Prentice Cooper State Forest

About Prentice Cooper State Forest

Cooper State Forest is located in southeastern Tennessee, in Marion County, and the scenic Tennessee River Gorge is located about 10 miles west of Chattanooga. The forest is widely used by the public and is home to a variety of wildlife including deer, elk, coyotes, wild boar, foxes, raccoons, squirrels, birds, owls, otters and birds.

69% of the forest is regulated for multiple purposes, and 6,939 hectares have been designated as an unregulated landscape zone protected by the Tennessee Department of Natural Resources (TNR) and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS). The Prentice Cooper estate was bought by a simple purchase between 1938 and 1944, but the area was declared a state forest in 1945.

The management of the forest is primarily focused on preserving recreational opportunities for the public. The forest also includes several farms owned by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, as well as the Prentice Cooper Wildlife Management Area. Also in the forest is a 1,000-acre wildlife management area, the Great Flowered Skullcap Conservation Area (GFLCA), designed to protect the world's largest population of the endangered Great Blooming Skullcap in the United States.

There are also two designated campgrounds and 35 km of hiking trails, including the Prentice Cooper State Forest Trail, a 1,000 hectare network of trails. There is also a 2.5 km trail from the GFLCA to the Great Flowered Skullcap Conservation Area, a 35 km trail that includes an elevation difference of 3,500 feet and an 8 km descent.

The Tennessee Department of Agriculture and Forestry, in collaboration with the University of Tennessee, is providing workers from all parts of the forest for various research activities. Other recreational activities include camping in designated areas such as the Prentice Cooper State Forest Trail and the Great Flowered Skullcap Conservation Area (GFLCA). Hunting is the traditional use of this forest, whether hunting, fishing, hunting and catching or camping.