On Friday, October 23, Waynesboro Mayor Tony Creasy played for guests as they arrived at the dedication of Buffalo River State Park. Later he spoke about his family's and friends' time along the Buffalo. Park rangers unveiled the new sign. Brian Clifford of the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation served as master of ceremonies, and County Commissioner Logan Shull spoke on behalf of County Executive Larry McDonald, according to The Wayne County News.
That ceremony made it Tennessee's 69th state park. The park isn't open to visitors yet. The state says its first public visits will come as guided tours and other events, posted online as staff get trails and facilities ready. So your first walk on this land will be on a ranger's schedule, not your own, and that's worth planning around.
What the State Protected on Horseshoe Bend Road
The park covers 448 acres of rolling pastures and wooded hillsides in northern Wayne County, near the Perry County line, according to the TDEC dedication announcement. It has more than two miles of river frontage, including the largest horseshoe bend anywhere on the Buffalo.
The address on the official park page is 599 Horseshoe Bend Rd, Linden, TN 37096. If you're searching for it, the Linden mailing address can throw you off, but the state describes the park as a Wayne County property.
The river is the main reason this land was protected. TDEC calls the Buffalo the longest unimpounded river in Middle Tennessee and notes that 48 rare species of plants and animals have been documented in the area. The Tennessee State Parks Conservancy describes the tract as forested bluffs, gravel beaches and grassy meadows. It adds that the property has the darkest night sky in Tennessee, citing Dark Sky data.
The park came together fast. In February 2025, state park officials told the Conservancy the tract was for sale and asked for help buying it. The Conservancy says it quickly got a purchase agreement with the landowner. Funding from the Tennessee Heritage Conservation Trust Fund helped. TDEC Deputy Commissioner Brian Clifford credited both the fund and the Conservancy with helping the state acquire the land. Less than two years passed between the "for sale" alert and the unveiling of the sign.
The Notice at the Top of the Park's Page
Open the park's page and the first thing you see is a notice titled "Limited Park Use":
While the park is not fully open to visitors quite yet, opportunities to visit through guided tours and other events will be shared in the events section. Please keep an eye out for opportunities!
The safety section below it explains why the first visits will be guided. There is no cell service in the area, and the page tells visitors to bring maps and some other way to communicate. There are no public facilities yet. The page also warns that flooding or high currents can affect people near the river, and it says to expect ticks and snakes.
So the bend is protected but not ready for drop-in visitors. With no signal, no public facilities and trails still being put in place, a ranger-led group makes sense as the first way in.
Where the $34 Million Is Pointed
The state budget sets aside $34 million to build the park out, per TDEC. Each budget line matches something the park page lists as missing today:
| Budget line | What the park page says now |
|---|---|
| Visitor center | No public facilities at this time |
| Campground | Not fully open to visitors |
| River access | Access from inside the park is still being developed |
| Roadways | One address, 599 Horseshoe Bend Rd |
| Maintenance facility | Staff are working to get trails and facilities in place |
Once the park is fully open, TDEC says it will offer paddling, fishing, hiking, camping and wildlife viewing. TDEC also expects it to bring tourism and economic activity to Wayne and Perry counties.
This park is part of a statewide push. TDEC says 14 new state parks will be created under Gov. Bill Lee, the most by any one administration in Tennessee history. TDEC Commissioner David Salyers said the state's investment will "protect this high value river corridor while preserving traditional outdoor recreation opportunities in rural Tennessee."
The River Was the Way In Long Before the Park
For now, the river is the easiest way to see what the park protects. The park page says people who want to paddle can go through local outfitters, and that some existing float routes already pass alongside the park. NewsChannel 5's Nick Beres said at the dedication that the Buffalo "has been a favorite destination for paddling, fishing, and reconnecting with nature" for decades, The Wayne County News reported.
Crazy Horse Canoe, at Bell Bridge in Waynesboro, takes trips by appointment only from November through March, booked by phone. Its posted floats include an 8-mile trip from Topsy Bridge to Crazy Horse that takes about four to five hours. It also runs a 10-mile float from Crazy Horse to Blue Rock. These routes are on the Buffalo's Lewis, Perry and Wayne County stretch, not along the park's horseshoe bend. A November float on that section won't take you past the new park, but it's the same river the park was created to protect.
How to Be on the First Tour
The guided tours will go on the park's events section, which listed no upcoming Buffalo River State Park events in early November. Here's how to stay ready:
- Bookmark the events section of the Buffalo River State Park page. The state named it as the place where tour and event dates will be posted.
- Check the reservations page. The park's page on reserve.tnstateparks.com links to Tennessee State Parks' events and registration.
- Save the phone number. The park page lists 1 (888) 867-2757.
- Plan for no signal. Download your directions to 599 Horseshoe Bend Rd before you leave town, and tell someone when you expect to be back. The state's own page says there's no cell service out there.
- Dress for ticks and the river. Wear long sleeves and insect repellent, and keep checking river conditions, which the park page specifically calls out.
Once dates are posted, those tours will be the first public visits to the largest horseshoe bend on the Buffalo since it became a state park.
If you live in Wayne County and want to talk about what a new state park means for the land and homes along the Buffalo, I'm glad to share what I know. Heidi Osterheld has worked these back roads for years and is always happy to compare notes on Horseshoe Bend Road and everything between it and the Square. Let's Connect.
