THE CUMBERLAND NATIONAL SCENIC BYWAY is just one of thirteen famous byways in Tennessee, including Natchez Trace Parkway, Newfound Gap Road, Great River Road, Cherohala Skyway, East Tennessee Crossing, Woodlands Trace, Norris Freeway, Sequatchie Valley Scenic Byway, Great Smoky Mountains Byway, Tennessee River Trail Scenic Byway, Walton Road Scenic Byway, and Ocoee Scenic Byway.
The Cumberland National Scenic Byway is a 200-mile driving trail in East Tennessee, just south of the Kentucky State Border. The byway connects Cumberland Gap to Celina, TN with hundreds of interesting stops to get out and explore in between.
Following the byway through the North Cumberland Plateau region will lead you through Clay, Morgan, Overton, Scott, Pickett, Campbell, Fentress, and Claiborne counties, and the towns of Caryville, Huntsville, Rugby, Jamestown, and Celina.
Cherokee and other Indigenous people inhabited this land until 1805, when it was taken from them with the signing of the Third Treaty of Tellico. European settlers migrated and built villages, and by the 1890s there were several major roads and train routes passing through.
This region is often described as a model of land that was transformed and built by the New Deal.
MAP IT OUT
The map above goes into great detail about the byway and shows you where you are in relation to other famous Tennessee byways. Here are some additional details about how to access it.
I found it best to just enter each site into my GPS or create and route in Google, because this byway is not one linear highway, it is a collection of highways and backroads.
Be on the lookout for Scenic Highway signs like the one below and know that some of the sites are half an hour or longer away from the byway route.
KEY SITES FOR QUICK REFERENCE
1. Cumberland Gap National Historical Park
2. Cove Lake State Park
3. Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area
4. Huntsville
5. Rugby
6. Allardt
7. Jamestown
8, Sgt. Alvin C. York State Historic District/Park
9. Cordell Hull Birthplace
10. Standing Stone State Park & Forest
11. Celina
1. CUMBERLAND GAP & NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK
Cumberland Gap is known as “America’s first great gateway to the West” and is situated in the Cumberland Mountain ridge of the Appalachian Mountains. This region was inhabited by many Native American tribes long before Daniel Boone, Thomas Walker, and the like “discovered” it in the 1750s.
Cumberland Gap territory encompasses the meeting point of Kentucky, Virginia, and Tennessee, and its status of being the only continuous pass in the Cumberland Mountains has historically made it a highly desired area to control.
“The Gap” is most famous for the Cumberland Gap National Historical Park, officially managed by the National Park Service. It holds more than 14,000 acres, protected caves, historical settlements, and more than 80 miles of trails.
2. COVE LAKE STATE PARK
Cove Lake State Park is one of Tennessee’s 12 State Parks and it is located in Caryville, less than 30 miles north of Knoxville. The land may be ancient but the man-made Cove Lake is the result of the New Deal Caryville Dam Project that began back in the 1930s.
Nearly 700 acres on the eastern side of the Cumberland Mountains were acquired by the Tennessee Department of Conservation in 1977 and the park has continued to expand. There are over 100 camping sites and several large pavilions, an Olympic sized pool, tennis courts, and an ADA playground.
Cove Lake is technically the easternmost part of Norris Lake, an extension of the TVA Norris Reservoir that dumps into the Clinch River.
Rickard Ridge BBQ is located inside the park beside the Visitors Center. We have tried a few dishes now, like the “Hog Heaven” with thick slices of crisp potatoes topped with pulled pork, shredded cheddar, onions, sour cream, and barbecue sauce. We have also shared the Cove Burger, white cheddar macaroni & cheese, and their potato cakes.
Latkes are one of my all-time favourite foods and I will eat them almost any way, but the potato cakes at Rickard Ridge were unique.
It was more like a cheesy, chunky, scalloped potato casserole formed into cakes and then fried. They are served with sour cream and a fruity habanero sauce. Perfection.
3. BIG SOUTH FORK NATIONAL RIVER & RECREATION AREA
Not far from Caryville, is Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area with more than 125,000 acres along the Cumberland Plateau.
There are also several natural destinations like Triple Falls (Little Egypt), Cumberland Trail / Bruce Gap Trailhead, the North Cumberland WMA, and the Devil’s Racetrack Overlook.
I really enjoyed the Little Egypt hike along Bruce Creek.
Once you have cleared a series of very steep stairs, you will see the three descending waterfalls pouring out over to distinctly carved rock beds.
4. HUNTSVILLE
Huntsville is home to the Old Scott County Jail, the First National Bank of Huntsville, and Barton Chapel, all of which were built in the early 1900s. The whole Southeastern USA and its Bible Belt region is a land of crosses, condemnation, and ominous threats to give your soul to the lord, but they really lay it on thick in Scott County most of all.
Huntsville is the county seat, but Oneida is the largest city in Scott County, which shares many of its attractions with its neighbour, Campbell County.
Historic Scott County Jail first began operating in 1904 and is on the National Register of Historic Places.
It has been closed for many years, but now functions as a museum where they host bike nights, paranormal tours, an escape room experience, and other events.
The two women that run the place are badasses. One of them operates Soul Sisters Paranormal and the other has an alter ego named Ghost Biker. She rides around on her motorcycle and investigates paranormal activity in some of the country’s most haunted locations.
They also have a video podcast called The Jailhouse Informant about crimes and paranormal activity that goes on in the jail and property.
The jail has a cat named Celly who is happy to assist with guided tours and ghost tours.
I particularly enjoyed the Drunk Tank bathrooms. They were often painted Pepto pink after a few different studies proved the calming and “de-escalating” qualities of the colour.
