Big Ridge State Park occupies 3,687 acres in eastern Tennessee on Norris Reservoir, with Big Ridge Lake at its center and ridges and hollows typical of the Appalachian Ridge-and-Valley landscape. The park emerged from the Norris Project in the 1930s, when the Tennessee Valley Authority, National Park Service, and Civilian Conservation Corps developed recreation areas around Norris Dam; facilities opened in 1934, and CCC Company 4495 built many of its rustic features. The area also preserves much older history, from Native American and Cherokee occupation to Sharp’s Station, the Norton Gristmill, and other frontier and community landmarks, blending recreation with deep local heritage.