FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: CONTACT:
Jeff Muir
Blount Partnership
(865) 983.2241
Jennifer Wiggins
AkinsCrisp Public Strategies
(865) 680.1457
Rocky Top Trail Takes Visitors Off the
Beaten Path to Explore East Tennessee Treasures
BLOUNT COUNTY, Tenn.—For visitors interested in exploring the back roads of East Tennessee while enjoying the history, culture and beauty of area, the Rocky Top Trail provides adventure, natural attractions, sports and recreation, shopping, music, arts, Agri-tourism and historic stops from the 1700s, the Civil War, Coal Mining and early 20th Century mountain life.
The trail includes more than 100 stops, beginning in Gatlinburg, venturing into the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, through the moonshine stills of Cosby, meandering along the Foothills Parkway, stopping at the home of Bush Beans—the A.J. Bush & Company general store that was founded in 1897, through forbidden caverns, aboard the Titanic, through Dollywood, to Knoxville, Fort Loudon and finally circling back to Blount County where there are several stops along the trail.
“The trail is a great way to explore the area because visitors can make a day trip out of it, or they can spend several nights as they explore each community along the way,” said Tami Vater, director of Tourism for the Smoky Mountain Tourism Development Authority. “We have more than a dozen stops highlighted on the trail, and in-between the stops, there are numerous other hidden gems along the way.”
Blount County stops highlighted on the trail include:
· Townsend Visitors Center: Stop in for helpful information about the area and its attractions, and experience special events and demonstrations throughout the year. You can also browse the gift shop, which includes local arts and crafts, along with books, maps, music and videos.
· Townsend Artisan Gallery: Find unique jewelry and handcrafts at this local artist-owned, artist-run gallery.
· Little River Railroad Museum: Learn about the historic logging and railroad industries that cleared more than 77,000 acres of what is now Great Smoky Mountains National Park between 1901 and 1939.
· Wood –N- Strings Dulcimer Shop: See how this mountain instrument is made and learn how to play in just five minutes.
· Tuckaleechee Caverns: Take a guided tour of these 20- to 30-million-year-old caverns.
· Nawger Nob Arts Community: Home of two annual crafts festivals, supply stores, galleries and offering classes, this is a center for arts in Townsend.
· Dancing Bear Lodge and Restaurant: Fine dining using local ingredients to create a tasteful and sophisticated experience with mountain tradition in mind.
· Apple Valley Country Store: This is so much more than a general store; its a true culinary delight. Find fudge made on site, try a fried apple pie turnover or sit down in the restaurant for hearty apple dumplings.
· Foothills Parkway: Take a scenic detour to experience unparalleled views of the Smokies and valley and ridge from the western section of Chilhowee Mountain, Look Rock, the sections highest point and conclude at the Tail of the Dragon, a favorite stretch for motorcycle and sports car drivers with 318 curves in just 11 miles, leading across Deals Gap into North Carolina.
· Thompson Brown House: Explore the 19th-century Moravian-style log home, and next door is the Blount County Museum, outfitted with a Civil War room focused on the county’s role in the conflict.
· Sam Houston Schoolhouse: Built in 1794, is on the National Register of Historic Places and is a Tennessee historic site.
· Little River Outfitters: This family-owned fly shop and school has become a landmark in the fly fishing world and serves anglers who visit Great Smoky Mountains National Park to fish in its 800 miles of wild trout streams.
· Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center: Discover Appalachian history and the culture of the people who lived in what is now Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Learn about Native American and pioneer life, see an original, once-operational underground moonshine still, saw mill and a set-off house, a one-room temporary home used by loggers on their jobs.
· Cades Cove: the most visited spot in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, is located here. Described as an open-air museum, it is 1,800 acres of wide-open space nestled along the base of the Appalachian Mountains.
· Captain Dave’s Little River Artistry: Stop here and marvel at the artwork carved with a chainsaw from poles and trees, created with a chainsaw.
Rocky Top trail is one of three statewide and 16 regional trails that provide a backstage pass to the back roads of the region. The trails originate in or run through the state’s favorite destinations, such as Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville, Chattanooga, and the Great Smoky Mountains, but they provide information about the region’s less traveled roads and not-so-touristy attractions.
About Blount County, Tennessee
Blount County, Tennessee is located just south of Knoxville at the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains. The communities that make up Blount County—Townsend, Maryville, Alcoa, Friendsville, Louisville and Rockford – provide visitors with an abundance of outdoor activities, attractions and regular celebrations of the region’s rich Appalachian heritage and culture. Blount County is also home to the nation’s most visited national park—the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
For more information about Blount County, please contact the Smoky Mountain Tourism Development Authority at (800) 525.6834 or visit www.SmokyMountains.org. Follow the Smoky Mountain Tourism Development Authority at www.Facebook.com/PeacefulSide and Twitter.com/PeacefulSmokies.
If you are in the area, please stop in to the Smoky Mountain Visitors Center at Townsend, located at 7906 E. Lamar Alexander Parkway, or the Smoky Mountain Visitors Center at Maryville, located at 201 South Washington Street, for more information. (January 2013)
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