How To Spend A Fantastic Day At Seven Islands State Birding Park
If you’re like us, you keep hearing great things about Tennessee’s Seven Islands State Birding Park. You’ve likely seen the signs for it on your way to other destinations as you drive on I-40 east near Kodak, TN.
Located just 25 minutes from downtown Knoxville and easily accessible from Interstate 40, this peaceful park encompassed 413 acres along the French Broad River.
Established in 2013, it’s actually been around for a quite some time but somehow still flies under the radar of most Knoxvillians including me.
So we finally decided to pack up the kids on a nice autumn day to check it out.
Spoiler Alert- it was fantastic! Here are our impressions of our day spent with the kids at Seven Islands State Birding Park.
Why We Like Seven Islands State Birding Park
We were pleasantly surprised by this serene 416 acre state park situated along the French Broad River with views of the Smoky Mountains in the distance.
We loved the open fields ideal for bird watching, 8 miles of easy walking trails, several picturesque barns scattered throughout the area, and a pedestrian bridge crossing the French Broad River.
But you don’t have to be a birder to enjoy this beautiful park. With mountain vistas in the distance and delightful picnic spots along the river, Seven Islands State Birding Park is a great place to spend an afternoon.
When To Visit Seven Islands State Birding Park
Unless you’re visiting in the summer to take advantage of their seasonal kayak rentals or to view the amazing display of sunflowers, we recommend visiting in the cooler months as the park offers little shade.
We visited on a sunny November weekend and it was perfect.
We parked at a large gravel lot near the Bluebird Barn to enter the park.
Tip: At the barn, you can review the informational boards on birds and the habitats found at the park. And perhaps more importantly, restrooms are also located here.
Hiking Trails At Seven Islands State Birding Park
You can hike over 8 miles of trails, but for first time visitors we recommend the short walk on the Bobwhite Accessible Trail (less than a mile) to the newly constructed footbridge crossing the French Broad River.
It’s a wide, paved flat walk perfect for a family stroll and easy to push a stroller if you have younger children.
You’ll come to several trail intersections along the way but stay on the wide main trail.
We wish we had brought the kids’ bikes for this flat paved trail. There were even bike racks at the bridge so you could park them and continue on the foot trails of the island.
Once across the bridge, we ambled along the river’s edge to find a nice place to spread our picnic blanket before continuing to explore this small island on the Island Loop Trail (1.2 miles total).
See a list of all the short hiking trails on Seven Islands website.
Tip: Dogs are allowed on the trails at Seven Islands State Birding Park as long as they are leashed. Wish we had known!
Guided Ranger-Led Hikes
Be sure to check the park’s website if you are interested in guided nature hikes. They offer a variety of ranger-led hikes including sunrise, sunset, and moonlight hikes.
Online registration is required with a small fee of $8, although some programs such as the Spring Hike are offered for free.
Sunflowers at Seven Islands State Birding Park
The sunflower display during July is terrific. Because the park offers little shade, visit early in the day and remember to bring water and hats as it will be super hot.
Also be sure to check out the wildflowers in Knoxville’s Urban Wilderness. Read everything you need to know here- Experience The Fields of Sunflowers at Knoxville’s Forks of the Rivers.
Canoe Launch
If you’re feeling more adventurous, the park offers a canoe launch to float the river.
If you have your own boat, Seven Islands State Park has a small boat launch where you can put in and float down the French Broad River to Cruz Landing.
It’s about a 2 hour paddle, and you will need a shuttle system. In past seasons, they have had a shuttle operator on the premises, so check the park website to see if it is still offered.
Biking
You can also bike the paved 1.25 mile Kelly Lane Greenway the short distance to the river. You’ll see the access to the greenway before reaching the Bluebird Barn.
Birding
As its name implies, the park serves as a premier birding destination with more than 190 species of birds sighted. Bring a pair of binoculars to see what birds you can spot.
The Blue Barn at the entrance to the park has some informational bulletin boards with photos of birds that you might encounter during your visit.
Tip: Bring binoculars for the kiddos to try to spot and identify a variety of birds during your visit.
The free Cornell Lab Merlin Bird ID app is a fun app to install on your phone before your visit. It can identify birds by their song or photos that you take. Our girls loved it!
Where To Eat Near Seven Islands State Birding Park
If pizza, ice cream, and a drive-in movie sounds like the perfect trifecta after a day spent on the trails at Seven Islands, you can enjoy dinner and a drive-in movie at Cruze Farm Pizza Barn located just 20 minutes away at their Ashbury Road location.
We love unique food finds and this one is somewhat convenient to Seven Islands if you take an alternate route back to Knoxville.
You’ll love the large Ice Cream House and its sprawling veranda, and the Pizza Barn is just across the parking lot from it.
Free movies are shown at the front of the parking area, so check their website to see what’s playing. Or, skip the movie and just relax on their large porch and cool off with an ice cream cone. A great ending for a great day!
Inside Cruze Farm Creamery 
Cruze Farm Ice Cream
Happy Trails! Hope you can find the time to take the family to Seven Islands State Birding Park. My family had a fantastic time! – Amy
