Big Hill Pond State Park in Fall: What's Open for Middleton Locals?

"If you wish to still hike to the Observation Tower, don't fret!" That line is on the closure notice for the Dismal Swamp Boardwalk at Big Hill Pond State Park. In one sentence it tells you how the park works this season.

From Middleton, the drive is about 13 miles and roughly 23 minutes east on TN 57 to John Howell Road. That makes Big Hill Pond the nearest large stretch of public woods for most of the town. This fall, the three features most people would list first are all closed together: the boardwalk, Travis McNatt Lake and the campground. What's left is a trail network split by a railroad track. Once you know which side of the track you're on, a fall visit is easy to plan.

Three Closures, One Season

The Tennessee State Parks page for Big Hill Pond currently posts three notices.

• Dismal Swamp Boardwalk. It was built in 1977, and the park says some of the original 1977 materials were still on it. It is closed for removal and replacement. The park describes the new boardwalk as more user friendly and environmentally friendly.
• Travis McNatt Lake. It is closed for what the park calls major infrastructure improvements. When it reopens, it will be part of the Bill Dance Signature Lakes program. The listed upgrades include a rebuilt bridge on the east side, a wider boat ramp, a fishing pier, a kayak-friendly courtesy dock, spillway repairs, better bank fishing, removal of invasive vegetation, new fish habitat and restocking.
• The campground. It is closed for renovations, and the park says no reopening date has been set.

All three are construction projects, not seasonal closures, and none of them comes with a published finish date. Any plan for a fall visit has to start from that.

What The Paperwork Shows, And What It Doesn't

The boardwalk notice says the park "received funding for a new boardwalk which we hope to see started in Spring of 2025." That's now more than a year in the past, and the notice hasn't been updated with a new timeline.

Contract records fill in some of the gap. A construction project listing for the Cypress Dismal Swamp Boardwalk replacement describes removing the old structure and building a new wood-framed boardwalk on helical anchors. It lists a bid date of August 27, 2025, a start date of September 29, 2025 and a 320-day contract. For the campground, the state's bid tabulation from July 2025 shows ABES Construction as the lowest listed base bid at $3,235,000, with 240 days of contract time.

Those records show both projects reached the bidding stage. They don't confirm a contract award, work progress or a reopening. As of early October 2026, the park still lists all three closures and gives no dates. The safe assumption for this fall is that the boardwalk, the lake and the campground stay off the itinerary until the park says otherwise.

The lake already has a rule waiting for it. In January 2026, TWRA reported that largemouth bass fishing at Travis McNatt would become catch-and-release only because of the renovation, effective August 1. Expect that rule when the lake does reopen.

What Still Works

With Travis McNatt Lake and the boardwalk closed, the trails carry most visits. The park also kept a few water and camping options open.

The observation tower is still reachable. The park sends hikers to it on the blue and red trails now that the boardwalk route is closed.

Paddlers can bring small paddling boats to Big Hill Pond Lake while Travis McNatt is closed.

Overnight stays have moved to primitive sites. Backcountry sites are open with a backcountry camping permit, and Group Campsites 2 and 3 are available for larger groups. The park stresses that none of these sites has water or electricity.

The trail roster is long enough to fill several weekends. The park's hiking page lists Azalea Spring Day Loop at 2.95 miles, Dry Ridge Trail at 2.85 miles and the Access Trail at 0.40 miles. The park's 2025 management plan inventory adds Big Hill Pond Trail at 4.75 miles, Turkey Call Trail at 2.45 miles, Rocky Knob Trail at 2.4 miles, Tuscumbia Trail at 2.3 miles and Fox Hollow Trail at 0.65 miles.

The newest addition is the easiest to overlook. The same plan describes a half-mile accessible paved loop at the park office as the latest piece of the trail system. It works for a short paved walk or as a stop after errands.

One caution on Turkey Call. The park describes it as following the wildflower garden on the levee of Travis McNatt Lake. With lake work underway, check with the park office before planning a hike there.

The Railroad Is The Line That Matters After October

Most trail guides skip this, and in October and November it matters most. TWRA's public hunting list says only the part of Big Hill Pond south of the railroad track is open to hunting during statewide seasons. Deer seasons there follow Unit 1 dates. Licensed deer hunters may also take wild hogs during deer season. McNairy County is in Unit 1.

Dogwood Point Trail, 3.10 miles, is the trail the park's hiking page places in the hunting area south of the tracks. Here are the Unit 1 deer dates from now through January:

These are hunting seasons, not park closures, and the park's current notices don't list any separate trail-closure dates. In practice, from today through January 10, anyone hiking south of the railroad shares that ground with hunters. Blaze orange and a clear sense of where the track runs are basic preparation. The first young sportsman weekend falls on Halloween and the next day, and gun season opens the Saturday before Thanksgiving week. The trails north of the track are outside TWRA's huntable portion.

So the railroad shapes this season more than any of the closures do. The construction closed the boardwalk, Travis McNatt Lake and the campground. The hunting calendar decides which trails make an easy family walk and which call for planning.

One Saturday With A Crowd

The busiest single day on the park calendar this fall is Saturday, October 17, when the Walking Tall 50K/25K is held at Big Hill Pond. The race falls inside the Unit 1 archery season.

Runners and spectators should confirm the course before race day. The registration description still mentions a swamp boardwalk "over a half mile across" and says year-round camping is available. Both statements conflict with the park's current notices about the boardwalk and campground. The park's campground notice says more details on the 25/50K "will be posted as soon as all the details are worked out." The race organizers and the park office are the people to ask.

On any other day, the park office can answer the one question no page here settles: whether a trail you're planning to hike is affected by construction that week. The park's question form is linked from its lake notice.

Woods and access roads like these shape how land along the TN 57 corridor gets used and valued. If you own acreage between Middleton and Pocahontas and want an appraiser's read on what it's worth, Inlow Real Estate can walk through it with you. Schedule a free consultation.

This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.