Radnor Lake State Park RV & Campground Guide

This park has multiple ecosystems, so you can spend plenty of time observing this variety. Take a scenic drive along Otter Creek Road in the winter to see waterfowl. There is an observation deck along the road for visitors who want to stop. Visitors often spot diving ducks on the lake's west side, such as ring-necked and canvasback ducks. The water on the lake's eastern side is shallower. You can often spot marsh ducks there, like Gadwall and American widgeons, especially in the spring. The second observation deck is in this area near the Lake Trail.

The oak-hickory groves within this park are fantastic places to see other animals. Visitors may spot white-tail deer, muskrats, minks, bobcats and coyotes in the grove. Closer to the lake, visitors may see river otters and beavers. One unique plant that visitors can see is Tennessee yellow-eyed grass. This endangered plant produces one flower about mid-morning, which dies about mid-afternoon during August and September. Plant experts have only found this plant in about 16 places in the Southeast. Look for it in the park's grassy meadows, near the park's visitor center and the aviary.

Some of the prettiest views at Radnor Lake State Park are at the top of Ganier Ridge, and you can easily reach it by hiking along the 1.65-mile-long Ganier Ridge Trail. You can access this trail from the Lake Trail or the Access Trail on the park's east side. The natural-surface area runs to the top of a ridge, one of the highest points in the park. At the end of this out-and-back trail is a plaque with the name Albert F. Ganier, founder of the Tennessee Ornithological Society, who died the year this park opened.

Biking is only allowed along a section of Otter Creek Road at the park's south end. The road is paved, making it a terrific place for road bikers. Much of the trail runs near a hickory-oak grove, a fabulous place to spot birds and wildlife.