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# Tennessee Dedicates Dry Branch as 68th State Park
- URL: https://www.theamericanquorum.com/state-news-tennessee-2026-09-24-b/
- Published: 2026-09-24T11:47:07.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-24T11:47:07.000Z
- Description: Tennessee has designated Dry Branch as its 68th state park, protecting more than 2,500 acres of rare Highland Rim habitat while master planning proceeds before the undeveloped site opens to visitors.
- Author: News Desk
- Tags: Travel, Tennessee

Tennessee has formally dedicated Dry Branch as its 68th state park, converting a protected natural area into a future public destination while retaining the land’s stronger conservation safeguards.

The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation announced the designation Wednesday after a ceremony in Hohenwald. The [department said](https://www.tn.gov/environment/news/2026/9/23/tennessee-state-parks-dedicates-dry-branch-state-park-.html?ref=theamericanquorum.com) the park, spanning Lewis, Hickman and Perry counties, is not yet open to visitors. A master-planning process will determine access, recreation and facilities before the public is admitted.

That distinction is important: the designation creates a state park, but it does not immediately create trails, parking or visitor services. The state’s existing [natural-area profile](https://www.tn.gov/environment/natural-areas/what-we-do/sna/wr/dry-branch.html?ref=theamericanquorum.com) says the core preserve covers 2,169 acres and currently has no parking lots or trails. TDEC’s dedication announcement puts the broader permanently protected area at more than 2,500 acres following additional land purchases.

Visitors therefore should not treat the dedication as an opening announcement. Entering an undeveloped preserve without marked access can damage sensitive habitat and create safety problems. The state is directing the public to follow the park website for official updates rather than establishing immediate public access.

Dry Branch protects a globally rare Highland Rim grass-of-Parnassus seepage fen, along with glades, barrens, streams and oak-hickory and mixed pine-hardwood forest. The site contains the state’s largest and least-disturbed known population of federally endangered Tennessee yellow-eyed grass. Tennessee’s natural-area inventory says the plant occurs at only 14 sites worldwide, including seven populations in Lewis County.

The property’s modern conservation history began when International Paper owned it as a registered natural area. The Nature Conservancy of Tennessee bought the tract in 2006 and transferred it to the state in 2007, when it received formal natural-area designation. The state says that status remains in force under the Natural Areas Preservation Act, the 1971 law created to protect significant Tennessee landscapes. A [Tennessee State Library and Archives history](https://digitaltennessee.tnsos.gov/exhibit/dedicated-to-the-generations-yet-to-come-the-legacy-of-tennessee-state-parks/to-preserve-protect/?ref=theamericanquorum.com) describes the act as the foundation for the state’s system of designated natural areas.

The park’s own [visitor information](https://tnstateparks.com/parks/dry-branch/highlights?ref=theamericanquorum.com) describes a mosaic of forest, grassland savanna, wetland and woodland habitats. Until planning and construction are complete, however, that description is a preview rather than an invitation; the state has not announced an opening date.

The administration says 14 state parks will be established during Gov. Bill Lee’s tenure, which would be the largest number created under one Tennessee governor. Dry Branch illustrates the tradeoff that planning must address: expanding recreation and rural tourism without weakening protections for an ecosystem valued precisely because it is rare and relatively undisturbed.

For nearby communities, the practical next milestones will be publication of the master plan, decisions on roads and parking, and a schedule for trails and visitor facilities. Until then, Dry Branch is legally a state park and permanently conserved, but not yet a public-use park.