Pickett CCC Memorial State Park lies within the 20,887-acres Pickett State Forest and is adjacent to the massive 120,000 acre Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area. In 1933, the Stearns Coal and Lumber Company donated nearly 12,000 acres of land to the State of Tennessee to be developed as a forest recreational area. Initial development of the area by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) occurred between 1934 through1942. The CCC constructed hiking trails, five rustic cabins, a recreation lodge, a ranger station, and a 12-acre lake. The park memorializes and preserves the unique work of the CCC who first developed the park.

In 2015, Pickett CCC Memorial State Park and Pogue Creek Canyon State Natural Area earned Silver-tier International Dark Sky Park designation. It became the first state park in the Southeast to gain this prestigious recognition. Visitors can enjoy sweeping, rich views of the night sky similar to those found in many of the Western states.