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February 1-28
Support Our Wildlife Ambassadors
Roan Mountain State Park
All month

Price:

• $10: Feeds one bird a day
• $20: Feeds two birds a day
• $30: Feeds three birds a day
• $40: Feeds four birds a day
• $50: 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 the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. 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 are specialties.

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 veterinary bills, buy gloves, tethers, falconry equipment, and aquarium bedding, and 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 return to this page in future months.

Thank you for supporting our wildlife ambassadors at Roan Mountain State Park!

February 7
Doe River Beginner’s Fly-Tying
1-3 p.m. Price: $20. Register for the event.

Have you ever wanted to learn to make your own flies for fishing the streams of Roan Mountain? Join Park Ranger Phil Hylen for our Fly-Tying for Beginners class.

In this two-hour course, participants will learn the basics of the art of fly-tying and make their first fly. This class will also introduce participants to some of our more common aquatic critters by turning over rocks and leaves in the Doe River to get a close-up look at the local trout’s dinner menu.

This class is limited to five participants at a fee of $20 per person. Registration is available using the registration link on this event page or at a park office. If you are registering a youth, parents are asked to stay and assist the minor during the class (assisting adults are not required to register unless they are making their own fly).

This class will take place at the Roan Mountain State Park Visitor Center. Meet your host on the porch.

February 8
Peg Leg Mine GeoVenture
1-3 p.m. Price: $15. Register for the event.

Join Roan Mountain State Park for a geology adventure hike to the Peg Leg Mine. Your host, Ranger Phil Hylen, will take you back to the late 1800s as you explore the ridges of the mountains for traces of iron ore. Along the way, we will learn the geology of Roan Mountain and what makes it unique.

After exploring the Peg Leg Mine on a 1.2-mile hike (moderate difficulty, natural terrain), participants will get to crack open geodes and iron ore to keep.

This program begins and ends at the Visitor Center. This time of year is historically cold, so dress in layers appropriate for the temperatures and wear good hiking shoes. Bring plenty of water and any snacks you may need.

This program is limited to 20 participants. The fee is $15 per person.

February 21

Senses of the Night Hike – 8 – 9 p.m. Meet at Shelter 3 in the campground. Price is $10 and you can register for the event. Join us on the evening of Friday, February 21st, for an after-hours nature tour through the forests of Roan Mountain State Park. Park Ranger Rodriguez will lead you through the dark on a 0.5-mile hike through the Tom Gray trail. We will be learning about how nocturnal wildlife have adapted their senses for the dark and try our own hand at adapting to the night! From glow in the dark animals, starry nights, and turning over logs and rocks to find some of our park’s most secretive wildlife, this nocturnal prowl is fun for the entire family.

This activity is limited to 20 participants at a cost of $10.00 per person. Registered participants will meet at Shelter 3, located in the campground on the right once you pass the tennis courts. Guests are encouraged to bring sturdy hiking shoes, weather appropriate clothing, water, and a flashlight.

February 22

Tree Ring Printmaking – 6 to 8 p.m. Meet at the Conference Center. Price is $10 and you can register for the event. Come on out and join us as we create our very own works of art!

We will be utilizing wood that has fallen due to Hurricane Helene, and repurposing them to create tree cookie prints! By using tree rings we get the opportunity to dive deeper into learning the life story of that tree and the forest around it. As we learn more about dendrochronology, we will reflect on how we trees, and us, measure our successes every year.

During this program we will be using tree cookies, acrylic paint, and our canvases to create works of art. All materials are provided.

Registration is required as spaces are limited.

February 28
Raptors of the Roan
4-5 p.m. Meet at the Roan Mountain State Park Office Aviary.

Join Roan Mountain State Park at the aviary, located at the park headquarters building, to meet our owl ambassadors and aviary staff. Participants will become familiar with the rich and unique diversity of birds of prey found in the park and surrounding area.

This is a great way to learn about local raptor birding destinations and events. Of course, meeting our live education owls is an experience all its own!

March 1

2025 Roan Mountain Weed Wrangle – 2 – 5 p.m. Meet at the Roan Mountain State Park Visitor Center. You can register for the event. Join Roan Mountain State Park on Saturday, March 1st for a nation-wide effort spearheaded by the Garden Club of America to remove invasive exotic plants from our landscape and replace them with useful native plants. From 2-5PM EST at the Visitor Center, volunteers and park ranger staff will work together to remove non-native Chinese Privet from along the shores of the Doe River and prepare the area for planting of native plants to out compete the privet. This workday will start and end at the Visitor Center parking lot where restrooms will be closed at all times. Volunteers will be given park tools and safety gear (gloves and eye-protection), but are asked to bring water bottles and any snacks/medicine needed for a 3-hour work event.  

June 23
2025 Junior Ranger Camp (Ages 8-12)
8:30 a.m. to noon. Price: $75 per participant; $55 for Cloudland Elementary students.

Learn about safety, plants, animals, bugs, astronomy, environmental stewardship, history, and more. At the conclusion of the week, each participant will be sworn in as an official Junior Ranger for Tennessee State Parks at our graduation ceremony and banquet.

Camp runs Monday through Thursday, with the graduation ceremony and party taking place Friday night from 6-8:30 p.m. at the park Conference Center.

The registration fee of $75 includes a T-shirt, daily snacks, and a fun awards celebration on Friday night. After registration closes on June 1, registrants will receive additional paperwork via email, including a liability waiver, medical history form, and agenda details.

Registration is open to kids ages 8-12 only. Refunds will be granted for cancellations made before June 1. After June 1, no refunds will be given (T-shirts and supplies will have already been ordered).