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Paris Landing State Park
Site Directions: Located 18 miles east of Paris, TN on US Highway 79 or 45 miles west of Clarksville, TN on US Highway 79.
Lat-Long: 36.43439, -88.07913
Hours: 7 days a week, 24 hours a day (hours subject to change in Dec. & Jan.)
Seasonality: Year round
Fees: none
Site Description: Paris Landing State Park is an 841 acre park located on the western shore of the Tennessee River, which is dammed to form Kentucky Lake (160,000 acres). The park sits on the widest part of the lake (3 miles wide). The park is primarily open hardwood forest with lake access. Two hiking trails wind through the woodlands at the park.
The picnic area and roads that end at the lake edge provide great viewing areas.
Wildlife to Watch: Woodland birding is generally good, but the highlights of Paris Landing State Park is the waterbird watching and Bald Eagles. In late fall through spring, waterfowl are abundant, including Lesser Scaup, Bufflehead, Ruddy Duck, Hooded Mergansers, plus Horned and Pied-billed Grebes. Common Loons and a variety of gulls may be found as well. Common Goldeneye may be abundant in the colder weeks of the winter. Peregrine Falcons are occasionally seen in winter. Lesser Black-backed Gull is rare in Tennessee, but is occasionally found here. The Paris Landing and Gray’s Landing Boat Ramps (east side of the bridge) are good places to view waterbirds. Bald Eagles nest along the edge of Kentucky Lake and are seen regularly at the state park, more often in winter when wintering birds from north of Tennessee are present. Be on the lookout for deer, turkey, fox, and coyote that roam the park.
Be sure to check out our Safety Tips page for important information regarding viewing wildlife in these areas.
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