News Releases

Obed Wild & Scenic River officials announced a temporary ban on campfires in the park’s backcountry effective immediately. Due to dry weather conditions and the amount of fresh leaf litter on the ground, the potential for escaped fires to occur in the backcountry has greatly increased. The fire restriction will be in effect until further notice.

Tennessee Citizens for Wilderness Planning (TCWP) and Obed Wild and Scenic River will be hosting the annual Cumberland Trail workday on Saturday, February 8th. Volunteers should meet at Rock Creek Campground at 10:00 a.m. (EST).

Obed Wild & Scenic River officials announced a temporary ban on campfires in the park’s backcountry effective immediately. Due to abnormally dry weather conditions and the amount of fresh leaf litter on the ground, the potential for escaped fires to occur in the backcountry has greatly increased. The fire restriction will be in effect until further notice.

Deer hunting season open in Kentucky on September 7 and opens in Tennessee on September 28. During these big game seasons, wild hogs may be harvested with the appropriate weapon that is legal for that specific season. There is also an extended hog hunting season that lasts from the end of the deer season until the end of February with a weapon that is approved by that state for harvesting big game.

In cooperation with the East Tennessee Climbers Coalition (ETCC), the Obed Wild and Scenic River will host the park’s annual Adopt-a-Crag event on Saturday, September 14.

The National Park Service has announced the winners of the 2024 Obed Wild and Scenic River photo contest. The contest, which sought digital images showcasing the park's scenic beauty, night skies, recreational activities, and wildlife diversity, was judged by the Southern Appalachian Nature Photographers.

Rock climbers visiting the Obed Wild & Scenic River, a unit of the National Park Service located between Knoxville and Crossville in the Upper Cumberland Plateau, annually spend about $768,000 at local businesses, according to a new study.

Thirteen years ago, with funding from a National Park Foundation grant, Obed Wild and Scenic River launched its “National Park in Your Backyard” program for the sixth-grade students of Morgan County. The Park is excited to announce that these programs will be held again this year and will be open to current sixth grade students.

Do you have beautiful photos of the Obed Wild & Scenic River? Enter your images in the 2024 Obed photography contest. Images may show wildlife, plant life, natural landscapes, historic areas, weather, or people interacting with nature within the boundaries of the Obed Wild and Scenic River. Selected images will be printed for an exhibition at the Obed Visitor Center on Friday, August 23.

On the evening of Monday, May 27, an approximately 55-year-old Cumberland County man was reported missing to National Park Rangers. He was last seen wading in Daddy’s Creek, near Devil’s Breakfast Table bridge.