Fernweh, An Ache for Distant Places

ROAN MOUNTAIN is a small CDP community in East Tennessee near the North Carolina border, best known for Roan Mountain State Park and the Roan Mountain Rhododendron Festival.

Roan Mountain is situated along the upper Doe River in Carter County, and it is part of both the Johnson City Metropolitan area and Tri-Cities Region. 

An interesting historical event happened in 1780 when a group of Trans-Appalachian Frontiersman known as the Overmountain Men were crossing through Roan Mountain and had to battle a group of loyalists in what became known as the Battle of Kings Mountain.

The battle site is the center of the 330-miles long Overmountain Victory National Historical Trail and it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. 

ROAN MOUNTAIN STATE PARK
Roan Mountain State Park is directly south of the Roan Mountain community, and it is is actually a 5-mile ridge instead of one standalone mountain.

The park was dedicated in 1959 with more than 2,000 acres of forest around the Doe River, and it is celebrated for its wildflowers, fishing spots, and hiking trails. 

Roan High Knob is its highest point at over 6,200 feet and Carver’s Gap, its most popular spot, sits around 5,500 feet. Roan Mountain is the highest point in the state of Tennessee outside of its Great Smoky Mountains range.  

Roan Mountain State Park’s Rhododendron Gardens are the world’s largest natural gardens of Catawba Rhododendrons, a special and rare type found growing all over Roan Mountain. 

In June of each year, Roan Mountain State Park hosts the Roan Mountain Rhododendron Festival that features Appalachian music, art, crafts, food, and other entertainment. The festival began in 1947 and is usually on the third or last weekend of June. 

You can check out other events in the park by visiting this official Events page. 

Mountain Music, much like you will hear at any Roan Mountain festival, is nothing new around here.

The Roan Mountain Hilltoppers are an old-time string band from the community that has been playing and touring since forming in 1974.

They have performed on notable stages like Nashville’s Country Music Hall of Fame and Knoxville’s World’s Fair in 1982, and even made it to the Smithsonian American Folklife Festival.

Their song (cover) “Buffalo Gals (Won’t You Come Out Tonight)” was particularly famous, later accredited to them by punk rock icon Malcolm McLaren who was the manager of the band Sex Pistols and involved with other acts in the 1980s.

This led to the Sex Pistols, Boy George, and other famous musicians and fashion designers making the voyage to Roan Mountain. 

My favourite spot in the whole park was this picnic shelter along the creek, and the image above has become my happy place any time I feel anxious. 

CARVER’S GAP
Continuing along the scenic TN 143, Carver’s Gap is situated at the Tennessee/North Carolina State Line. The route is usually open between April and November each year, and driving it when closed could be deadly. 

Carver’s Gap is within the Pisgah-Cherokee National Forest region and connects to the famous Appalachian Trail.

Many through hikers have reported this being one of the most beautiful parts of the trail. 

The main trail in Carver’s Gap is from the parking lot up to Roan High Bluff along the Appalachian Trail, and it is a 6.7-miles out and back hike. 

Park in this lot and the “AT” trailhead is behind you. 

Mid-summer, vibrant foliage lines every trail and turn. 

Plan to spend a whole day in Roan Mountain State Park and the Rhododendron Gardens. 

Check this information about hiking and camping before you go!

In the area for a while? Follow us to Grandfather Mountain, Johnson City, or Bristol!

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