Port Royal is an historic park and a day use park. Port Royal State Park is a place of quiet natural beauty.

This park is a satellite of Dunbar Cave State Park.

Boating

Canoe Access - All boats must be able to be carried by hand into the water. No trailers allowed on river access.

Tennessee Boating Regulations (exit TDEC)

Events and Programs

Interpretive tours are available upon request. Please call ahead to schedule.

Trail of Tears Commemorative Day
Saturday, October 11, 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
A day to commemorate and educate the public on the forced removal of the Cherokee Nation from their homelands known today as the Trail of Tears. Exhibits will feature the Trail of Tears and what led up to the sad event, as well as the history of Port Royal and the town's role as the last encampment of the Trail of Tears in Tennessee. There will also be demonstrations of 1830's domestic skills and medicine and interpretive tours through the park. At 10:00 am there will a re-enactment of the march on a section of the original trail with a ceremony immediately following the march. Call 931-358-9696 if you have questions or want more informantion.

Fishing

The beautiful and scenic Red River and Sulphur Fork Creek drain approximately 975 sq. miles of northern Tennessee. Angling on both rivers is excellent. All persons fishing are required to have
a valid Tennessee Fishing License. All laws, rules and regulations pertaining to fishing apply.

Tennessee Fishing Regulations (exit TDEC)
Tennessee State Parks fishing policies

Hiking Trails

The Bluff Trail begins near the covered bridge site and extends along the Red River. Wildflowers and birds are abundant along this leisurely 1/4 mile trail.

Contact the park if you need more information.

Historic Park

Early Tennessee
Port Royal was the site one of the earliest colonial communities and trading posts in middle TN being first settled in the early 1780’s as well as being a Longhunter camp as early as 1775. The town of Port Royal was founded in 1797 and rose to great prominence in the early part of the 19th century because of its strategic location at the head of navigation on the Red River, serving all of northern middle TN and south central KY and at a major stage line route.

Being situated at an important junction of roads and rivers, Port Royal became the only stop in TN on the "Great Western Road" stagecoach line between Nashville, Tennessee, and Golconda, Illinois and served as such until the 20th century. In 1977, the State of Tennessee received the deed to 26 acres of land at Port Royal, and designated it a State Historic Park in 1978.

Trail of Tears
Port Royal is designated as an official site on the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail. The Trail of Tears commemorates the forced removal of Native Americans from their homelands in the Southeastern United States and the paths they traveled westward in 1838 and 1839. Diary records of the removal mentioned Port Royal, the last stop before leaving Tennessee, as an encampment site where the Cherokee stayed overnight or longer to re-supply, grind corn and rest.

Port Royal State Park is the second Tennessee State Park to be named an official site on the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail, joining Red Clay State Historic Park in Bradley County. Other official sites in Tennessee include Audubon Acres, Brainerd Mission Cemetery and the Chattanooga Regional History Museum in Chattanooga and the Sequoyah Birthplace Museum in Vonore. For more information about the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail, visit www.nps.gov/trte.

Features
With Port Royal being such an important place of travel, transportation themes play heavily into the parks and communities history. As you stroll through the park you will notice the remains of the foundations of stores, homes and warehouses with some dating back to the 18th century. Also, existing within the park are the remains of several old roadbeds, with one dating back to prehistoric times including the certified Trail of Tears site.

Preserved within the park is a very excellent example of an early Pratt Truss design steel bridge being built in 1887. This bridge spans the Sulphur Fork creek and is well preserved presents a very picturesque view of both the Red River and the Sulphur Fork creek. This bridge is available to foot traffic only. You will also notice the remains of a covered bridge. This bridge dates from 1978 and was a 75% scale recreation of a bridge from 1904. This bridge is not accessible to the public but one can see the remains of the stone piers, which are original to the 1904 bridge. The stone in the piers originally came from the Port Royal Mills and dam which dates back to circa 1800.

Park Facilities

Port Royal State Historic Park includes ADA accessible restrooms and a four table picnic area with one being wheelchair accessible.