Tennessee State Parks dedicates new Cardwell Mountain State Archaeological Park

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WZTV) — Tennessee State Parks announced that Cardwell Mountain is now recognized as a state archaeological park.

The new Cardwell Mountain State Archaeological Park preserves over 5,000 years of Tennessee’s history, and is one of only three archaeological state parks in the state.

Located at the edge of Eastern Highland Rim and the Cumberland Plateau, the park contains unique geological features like limestone outcrops on its mountains, and nears the Cumberland Caverns, one of the longest cave systems in the nation.

Research at the site has documented evidence of Native American settlement for thousands of years, and one the most prominent examples of this is a 15-foot-tall monument built by Native Americans around 1,000 years ago, located in a meadow beneath the mountain.

The mountain is named for the Cardwell family, who built a homestead on the mountain and lived and farmed for 150 years. Some of the apple trees from original Cardwell orchard still stand on the property.

The park is not yet open to the public while protective measures are established to allow visitors to explore without disturbing the site.