A large part of McDonald Farm in northern Hamilton County is becoming Tennessee’s newest state park. And now it has a name: Angel’s Hollow.
The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation announced the name on October 20, with a dedication scheduled for November 6, 2026. That’s also the opening day of the Hamilton County Fair at McDonald Farm.
For anyone thinking about making a trip, there are two useful details to understand. The new state park and the county’s fairgrounds will sit alongside each other. And while the dedication has a date, the announcement doesn’t give an opening schedule for individual trails or visitor facilities.
Here’s what the state has confirmed, and what it means if you’re adding Angel’s Hollow to your list of places to visit.
A New State Park Along the Hamilton–Rhea County Border
Angel’s Hollow will cover approximately 2,500 acres, combining land transferred from Hamilton County with property the state already owns.
The county’s contribution is about 1,305 acres of McDonald Farm. In other words, the farm property accounts for a little more than half of the announced park acreage. The rest comes from existing state-owned parcels.
That helps explain the size of the project. Angel’s Hollow extends beyond the portion of McDonald Farm being transferred to the state.
The park’s visitor center will be based in Sale Creek. TDEC says the park is intended to offer outdoor experiences for people just getting started, along with longer trail connections and backcountry opportunities for visitors who want to go farther.
Gov. Bill Lee and First Lady Maria Lee chose the name to reflect the landscape’s peaceful character, according to the announcement.
The General Assembly has also approved $45.3 million in Tennessee’s fiscal year 2027 budget to support the new park. That is approved funding; the announcement does not provide a breakdown of what will be built or when each part will be ready.
Bneu2013, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
What Happens to the Fairgrounds and Historic Homestead?
If you know McDonald Farm through the Hamilton County Fair, this is the part worth keeping straight.
Hamilton County is retaining more than 300 acres, including the historic homestead and fairgrounds. That land will border Angel’s Hollow, remaining under county ownership.
So the project creates neighboring state and county park properties. It does not transfer the entire farm, including the fairgrounds, into the state park.
For visitors, that distinction will matter when looking up an event, finding an entrance or checking which facilities are available. Fair information and state park information may cover different parts of the property, even though both use the familiar McDonald Farm location.
The November 6 dedication brings those two uses together on the calendar, coinciding with the fair’s opening.
What to Know Before Planning a Visit
A dedication is an important milestone. It doesn’t, by itself, tell you which trails you can walk that day.
TDEC’s October 20 announcement describes the outdoor experiences envisioned for Angel’s Hollow, but it does not include trail distances, difficulty ratings, a visitor-center opening date or a campground reservation schedule.
Those details matter whether you’re coming from nearby Chattanooga or making a longer drive from Nashville, Murfreesboro, Knoxville or Clarksville. A short walk and a backcountry outing require very different plans, and the park’s acreage alone won’t tell you which is available.
If you’re interested in visiting around November 6, check for specific access and facility updates before leaving home. Anyone planning around the dedication should also look for the ceremony time, which was not included in the announcement.
For now, November 6 is the confirmed dedication date. The details of a hiking or camping trip still need to follow.
