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June 1–30
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 nonreleasable 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 nonreleasable 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!

June 21–22
2025 Rhododendron Festival – 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday and Sunday
Meet at the Roan Mountain State Park Amphitheater.

June 1947 saw the first of the Rhododendron Festivals, conceived and carried out by the Roan Mountain Citizens Club as a two-day celebration to memorialize and perpetuate the most gorgeous display of natural beauty on the North American continent.

In recent years, the festival is held in Roan Mountain State Park, located at the foot of Roan Mountain, and features handmade crafts, food and a variety of traditional music, plus an array of old-time folkway demonstrations.

Location: Roan Mountain State Park Amphitheater, 1015 Highway 143, Roan Mountain, TN 37687
Time: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., June 21–22, 2025

Parking is by donation to a local civic group. Admission, demonstrations and entertainment are free all day both days. Over 100 arts and crafts vendors. A variety of food is available. Visit the world’s largest natural rhododendron gardens atop 6,000-foot Roan Mountain. Hike the Appalachian Trail as it runs along the border of Tennessee and North Carolina. Learn about our nation’s history as you relax beside cool streams. Camp or stay in a rustic cabin.

The Citizens Club will have Roan Mountain cookbooks, auto tags and T-shirts available for purchase at the festival. See them at our tent under the big oak tree. We’ll also be selling ice-cold canned drinks and bottled water. All proceeds go to Roan Mountain community projects at schools, fire departments and other local causes.

A mini-auction for scholarships for Cloudland High School graduates will be conducted between performances. Festival vendors and local businesses have donated items.

For more information, visit www.roanmountain.com/rhododendron-festival.

June 23, 2025
Junior Ranger Camp (Ages 8–12) – 8:30 a.m. to noon

Price:
$75 per participant
$55 for Cloudland Elementary students

Registration is now open!

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 during the graduation ceremony and banquet.

Camp runs Monday through Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to noon. The graduation ceremony and party will take place Friday night from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at the park conference center.

The $75 registration fee includes a T-shirt, daily snacks and a fun awards celebration Friday night.

June 27
Friday Night Music in the Park: BD & B Frank – 7 to 8 p.m.
Meet at the park amphitheater. Gather for an evening of music in nature at the park amphitheater. Concerts are free, but cash tips for the unpaid musicians are welcome. Bench seating is available near the stage. Guests may bring their own lawn chair or picnic blanket to enjoy the music from the surrounding grassy area.

June 28
Salamanders of Appalachia Hike – 9 to 10:30 p.m.
Meet at the Roan Mountain State Park Visitor Center. The price is $10 and you can register for the event.

The Southern Appalachian Mountain range happens to be the salamander capital of the world. Roan Mountain State Park Ranger Phil Hylen will offer an evening salamander hike from 9 to 10:30 p.m. EDT on Saturday, June 28, to give a small peek into the diverse world of salamanders.

Participants will meet at the Roan Mountain State Park Visitor Center before taking part in a one-mile night hike observing various species of salamanders in different environments.

This hike will be led along the Peg Leg Mine Loop Trail, which offers a moderate-difficulty natural terrain hike with a maximum grade of approximately 18 percent. Along the hike, Ranger Hylen will share observation techniques for salamanders and other small terrestrial life in the forest and along the river.

The hike is limited to 15 participants, and the ticket cost is $10 per person. Be sure to bring good hiking shoes, water bottles and a flashlight.

July 4
Friday Night Music in the Park: The Corklickers – 7 to 8 p.m.
Meet at the park amphitheater. Gather for an evening of music in nature at the park amphitheater. Concerts are free, but cash tips for the unpaid musicians are welcome. Bench seating is available near the stage. Guests may bring their own lawn chair or picnic blanket to enjoy the music from the surrounding grassy area.

July 11
Friday Night Music in the Park: Jim & Cheri Miller – 7 to 8 p.m.
Meet at the park amphitheater. Gather for an evening of music in nature at the park amphitheater. Concerts are free, but cash tips for the unpaid musicians are welcome. Bench seating is available near the stage. Guests may bring their own lawn chair or picnic blanket to enjoy the music from the surrounding grassy area.

July 18
Friday Night Music in the Park: Tom and the Roan Mountain Gals – 7 to 8 p.m.
Meet at the park amphitheater. Gather for an evening of music in nature at the park amphitheater. Concerts are free, but cash tips for the unpaid musicians are welcome. Bench seating is available near the stage. Guests may bring their own lawn chair or picnic blanket to enjoy the music from the surrounding grassy area.

August 1
Friday Night Music in the Park: Roan Crows – 7 to 8 p.m.
Meet at the park amphitheater. Gather for an evening of music in nature at the park amphitheater. Concerts are free, but cash tips for the unpaid musicians are welcome. Bench seating is available near the stage. Guests may bring their own lawn chair or picnic blanket to enjoy the music from the surrounding grassy area.

August 8
Friday Night Music in the Park: The Corklickers – 7 to 8 p.m.
Meet at the park amphitheater. Gather for an evening of music in nature at the park amphitheater. Concerts are free, but cash tips for the unpaid musicians are welcome. Bench seating is available near the stage. Guests may bring their own lawn chair or picnic blanket to enjoy the music from the surrounding grassy area.

August 15
Friday Night Music in the Park: Bandwagon Fallacy – 7 to 8 p.m.
Meet at the park amphitheater. Gather for an evening of music in nature at the park amphitheater. Concerts are free, but cash tips for the unpaid musicians are welcome. Bench seating is available near the stage. Guests may bring their own lawn chair or picnic blanket to enjoy the music from the surrounding grassy area.

August 22
Friday Night Music in the Park: Fern Hollow – 7 to 8 p.m.
Meet at the park amphitheater. Gather for an evening of music in nature at the park amphitheater. Concerts are free, but cash tips for the unpaid musicians are welcome. Bench seating is available near the stage. Guests may bring their own lawn chair or picnic blanket to enjoy the music from the surrounding grassy area.

August 29
Friday Night Music in the Park: The Repossessed – 7 to 8 p.m.
Meet at the park amphitheater. Gather for an evening of music in nature at the park amphitheater. Concerts are free, but cash tips for the unpaid musicians are welcome. Bench seating is available near the stage. Guests may bring their own lawn chair or picnic blanket to enjoy the music from the surrounding grassy area.