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May 1-31
Support Our Wildlife Ambassadors
ROAN MOUNTAIN STATE PARK

All Month
Price:

* $10.00 / Feeds one bird a day
* $20.00 / Feeds two birds a day
* $30.00 / Feeds three birds a day
* $40.00 / Feeds four birds a day
* $50.00 / Feeds five birds a day
At Roan Mountain we house, care for, and educate the public on a variety of native animals. We work under an educational permit from TWRA. Currently, we care for three birds of prey and several snakes! As you can imagine, caring for these animals is costly, as their food and health care is a specialty!
All of our animals are non-releasable for a variety of reasons. We frequently program with these animals and never charge for educational programs when using them. Here is your opportunity to support our educational wildlife program and help us care for these animals!
All donations will go to purchase food, pay vet bills, purchase gloves, tethers, falconry equipment, aquarium bedding, and to improve and build more housing facilities for our non-releasable birds of prey.
To donate click the green “Register for Event” button at the right. Your donation is a one-time payment. If you wish to cover more than one day, update the “quantity” you wish to donate, or simply come back to this page in future months.
Thank you for supporting our Wildlife Ambassadors at Roan Mountain State Park!

May 12-14
Leave No Trace Trainer Course – 7 p.m. – 3 p.m. $160/Participant, $194.95/Participant + Educator’s Toolkit. Register for the event.
Leave No Trace is a set of outdoor ethics that help us make decisions about how we enjoy and protect the outdoors. Becoming a Leave No Trace Trainer is a great way to build your confidence as an outdoor enthusiast and prepare you to teach Leave No Trace awareness workshops in your own community.
This hybrid online & in-person trainer course is designed to provide participants with the knowledge, skill, & experience to offer Leave No Trace Awareness training to the public in both formal and informal settings. Along with our Leave No Trace curriculum, we’ll enjoy outdoor recreational activities, and learn about the natural & cultural history of Roan Mountain.
We’ll begin our course with two virtual sessions, where we’ll cover basic program concepts and prepare for in-person instruction. We’ll continue with a weekend workshop at Roan Mountain State Park on May 12-14th, where we’ll put our knowledge into practical experience.
Participants who attend all sessions will fulfill all requirements for the 16-hour Leave No Trace Trainer course and enjoy a weekend at beautiful Roan Mountain State Park.
$160 Registration Fee includes:

* Front country camping in the Roan Mountain State Park group camp.
* 16 hour trainer course meeting Leave No Trace national training standards.
* Trainer Course Participant Packet (optional Educator’s Toolkit w/Additional Fee)
* Daily ranger-led recreational activities to enjoy the beauty & history of Roan Mountain
Course Schedule:
Wednesday, April 26, 7-9 p.m. EDT (Virtual Session)
Wednesday, May 4, 7-9 p.m. EDT (Virtual Session)

Friday, May 12 –

* 3 p.m. Group Camp check-in and setup
* 5 p.m. Session Starts
* 6 p.m. Supper Break
* 9 p.m. End of Day
Saturday, May 13 –

* 8 a.m. Session Starts
* 11:30 a.m. Lunch Break
* 5 p.m. End of Day
* Optional evening activity
Sunday, May 14 –

* 8 a.m. Session Starts
* 11:30 a.m. Lunch Break
* 3 p.m. Workshop Conclusion
* Participants may also camp Sunday night with a noon checkout time on Monday, May 15,
Cancellation Deadline/Refund Policy:
Participants may cancel no later than Wednesday, April 26, at 5 p.m. with a 50% refund. After Wednesday, April 26, at 5 p.m. there will be no refunds for participant cancellation.
Camping Details:

* All camping will follow Leave No Trace recommended best practices.
* Participants will be responsible for providing their own camping equipment and should be prepared to spend time outdoors in forecasted weather conditions. A recommended packing list will be provided.
* Meals will not be provided. Participants will be responsible for their own food and cooking gear. Coffee will be provided each morning.
* The group camp sites are located adjacent to the individual tent-only camping area of the Roan Mountain State Park campground. Sites include large gravel tent pads, picnic tables, fire rings, grills, and water spigots at each site. There is no electricity, camping is only allowed on the gravel pads (not in the surrounding grassy areas), and it is approximately a 1/4 mile walk to the nearest bathrooms/shower houses.
* Camping is recommended, but not required. While this is not a camping skills course, this is a great opportunity for newer campers to develop confidence in group of mixed experience.
* Cell service is unavailable and unreliable throughout most of the park. A Verizon hotspot is located in the Conference Center and also at the Camp Store.
* The Roan Mountain group camp is a great place to disconnect, as Wi-Fi is generally unreliable. Wi-fi is available at the conference center, visitor center, and throughout the rest of the campground.
* For additional campground details, visit: https://tnstateparks.com/parks/campground/roan-mountain

