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The Tennessee Overhill Experience - Attractions, Map, Outdoor Recreation, Scenic Drives & More
1. The Lost Sea is located in Sweetwater, TN and is the largest underground lake in the US. It is open year round and offers educational guided tours. The Lost Sea is a registered natural landmark. Phone (423) 337-6616 for more information.
2. Fort Loudoun State Historic Area, located near Loudoun, TN has living historic weekends scheduled throughout the year offering a re-enactment of 1750's soldiers. Phone (423) 884-6217 for scheduled events.
3. The Orr Mountain Winery, located between Madisonville and Sweetwater, TN has tours and an excellent wine tasting room. They have a demonstration of the process during the August harvest. Phone (423) 442-5340 for more information.
4. Fleas Unlimited, located in Sweetwater, TN (McMinn County), is Tennessee's largest indoor/outdoor flea Market and offers over 500 spaces of shopping. Usually most shops are only open on Saturday and Sunday, however there are a few open during the weekdays. Phone (423) 337-3532.
5. The Tennessee Meiji Gakuin Culture Enrichment Center is located in Sweetwater, TN and is adjacent to TN's first Japanese High School. Offers an annual fall Quilt Show and many Japanese cultural items of interest. Call (423) 337-4245 for schedule.
6. Tellico Lake located near Vonore, TN covers approximately 16,500 acres (373 miles of shoreline) and has many recreation areas. Boat launching, picnic areas, fishing, overnight camping, and marina facilities are available throughout the year. Phone (423) 332-0900 for more information about Tellico Lake.
7. Coker Creek Village has an excellent Autumn Gold Festival the second weekend in October. Mountain arts and crafts, music, food, gold panning, horseback riding, mountain biking, hiking, and white water rafting is offered throughout the year. Their "Old Country Store" is worth the visit. Store hours are March - October, Monday - Saturday 9 a.m. - 5 p.m./Sunday 12 noon - 5 p.m.; November - March, Closed Sunday and Monday. Cherokee National Forest information is available year round. Coker Creek Crafts Gallery, 206 Hot Water Road, Coker Creek, TN represents more than 30 artists and craftsperson (423) 261-2157 is located near Coker Creek Village. Scheduled events at Coker Creek Village include hay rides, gold panning, rubie/gemstone mining, mountain music.
While in the area you might want to visit historic " Coker Creek Falls" nearby which has a scenic hiking trail. Phone (423) 261-2310 for more information.
8. Cherokee National Forest offers many, exciting things to do and lots of beautiful mountain scenery so bring your camera. Camping, hiking trails, kayaking on the Tellico River, fishing and hunting are available year round. Points of interest include Bald River Falls, Pheasant Fields Trout Rearing Pools, and Green Cove. Phone (423) 253-2520 for information.
9.Cherohala Skyway - The Cherohala Skyway is one of Southeast Tennessee's most scenic highways and is designated as a National Scenic Byway. The highway is 51 miles long with an elevations that reaches 5,400 feet at the highest point. The highway starts in Tellico Plains, TN (Highway 165) and ends in Robinsville, NC. Points of interest along the road include the Tellico and North Rivers, Citico Creek (TN), numerous scenic overlooks and the Santeetlah Creek (NC). Approximately 22 miles ourt of Tellico Plains you will cross a 700 foot bridge at the 4,000 foot elevations and is the highest major bridge in the southeast. Approximately 26 miles out of Tellico is Stratton Meadows, named for the old Stratton family homesite which was located there. In this area the legendary Trail of Tears begain. Please note that there aren't any service stations or restaurants along the road. Facilities are located in Tellico Plains and Robinsville. Phone (423) 442-9147 or (800) 245-5428 (Monroe Country Tourism Council) for maps and information.
10. East Tennessee Riding Stables offers guided or unguided horseback riding. They are located 2 miles south of Coker Creek Village. Open year round with summer and winter rates. 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Horseback riding in the Cherokee National Forest. Phone (423) 261-2700 or (1) 888-367-7133 for directions and more information.
