Port Royal State Park, a Tennessee State Park near Clarksville, Nashville, Springfield

USA

Tennessee

Port Royal State Park

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Nearby Parks:
Dunbar Cave State Park

State Park Contact Information:
	Port Royal State Park	Area Accommodations
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State Park Overview:
	Port Royal is an historic park and a day use park. Port Royal State Park is a place of quiet natural beauty. This park is a satellite of Dunbar Cave State Park.
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Trails:
	The Bluff Trail begins near the covered bridge site and extends along the Red River. Wildflowers and birds are abundant along this leisurely 1/4 mile trail. Contact the park if you need more information.
History of the Area:
	An area rich in history, 26-acre Port Royal is the site of one of Tennessee's earliest communities and trading centers. It was an important site on the route to the West. An old Indian trail that lead to the Ohio River had evolved into a major stagecoach route during the early 1800's and had crossed the Red River at Port Royal. This is the route taken by the Cherokee Indians during their removal in 1837-38 known as the Trail of Tears. Diary records of the removal mentioned Port Royal as an encampment site where the Cherokee stayed overnight or longer to resupply, grind corn, and rest. History of the Covered Bridge: The present bridge is a reconstruction of an earlier bridge. Not much is known of the first bridge except that its remains were washed away in the flood of 1866. The second bridge was constructed in 1903. While workmen were removing the false support timbers from this bridge, 200 feet collapsed, sending three workers and one bystander into the Red River. One young man died. The bridge was rebuilt the following year; it served the area until 1955, when a new concrete and steel bridge was constructed. The old covered bridge deteriorated until it crashed into the river in 1972. The State of Tennessee received the deed to 22-acres of land at Port Royal in 1977 and rebuilt the present covered bridge. Port Royal was dedicated as a State historic Area in October, 1978. On June 10, 1998, heavy rains and tornado activity caused severe damage to the bridge. Much of the structure was destroyed leaving approximately half of the bridge in place. The Sulphur Fork Bridge was erected in 1890 by the Converse Bridge Company, one of only two major bridge companies in Tennesee specializing in metal truss designs. The bridge, an example of the Pratt truss design, is significant due to its unusual composiiton. The bridge is open only to foot travel.

Area Accommodations

Hotels/Motels

Comfort Inn Dickson - Dickson, TN
The Comfort Inn? hotel is conveniently located off Interstate 40, offering easy access to many nearby business parks and industrial areas also including Montgomery Bell State Park, offering boating, fishing, and miles of trails for hiking and mountain biking.
Web Site: http://www.comfortinn.com/hotel-dickson-tennessee-TN351

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