Bledsoe State Forest

Size: 8,365 acres/3,385 ha. Bledsoe State Forest is located on the Cumberland Plateau in east-central Tennessee, in Bledsoe, Cumberland, Van Buren, and White Counties. The land was originally purchased by the State Department of Institutions in 1907. In 1933, 6,656 acres were designated as state forest. The remaining lands, known as the Taft Youth Center, left under the jurisdiction of the Department of Institutions, now the Department of Corrections. Areas of the forest are used for tree improvement studies, where strains of various species are grown to determine their suitability as high quality timber. Much of the pine timber type on the southern section was wiped out and salvaged due to a southern pine beetle outbreak in the early 2000s. The timber types present include mixed upland hardwoods, mixed hardwood pine, planted white and loblolly pine, and hemlock pine. The forest has been used traditionally for hunting deer, turkey, and other small game species. The various streams throughout are utilized for fishing common river species. Hiking, horseback riding, and ATV riding occur on the forest as well. Fall Creek State Park is approximately 3 miles southwest of the forest.

GPS Coordinates of Main Entrance: 35.681907, -85.269735

Bledsoe State Forest Public Road Use Map (2.2 Mb pdf)

Bledsoe State Forest Firewood Collection Map

For More Information

Daniel Nielsen, State Forest Forester
310 Fire Tower Road
Sewanee, TN 37375
(615) 202-9393