Tennessee's Watchable Wildlife Tennessee's Watchable Wildlife
Tennessee's Watchable Wildlife Tennessee's Watchable Wildlife Tennessee's Watchable Wildlife Tennessee's Watchable Wildlife Tennessee's Watchable Wildlife
Tennessee's Watchable Wildlife Tennessee's Watchable Wildlife
Home
Tennessee Wildlife
  Viewing Trail

FAQ
Critter of the Month
Seasonal Events
Monthly Gallery
Backyard Wildlife Info
TWRA Publications
Woodworking for Wildlife
Education Tools
Links to Related Sites
Sponsors
About us
Contact Us
Tennessee's Watchable Wildlife
Join our Mailing List
Tennessee's Watchable Wildlife Tennessee's Watchable Wildlife Tennessee's Watchable Wildlife Tennessee's Watchable Wildlife Tennessee's Watchable Wildlife

Tennessee's Watchable Wildlife

Tennessee's Watchable Wildlife






Policies & Privacy
©Copyright 2024 TWRA





TENNESSEE WILDLIFE VIEWING TRAIL » East Tennessee

View Larger Map
Share

Ijams Nature Center

Site Directions: From I-40, take James White Pkwy Exit (388A) and stay to the left to continue on James White Parkway. Cross over the TN River and take the Sevier Ave./Hillwood Dr. Exit. Turn Left onto Sevier Ave. (turns into Hillwood Dr.). Turn Right onto Island Home Ave. (at bottom of hill). Ijams is approximately 1 mile on the left.
Lat-Long: 35.95583, -83.87318
Hours: Trails open daily sunrise to sunset. Center open Tuesday-Saturday: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday: 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. (March 1st through November 30th); Monday: by appointment only for tour groups and school trips.
Seasonality: year round
Fees: There is not a fee to enter the grounds, and a $1 donation is requested to enter the exhibit hall inside the Nature Center.

Site Description: Ijams Nature Center is located just minutes from downtown Knoxville, yet it feels like it is much farther away as you are hiking through the forest. Ijams is a 175-acre wildlife sanctuary encompassing a variety of natural habitats: forests, meadows, creeks and streams, caves, and an extensive boardwalk on the bank of the Tennessee River. The naturally-restored Mead's Quarry site features a 25-acre lake, rocky bluffs, and protected caves. In all, Ijams' natural areas include 5-miles of trails as well as the Will Skelton Greenway which intersects park boundaries. Ijams also has an environmental learning center with an exhibit hall that contains live native fish, reptiles, amphibians, and insects. Ijams seeks to increase knowledge, understanding, and appreciation of the natural world by providing quality environmental educational programs and nature-related experiences.

Wildlife to Watch: Ijams Nature Center is home to a great diversity of native flora and fauna and is one of the best places in the Knoxville area to find mixed flocks of migrating songbirds in the spring and fall. Migrating flocks often concentrate around the main parking lot by the Visitor Center and along the trails by the river. The Discovery Trail is a great place to find mixed flocks and can often produce such highlights as Blue-winged Warbler, Nashville Warbler, Northern Parula, Blackburnian Warbler, Cape May Warbler, Yellow-throated Warbler, Blackpoll Warbler, Cerulean Warbler, Louisiana Waterthrush, and Wilson's Warbler. Ijams is home to many breeding birds as well. Summer resident highlights include: Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Great Crested Flycatcher, Yellow-throated Vireo, Prothonotary Warbler, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, and Yellow-breasted Chat. Some species that can only be found at Ijams in the winter include several species of wintering ducks, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Winter Wren, Golden-crowned and Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Hermit Thrush, White-throated and Swamp Sparrows, Purple Finch, and during some years, Pine Siskins. Ijams is also home to several permanent residents including Eastern Screech Owls and Barred Owls, which can be seen during the day right around the Visitor Center. Bald Eagles and Osprey can often be seen flying and hunting along the river.

Other wildlife that can be seen at Ijams includes River Otters, Snapping Turtles, Red-eared Sliders, Box Turtles, several species of salamanders including Cave Salamanders, Black Rat Snakes, Northern Water Snakes, Plain-bellied Water Snakes, and several species of bats.

eBird species list (opens eBird)

Check with Ijams for any recent wildlife observations by calling 865-577-4717.

For more information:

Ijams Nature Center web site

Official bird list for Ijams Nature Center (PDF)

Bird list for Ijams Nature Center from data submitted to eBird


Submit your data to eBird and help us build a list of birds seen at this site. Ijams is a hotspot!

Site information generously provided by Emily Boves.


Be sure to check out our Safety Tips page for important information regarding viewing wildlife in these areas.




Cookie Policy: We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with these terms.