The Tennessee Overhill is blessed with scenic drives where the breathtaking fall and spring colors stretch as far as the eye can see. Two national scenic byways top the list. The following are good choices:
Cherohala
Skyway - Hwy. 165 from Tellico Plains takes you across the mountains
that border NC and TN. Spectacular new road with pull-offs has been declared
a National Scenic Byway by the Federal Highway Administration. This road
offers a great new east-west route to connect Tennessee and North Carolina.
A side trip to Bald River Falls on the Old River Road is worth the
time. The Joyce Kilmer Slickrock Wilderness is nearby. |
 Ocoee Scenic
By-Way--US Highway 64 / FS 77: First National Forest Scenic By-Way
in the United States. Located in the Cherokee National Forest,
it consists of 26 miles of highway that winds alongside the Ocoee River
in Polk County and up to the Chilhowee Campground on Forest Service Road
#77. The highway passes through scenic areas dominated by rock bluffs, mountain
peaks and historic sites such as the Ocoee Flume Line and Powerhouses,
Confederate Camp and Old Copper Road. The panoramic views from the Chilhowee
Overlooks and Boyd Gap are favorites of photographers. |
Hwy 30 from 411 Hwy to to Hwy 64. Drive
along the scenic Hiwassee River, through the Historic District of Reliance,
the mountain community of Greasy Creek to Parksville Lake on Hwy.64. This
route takes you through Reliance where visitors can stop at
Webb Brothers General Store,
or drive up to the Hood Mountain Overlook. |
From Furs to Factories: Exploring the Industrial Revolution
in the Tennessee Overhill
Modern day explorers can use a free brochure
to guide them to the places and museums where they will learn the stories
of copper miners, railroaders, loggers, textile workers, dam builders, farmers
and fur traders--the ordinary people who shaped the land and culture of the
Tennessee Overhill during one of the greatest movements in history--the
Industrial Revolution.
Serious students of this period of history in the Upland South will want to buy the complete, 64-page guidebook, also titled From Furs to Factories.
Agri-Culture. A free brochure
leads visitors through the Tennessee counties of McMinn, Monroe and Polk
to places where locally produced agricultural products are sold. The
trail also winds along scenic backroads past farmsteads and fields.