NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee announced the creation of a new state park on Thursday.
The Savage Gulf State Park in Grundy and Sequatchie counties will be carved from the 19,000-acre Savage Gulf State Natural Area. That is currently part of South Cumberland State Park, which had become too large to manage as a single park, according to a news release.
The area is also a National Natural Landmark. It features old-growth forest, waterfalls and the Great Stone Door, a cliff with a top-to-bottom crack resembling a doorway.
Most of the park will be maintained as a state natural area, but it will include a 744-acre developable area comprising a former plant nursery and two recently acquired tracts. The General Assembly has provided $30 million for future improvements, including a visitors center and an RV campground.
The Savage Gulf State Park will be the state's 57th state park.