TBT: Tellico River and Bald River Falls - Cherokee National Forest

The scenic drive along the Tellico River to Bald River Falls and beyond is one of my favorites. These images are from a visit in October 2011.

The most scenic portion of the Tellico River is the gorge located along River Road (US Forest Service road 210) in Cherokee National Forest east of Tellico Plains, Tennessee.

Bald River Falls

 

Baby Falls on Tellico River

Tellico River

Panther Branch Trail (FS 162) trailhead

Full moon above State Line Campground

Entry to the forest is free.

The Cherokee National Forest website is at https://www.fs.usda.gov/cherokee.

TBT: Pinnacle Overlook - Cumberland Gap National Historical Park

Cumberland Gap National Historical Park has over 80 miles of trails. Two of the shortest trails lead from either end of the Pinnacles Overlook parking area to the overlook. The views from the Pinnacle Overlook are some of the best in the park and require a walk of about 200 yards one-way to see.

To reach the parking area from the visitor center, turn onto Pinnacle View Road and drive about 3.7 miles to the end of the road and the large, paved parking area. The trail from the pavilion area includes stairs, but the trail that begins near the handicap parking area is accessible all the way to the overlook. We visited in October 2011.

Looking southeast into Tennessee

The Tennessee end of the Cumberland Gap Tunnels

A portion of Middlesboro, Kentucy

Fern Lake

US 58 in the foreground with Harrogate, Tennessee across the ridge

View from the Pinnacle Overlook

Cumberland Gap, Tennessee in the foreground with Harrogate in the distance

Fern Lake and Middlesboro

Another view of Middlesboro with the visitor center interchange in the foreground

One last look at Fern Lake

Fall foliage

More fall foliage

Entry to Cumberland Gap National Historical Park is free.

The park website is https://www.nps.gov/cuga.

TBT: Tri-State Peak - Cumberland Gap National Historical Park

Cumberland Gap National Historical Park is located near Middlesboro, Kentucky where a narrow gap in the long ridge of Cumberland Mountain allowed relatively easy passage from the broad Powell River Valley of Virginia and Tennessee into the colonial frontier of Kentucky. Although it had been used by countless generations of  Native Americans, it wasn't discovered by Europeans until Thomas Walker reported on it in 1750. In 1775, Daniel Boone led a team of men that broadened the path into the Wilderness Road. Their work allowed wagons to finally head west toward the frontier.

The visitor center is located at an interchange on US 25E  between the Kentucky end of the Cumberland Gap Tunnel and Middlesboro. From the visitor center, drive 1.3 miles on Pinnacle View Road. Turn right onto Old Wilderness Road and then turn immediately right again into the large paved parking area. The parking area has five handicap accessible spaces, seven recreational vehicle spaces and over 40 passenger vehicle spaces.

The hike to Tri-State Peak and a pavilion marking the tripoint of Virginia, Kentucky, and Tennessee is a 2.2 mile round trip. The first 0.5 miles is on the restored Wilderness Trail to Cumberland Gap. This wide path was the route of US25E until the tunnel was completed in 1996. The grade averages 8% on this section. The remaining 0.6 miles to the pavilion is on the Tri-State Peak Trail. This trail has an average 10% grade.

I visited the park in October 2011.

Wilderness Road Trail

Rock cut for the former highway

Indian Rock

Fall colors along the trail

Trail junction at Cumberland Gap

View from the trail

Daniel Boone's Trail marker

Remains of a Union munitions warehouse

Tri-State Peak pavilion

Virginia

Kentucky

Tennessee

State boundaries in concrete and stone

USGS reference marks the tripoint

Northern terminus of the Cumberland Trail

View of Middlesboro from the pavilion

Fall wildflowers

Fern Lake, water supply for Middlesboro

Entry to Cumberland Gap National Historical Park is free.

The park website is https://www.nps.gov/cuga.