunter.  TWRA emphasized – wildlife is a resource that should be appreciated and must be protected.

For more information regarding your travel plans, visit www.tnvacation.com .

Excerpted from 1996-97 UCB&PA Union County, Tennessee, by Kathleen G. Graves