5. RUGBY
This small Victorian-era town was dreamed up as a religious cooperative Utopia in 1880 for England’s wealthy, idle younger sons who pitifully did not inherit the fortunes of their elder brothers and were too proud to suffer the workforce.
English author Thomas Hughes was wealthy and famous for his best-selling Tom Brown books. The series is thought to be the primary inspiration behind the Harry Potter series.
He wanted to provide educated individuals from rich families the dignity of becoming merchants and landowners in a town of their own where the populace depended on them, instead of them having to travel from town to town to earn a living.
Hughes and other founders sold stocks to gullible joiners of various professions before creating Gentlemen’s Clubs, Leisure Lounges, private swimming holes, educational centers, and more luxuries only available to a few elite men.
Perhaps Hughes’ intentions were more innocuous than they first struck. As I learned more about Historic Rugby, the concept began to unravel and redeem itself as a community borne of good intentions.
After all, Rugby suffered many disasters and major losses in a short period as it was developing, and it still stands when all odds were against it.
The Visitors Center has a small theatre that shows a documentary about the village which you can explore best on foot or bike. I really enjoyed the shops and café, and perusing the Hughes Library best.
6. ALLARDT
Allardt is a small and rural settlement that was established in 1884 by a German immigrant named Bruno Gernt who, much like Hughes dreamed of in Rugby, wanted to create a similar utopian colony of his own.
Gernt recruited a slew of farmers and skilled tradesmen to come along from Germany and the region quickly became known for its hay, fruit, and vegetable production.
Many of the town’s original 19th century architecture still stands in the Allardt National Historic District, and Gernt’s home is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Allardt has several unique water towers, one of which is painted like a pumpkin to celebrate the town’s annual Great Pumpkin Festival. Colditz Cove State Natural Area and Northrup Falls are both close by.
7. JAMESTOWN
Jamestown was established in 1823 at the site of a prominent Cherokee village.
Its small downtown includes more than a dozen sandstone buildings and other attractive architecture.
I really do think sandstone is lovely.
Mark Twain Park is dedicated to the parents of Mark Twain (Samuel Langhorne Clemens). They lived in Jamestown between 1827 and 1832, shortly before their famous son was born.
Check out the downtown shops and fuel up at Campfire Coffee before continuing your journey.
8. SGT. ALVIN C. YORK STATE HISTORIC DISTRICT & HISTORIC PARK
Sgt. Alvin C. York was one of the most celebrated and decorated American heroes of WWI.
The state historic park is a gorgeous property with a waterfall and wading pool that has, surprisingly, been sparsely populated each time I have visited. Twice, there was no one there at all.
York’s farm became a National Historic Landmark in the late 1970s, and he is buried beside his wife in the nearby Wolf River Methodist Church cemetery.
Sgt. York purchased the York Mill from its original owners in 1880. It remained in operation until the 1950s but you can still visit for a self-guided tour each day.
Stop by the visitor center to watch a short documentary about York’s life, and be sure to see the home he lived in, a gristmill, a replica of his general store and a model WWI trench, various picnic sites, and the York Bible School.
You can tour all of this at your own leisure, or book an hour-long guided tour.
9. CORDELL HULL BIRTHPLACE STATE PARK
I was not able to get inside the Cordell Hull Birthplace because it was getting too dark for photos and exploration, and I had more than a hour and a half to drive back home. Soon, I will return with updates.
While you are in the area, visit one of the marinas at Dale Hollow Lake, a manmade attraction that was made by creating a dam against the Obed River in the 1940s. This place is often packed on weekends and holidays, so get there early!
10. STANDING STONE STATE PARK & FOREST
Standing Stone State Park & Forest is a CCC-designed park and also a National Historic District.
My favourite was spot was this picnic shelter with a swinging bridge, shelter five if I remember correctly.
The bridge was quite a bit sturdier than it looks, and leads from the parking lot up to a trail.
The shelter is just past the bridge and boat dock at the 69-acre Kelly Lake.
Kelly Lake is so gorgeous and in the early afternoon, we could hardly tell the sky and trees from the water.
Standing Stone, like the actual stone itself, is on display in Whitaker Park in the town of Monterey, about 30 miles away.
Legends say the 12-ft tall monolith mysteriously appeared on an “Indian Trail” dividing two tribal territories, later called Avery’s Trace, which connected Knoxville to Nashville in the 1700s and 1800s.
11. CELINA
Celina is an old steamboat town that sits at crossing of the Cumberland and Obed Rivers, known for being one of the main gateways to Dale Hollow Lake.
The tiny town was established in the late 1800s and quickly became a bustling logging town, supported by its large steamboat harbour and active commerce.
Unfortunately as the town grew, the white folk very aggressively drove out any other kind of folk living there, and the icky stain lingers on its reputation.
I saw a lot of cute shops and a tiny drive-through hamburger trailer that I definitely would have visited, if I ate hamburgers and they did not have a line halfway down the highway. It seems like they are on to something good, there.
The Clay County Museum of History is a fun stop and has some antique farming equipment outside on display.
Celina has some cute murals around town, especially with a steamboat motif.
Exploring the Cumberland National Scenic Byway was a very peaceful experience with lots of unexpected and lovely surprises at each turn. I suggest making a full weekend out of it, but you could also manage it two somewhat long days like we did.
If you plan to spend time out on the water, hiking, fishing, or just relaxing for an extended time, book a cabin at one or two of the state parks and really dig your heels in.
In the area for a while? Follow me to some of Tennessee’s other historic byways like Norris Freeway, Cherohala Skyway, East Tennessee Crossing, Walton Road Scenic Byway, and Ocoee Scenic Byway.
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