Knoxville, TN – The beautiful sunflower fields are in full bloom at the Forks of the River! The Wildlife Management Area has been a warm relaxing place in South Knox for family and friends every summer!

The 300-acre sunflower fields expand every year for the local hikers. The sunflowers are surrounded by comforting trails of green terrain and songbirds. It is perfect for a family bike ride and photography in the mountains.

Earlier, the TWRA held an annual Sunflower Festival to announce the flowers in bloom. The Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency, Legacy Parks Foundation, Visit Knoxville, City of Knoxville Parks and Recreation and Ijams Nature Center joined together to host a beautiful celebration!

This last weekend, locals and tourists walked through the fields accompanied by local rangers and food sponsors for the annual opening.

According to a local TWRA worker,

Not only are the fields for busy bees and people, but the sunflowers also feed the morning doves and keep them coming back for the natural brown sunflower seeds!

According to New2Knox,

Also, Forks on the River isn’t actually a public park. As the name says, it’s a Wildlife Management Area. It’s only open to the public June through August each year, and it’s home to a LOT of wildlife.

It seems almost like magic how they appear in Knoxville only for about 3 weeks in July. The special secret to these wonderful flowers is the full acreage blooms every other year!

Plan a Trip

At last, the basking sunflowers are calling you!

The trails and fields can be found here.

The day trip is best planned with sunscreen and hiking shoes.

Also, you can check out the Nature Center Gift Shop and dip in the Tennessee River nearby!

Make sure you preserve these fields by admiring the sunflowers without picking them. The Wildlife Management Area works hard to maintain the sunflower fields and wildlife.