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Tennessee officials seek public input on state park at McDonald Farm

Staff file photo by Seth Carpenter / The farmstead sits on acreage at McDonald Farm. Tennessee State Parks has set an open house for July 16, 2026, to gather public input for the master plan of a new state park at the Sale Creek farm property.
Staff file photo by Seth Carpenter / The farmstead sits on acreage at McDonald Farm. Tennessee State Parks has set an open house for July 16, 2026, to gather public input for the master plan of a new state park at the Sale Creek farm property. Staff file photo by Seth Carpenter / The farmstead sits on acreage at McDonald Farm. Tennessee State Parks has set an open house for July 16, 2026, to gather public input for the master plan of a new state park at the Sale Creek farm property.

By Sam Still 2 min read

Community members have the opportunity to provide input on the new state park at McDonald Farm at a July open house.

Tennessee State Parks has set the open house for 5-7 p.m. July 16 at the harvest barn at the farm, 16705 Coulterville Road, Sale Creek. Input will help guide the park’s development and recreational opportunities, according to a press release from the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation.

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About 1,300 acres of the property, some in Hamilton County and some in Rhea County, will become Tennessee’s 70th state park, with $45 million in the state’s 2026-27 budget earmarked for the project. The property was once owned by the family of the late Roy McDonald, longtime publisher of the Chattanooga Free Press.

Existing state-owned parcels will make the new state park’s total area about 2,500 acres, the press release said. The farmstead at McDonald Farm will be retained by Hamilton County as a county park.

Individuals may provide input through an online survey, the press release said. Those interested in attending the open house are asked to register in advance, but it’s not required.

— Compiled by Sam Still