Rocky Fork State Park

Lamar Alexander Rocky Fork State Park is 2,076 acres of scenic wilderness in Unicoi County, in the southern Appalachian Mountains of East Tennessee. The park is approximately 30 minutes from both Johnson City and Asheville, N.C., and 10 miles from Erwin, the county seat. Part of the Rocky Fork watershed, the land was designated a Tennessee State Park in October 2012, but wasn't officially opened and staffed until May 2015. As of January 2019, Rocky Fork State Park has been named after Senator Lamar Alexander.

The park is surrounded on three sides by the Cherokee National Forest. The steep, rugged terrain is drained by numerous cool mountain streams including its namesake, Rocky Fork Creek, which flows through the park. The stream is located in the pristine Rocky Fork watershed. With large moss-covered boulders, deep pools and eddies the cold, quickly flowing stream is noted for miles of excellent native trout fishing. There are many miles of old, unmarked logging and wildlife management roads in the area. A corridor of the Appalachian National Scenic Trail and the Sampson Mountain Wilderness Area are nearby.