May 13
Elks Lodge 2023 Youth Trout Tournament – Meet at Roan Mountain State Park Amphitheater. Price is $0/Youth Fisherman, $10 /Attendee + $10 Park Donation, $20 /Attendee + $20 Park Donation. Register for the event.
Join Roan Mountain State Park and the Elizabethton Elks Lodge for the 40th annual Elks Lodge Youth Trout Tournament (Mother’s Day Weekend). This year’s trout tournament is strictly for youth ages 4-14 with youth competing in 3 age groups: 4-7, 8-11, and 12-14. Families interested in their youth participating must register their youth participants online on this page by May 13. The event times and details are as follows:

Trout Tourney Schedule:

* 7 a.m. – 9 a.m. – Mandatory Participant Check-in and Last Minute Registration at Amphitheater
* 9 a.m. – noon – Trout Fishing Tournament within the boundaries of the Doe River (see rules)
* Noon – 12:30 p.m. – Fish judging and prize preparations at Amphitheater
* 12:30 p.m. – 2 p.m. – Prize Award Ceremony at Amphitheater
Tournament Rules

* Tournament is limited to 300 participating youth fishermen/women.
* Youth participants must provide their own fishing gear and bait/tackle.
* Family members may assist youth, but may not fish for them – remember, this is for the kids!
* Fishing laws are per TN State Law: 7 trout/day (all species) may be kept to present for turn-in for measurements. Keep your best 7!
* Youth ages 12+ must have a valid TN Fishing License and Trout Stamp to participate. Youth under the age of 12 may fish without license.
* Judging of fish is by total lengths and weights of all trout presented to the judging table. A tie winner will be decided by total species caught.
* 1st-3rd place prizes will be awarded in each age category as well as door prizes awarded to participating youth.
* Park Rules and Laws – Rangers will be enforcing fishing regulations, state laws, and parking throughout the park grounds – remember, no parking on grass or sides of roads. You must park in a designated parking area.
* Food is welcome to be packed by families or participants can claim a lunch from the Elks Lodge Staff at the amphitheater (drinks, chips, and sandwiches will be available).

May 13
Spring Cleaning at the Miller Homestead – 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Meet at the Miller Farmstead House. Register for the event. Keeping up a historic farmstead is a lot of work! If you’d like to spend a few hours helping out with farmstead chores – weeding, painting, sweeping, native plants gardening, turning the compost heap, cleaning facilities, organizing tools & equipment – we’d love to have your help. These Saturday clean-ups will run through May 20 from 9 a.m.-11 a.m. and 1 p.m.-3 p.m. Volunteers are appreciated during any of these times and are not required to work the entire posted time frames.
Bring work gloves and dress for the weather with sturdy footwear (no sandals of any kind).
Advance registration is required by clicking the registration link on this page. If you have questions about the day’s specific activities, or are interested in volunteering at another date or time, please reach out to Park Ranger Marcianne O’Day at (423) 547-3900 or at Marcianne.Oday@tn.gov.

May 20
Firecraft Wilderness Survival/Bushcraft Skill – 2 p.m. – Price is $5 children 12 and under, $8 adults. Register for the event. Join Ranger James Holland to learn various methods of lighting a fire without matches. Instruction will include using a ferro rod, fire from batteries, traditional flint and steel, burning lens, and fire piston. Meet at park headquarters prior to going to the program area.

May 21
Bushcraft Soup and Salad – 2 p.m. Meet at Shed #3. Price is $10. Register for the event. Wild Soup and Salad made from the finest (or whatever we can find) outdoor ingredients. Hone your culinary skills using a bouillon base combined with quality ingredients such as ants, cattail root, tree bark or other wild edibles for a tasty soup. Don’t forget the salad as we explore the various green options available from the forest and field to make a refreshing (or hopefully refreshing) companion to our wild comfort soup.
Participants may bring their backpacking stove and cookware for preparing an individual meal and/or can choose to be creative with the group. Participants will meet at the Shed 3 parking area.

May 26
Night Wildlife of Roan Mountain – 8 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. – Meet at Visitor Center Porch. Price is $ 10/Participant + $10 Donation, $20/Participant + $20 Donation. Register for the event. Join Park Ranger Phil Hylen from 8-9:30 p.m. at the Roan Mountain State Park Visitor Center for a walk in the dark on our new Peg Leg Mine Loop Trail in search of the incredible wildlife living it up after dark. This evening walk will be a moderate difficulty 0.5-mile walk on natural terrain trail. Participants will be treated to views of unique salamanders, fireflies, and other critters that do their business in the night.
This free hike is limited to 20 individuals, so be sure to register your spot today on this page or by calling our park office at (423) 547-3900. Meet your host on the porch and be sure to bring a flashlight.