The 70 acres of sunflowers fields at Forks of the River WMA are in full bloom, and the Sunflower Festival happening today (July 8) is a great way to get the full experience! Now is the time to see these shoulder-high blooms at their peak, as they’ll only be around for a few more weeks.
This free event hosted by Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency and Legacy Parks is from 9 a.m. to noon, and will highlight the beautiful fields of flowers that draw thousands of visitors each year. With Legacy Parks guided hikes led by yours truly paired with an interpretive talk by TWRA, you’ll enjoy the beauty of the blooms and also learn about the benefits they bring to wildlife and hunters.
The festival will be fun for all ages with a wildlife informational trailer, a booth featuring wildlife identification information, and kid’s activities also offered.
TWRA, the owner of the Wildlife Management Area, has planned this event for the second time due to the exploding popularity of the blooms. They opened a new parking lot this year at 3140 McClure Lane to help accommodate the crowds, and the blooms have not failed to impress.
In order to maintain soil fertility and control pests, TWRA only plants the sunflowers every other year. So join us to see the sunflowers for the last time until 2019!
Forks of the River WMA is a beautiful riverside area with opportunities for recreation all year long – including miles of trail for hiking and biking along with impressive birding and wildflower displays. Come get familiar with it at the Sunflower Festival and make plans to Get Out & Play there again soon!