11. Striker's Premium Winery & Tasting Room,
480 County Road 472, Athens, TN 37303, (423) 507-8816 (McMinn County)
offers a variety of excellent wines in sweet, semi-sweet, and dry wines. Hours
Monday - Saturday: 10:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.; Sunday: Noon - 8:00 p.m.
Enhanced by a stream that gently flows past the winery, Striker's brings
you over 20 years of quality wine making experience. Family owned and
operated.
12. Sequoyah Birthplace Museum,
Citico Road, P.O. Box 69, Vonore, TN 37885, (423) 884-6246. The musem
is operated by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and is Tennessee's
only Native American operated historical attraction. Open year round.
Hours: Monday - Saturday: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.; Sunday: Noon - 5 p.m. (Closed
Thanksgiving and Christmas Day). Excellent musem for people who want to
learn more about Sequoyah, the Cherokee people, history, culture, and
the Trail of Tears.
Intersection of Highway 441 and Highway 19
P.O. Box 1959 Cherokee, NC 28719
Tel: (704) 497-7777 Fax: (704) 497-5076
1-800-HARRAHS® (1-800-427-7247)
Your trip's estimated travel time is 2 hours, 30 minutes for 107.21 miles of travel.
14.
Dollywood Internet, 1020 Dollywood Lane, Pigeon Forge, TN 37863-4101
15. "The Tennessee Aquarium, located in Chattanooga, Tennessee
is the world's largest freshwater aquarium. Journey through
a spectacular 60-foot canyon and two living forests,
where you'll see over 9,000 animals that swim, fly or
crawl in natural habitats."
16.
Cades Cove - Located in the west end of the Smokey Mountain National Park
17.
Gatlinburg, Tennessee - Attractions
The Nantahala National Forest: Attractions, Points of Interest, and
Places to Stay
Nantahala National Forest Information
The Nantahala National Forest lies in the mountains of Western North
Carolina and offers a half million acres of forest land for hunting,
fishing, camping, hiking, backpacking, white water rafting and sightseeing.
There are approximately 2,500 miles of streams and 30,000 acres of lakes,
ponds, and reservoirs in the Nantahala National Forest. Native trout
species include brown, rainbow, and native brook. Appalachia and Hiawassee
Lakes in Cherokee County offer some great smallmouth/large mouth bass,
crappie, bluegill, pike, walleye and catfish.
Rocky Water Campground, Highway 19, Box 185, Nantahala Gorge, Topton,
NC 28781, (828) 321-3660. Tent sites on the bank and two islands;
RV sites with full hookup; many river bank sites with electric; 3 bath
houses; game room, food, rafting trips and rentals.
US Fire Service Cheoah Point Campground, Cheoah District Ranger,
Rt. 1, Box 16A, Robinsville, NC 28771, (828) 479-6431.
26 sites, no showers; pit toilets. Open April 14 - October 31.
$5.00/night fee.
US Fire Service Rattler Ford Campground, (same address/phone as above).
Group mountain camping with 4 sites for up to 50 people per site.
Reservations only. Flush toilets and hot showers. Open April 6 -
October 31. (Cheoah Ranger District.
US Fire Service Tasli Recreational Area, (Cheoah Ranger District),
41 sites, flush toilets and showers, trailer space, boat ramp, fishing,
hiking trails, bike trails, horse trails, drinking water. Open April 14 -
October 21. $10.00/night fee.
For more information write or call: "Inside The Nantahala Forest, Inc.,
P.O. Box 1208, Murphy, NC 28906; (828) 644-0248.
Weather Conditions:
Temperatures for the area are: Spring, April 15 - June 15 70 to 80
degrees during the day and 55 to 65 at night, higher elevations average
40 - 50 degrees during the night; Summer, June 15 - September 15
70 - 80 degrees during the day and 55 to 65 degrees at night; Fall,
September 15 - December 15, 50 - 60 degrees during the day, higher
elevations average 30 - 40 degrees in December; 30 - 40 degrees during
the night. Snow likely in the higher elevations; Winter, December
15 - March 15, Daytime temperatures average from 20 - 35 degrees;
Nighttime temperatures average from 0 to 20 degrees. Snow is common
especially in the higher elevations.
Fishing
Camping
