Pickett CCC Memorial State Park · Tennessee
Hazard Cave Trail at Pickett CCC Memorial State Park
Hazard Cave Trail at Pickett CCC Memorial State Park: 1.6 mi loop.
Updated Oct 29, 2026 · Source-verified by TennesseeHikes
- Distance
- 1.6 mi loop
On this page
The entrance to Hazard Cave at Pickett CCC Memorial State Park, with the fence railing that protects the Cumberland sandwort. Photo: Brian Stansberry, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Hazard Cave Trail is a loop at Pickett CCC Memorial State Park, 922 acres on the Cumberland Plateau in Fentress County. The hiking page lists 1.60 miles, difficulty Moderate, surface Natural, availability Open, use Hiking. The loop follows a sandstone bluff line through an open hardwood forest. Its main feature is Hazard Cave, home to the endangered Cumberland sandwort and often a rare species of glow worms.
Sandstone here also includes natural bridges and rock shelters. Park trails are interconnected and show sandstone bluffs, natural bridges, and waterfalls. Pickett is a Dark Sky designated park, the first state park in the Southeast with Dark Skies certification. Arch Lake is 12 acres, and the CCC Museum is on site.
Quick facts
- Official loop: 1.60 mi. Moderate. Natural surface. Open. Hiking.
- Mapped line: 0.74 mi on this site (
hazard-cave-trail). Do not average 1.60 and 0.74. The hiking page does not print 0.74. - Route: a loop on a sandstone bluff line through an open hardwood forest. Main feature: Hazard Cave.
- Cave: endangered Cumberland sandwort, and often a rare species of glow worms. Stay behind the fence railing and off the plants on the cave floor.
- Address: 4605 Pickett Park Hwy, Jamestown, TN 38556. Phone 931-879-5821. Reservations 1-888-867-2757.
- Hours: park 7:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Office, visitor center, and gift shop 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Day-use trails close at sunset.
- Campground: closed for renovations to the bathhouse and campground. Check park alerts before you go.
- Not stated: elevation gain, a fee for hiking, trailhead parking, and dog rules.
Getting There
The address is 4605 Pickett Park Hwy, Jamestown, TN 38556. Phone 931-879-5821. Reservations: 1-888-867-2757.
The park is open 7:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. The office, visitor center, and gift shop are 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and GIS trail maps are there then. Day-use trails close at sunset. The hiking page does not describe trailhead parking.
The Trail
Official length 1.60 miles. This site’s mapped line 0.74 mi. Never average them. No elevation gain is stated on the hiking page.
You are on a moderate, natural-surface hiking loop that follows a sandstone bluff line through an open hardwood forest. The listing says the trail is open. Hazard Cave is the feature the name points to: home to the endangered Cumberland sandwort, and often a rare species of glow worms. “Often” is the park’s word. It is not a promise for a daytime visit.
A July 2026 closures map labels Hazard Cave Tr at 1.60 miles. Closed markings are on the Ridge Trail area at the southwest edge, not on this trail. A bluff, natural bridge, or waterfall on a connecting trail is a different walk. Stay behind the entrance railing and off the cave-floor plants.
The cave and the park
The 922-acre park holds the bluff line, natural bridges, rock shelters, 12-acre Arch Lake, and the CCC Museum. Dark Sky designation makes Pickett the first state park in the Southeast with that certification. Day-use trails still close at sunset.
On Saturday, October 31, 2026, a ranger-led Halloween lantern hike uses this loop. The event page calls it moderate, with some rugged terrain and elevation, and gives no elevation number. Adults $10, children under 10 $5, limit 12, register through the park. That date is one example of a ranger hike, not ordinary hours.
Backpacking trails need a backcountry camping permit. This day loop is not that trip. The campground is closed for bathhouse and campground renovations. That is an overnight-site alert, not a posted closure of Hazard Cave Trail. Read the park page before you go.
Rules
Stay behind the fence railing and off the plants on the cave floor. Dog rules and a hiking fee are not stated in these sources.
Day-use trails close at sunset while the park stays open until 10:00 p.m. Backpacking trails need a permit. Call 931-879-5821. Check park alerts before you go.
Tips
Use 1.60 miles for the official loop and 0.74 mi only for this site’s mapped line. Do not average them.
The loop is moderate on a natural surface. No elevation-gain figure is published. The October 31, 2026 lantern-hike page mentions some rugged terrain and elevation for that ranger walk, not as a measured climb.
Stay behind the railing. Glow worms are something the cave often features, not a scheduled sight. Leave by sunset. The park can remain open until 10:00 p.m. after the trail has closed. A GIS map at the office shows how the other trails connect.
Sources
- Pickett hiking (Tennessee State Parks): 1.60 mi, moderate, natural, open, hiking; bluff-line loop; Cumberland sandwort and glow worms; interconnected trails with bluffs, natural bridges, and waterfalls.
- Pickett CCC Memorial State Park: 922 acres, sandstone, Dark Sky park, Arch Lake, CCC Museum, address, phone, visitor center hours, reservations, campground alert.
- Closures map (July 2026): Hazard Cave Tr 1.60 miles; closures on the Ridge Trail area at the southwest edge, not on Hazard Cave Trail.
- Brochure: 7:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., office 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., day-use trails close at sunset, backcountry permit, GIS maps, 12-acre Arch Lake.
- Halloween lantern hike: October 31, 2026; ranger-led; moderate with some rugged terrain and elevation; $10 adult / $5 child under 10; limit 12; register via the park.
- This site: mapped 0.74 mi, not an official length. Photo: Brian Stansberry, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
FAQs
How long is Hazard Cave Trail?
1.60 miles as a loop on the hiking page. This site’s mapped line is 0.74 mi. Do not average them. It is moderate, on a natural surface. No elevation gain is stated.
Is it open?
The hiking page says Open. The July 2026 map lists Hazard Cave Tr at 1.60 miles and marks closures on the Ridge Trail area at the southwest edge, not here. The campground is closed for renovations. Check park alerts before you go.
What should you do at the cave?
The cave holds the endangered Cumberland sandwort and often a rare species of glow worms. Stay behind the fence railing and off the plants on the cave floor.
When can you hike?
Day-use trails close at sunset. The park is open 7:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. The office and gift shop are 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. A ranger-led lantern hike on Saturday, October 31, 2026 is a separate, dated example: moderate, some rugged terrain and elevation, $10 adult, $5 under 10, limit 12, register through the park.