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Cove
Lake State Park
The
667 acre Cove Lake State Recreational Area and its nearby sister parks,
Big Ridge and Norris, Were established in the 1930’s as recreational
demonstration areas by the Tennessee Valley Authority, The National Park
Service and Civilian Conservation Corps. This park was established on
the shores Of Cove Lake, an arm of Norris Lake created by an auxiliary
dam at Caryville, Tennessee. The Federal Government deeded it to the State
of Tennessee in 1950. Cove Lake is situated in a picturesque Valley surrounded
by the towering Cumberland Mountains, and it is the winter home for some
four hundred (400) Canada geese. The geese are attracted by quiet inlets,
marshes, and fields of this area. They come in late fall and stay through
early spring. Many visitors come to the park during the winter time just
to see the geese. This serene valley was once inhabited by ancient Americans.
Mound builders, as they were called, prospered along Cove Creek from 1000
to 1200 A. D. The University Of Tennessee excavated their mounds and habitation
sites in 1937. Raised earthen remnants of one Mound are still visible
at the end of “Duck Island”. Cove Lake State Park is located
in East Tennessee’s Campbell County, 30 miles northwest of Knoxville.
On U. S. 25-W and I-75.
The Cove Lake visitor is served by ninety-seven (97) campsites. All sites
are equipped with water and electrical hookups, and most with grills and
tables. A dump station is available, as are modern bathhouses containing
hot showers, commodes and lavatories. Campsites are available on a first-come,
first-serve basis. No reservations are accepted and stay limit is two
(2) weeks.
Restaurant
Cove
Lake restaurant is open year-round, featuring good southern cooking at
reasonable prices. It seats one hundred fifteen (115) persons, and has
become a favorite meeting place for groups and families. There is also
a recreation lodge featuring a large banquet/meeting room.
Swimming
The park pool provides ample space for sunbathing. The pool is Olympic-sized,
and there is a kiddie pool, a bath house and a convenient concession stand.
Picnics
in the Park
There
are one hundred twelve (112) picnic tables and grills to serve the Cove
Lake day users.
Cove
Lake State Park, 110 Cove Lake Lane, Caryville, TN 37714, Phone: (423)
566-9701
Cumberland
Trail
The Cumberland Trail became Tennessee’s 53rd state park in 1998,
it is also Tennessee’s first linear park passing through eleven
(11) Tennessee counties on the eastern escarpment of the Cumberland Plateau.
The Justin P.
Wilson Cumberland Trail State Park will contain a core corridor of three
hundred three (303) plus miles of trail beginning in the Cumberland Gap
National Park in Kentucky and stretching south to terminate at Signal
Point National Historic Park and Prentice Cooper Wildlife Management Area
near Chattanooga. In Campbell County, the trail can be accessed in LaFollette
and at Cove Lake State Park in Caryville. For more information:
Cumberland
Trail Conference, 19 East Fourth Street, Crossville, TN 38555, Phone:
(931) 456-6259 Fax: (931) 456-4934 Email: cumberlandtrail@rocketmail.com
Website: www.cumberlandtrail.org
Indian
Mountain State Park
Along
with Cove Lake and Norris Lake, Campbell County residents also enjoy Indian
Mountain State Park, which is located on the Tennessee-Kentucky border
3 miles west of Interstate 75 at exit 160 and within the city limits of
Jellico, Tennessee.
The two hundred thirteen (213) acre park began as an abandoned strip mine.
It quickly became an unattractive safety hazard to the City of Jellico
and its residents. Local officials, aware of the problems which the stripped
area presented, began an effort to gain assistance to reclaim the site
and develop it into a useful and attractive recreational area.
The City of
Jellico working in cooperation with state and federal agencies formulated
the proposals to state officials to develop the abandoned site into a
recreation area. The site was reclaimed and developed in the late 60’s
and early 70’s and the Tennessee Department of Conservation assumed
the responsibilities of the area and began operating it as a Tennessee
State Park in the summer of 1971. Indian Mountain was the first demonstration
in the state and probably one of the first in the southeast by which abandoned
strip pits were converted into a camping park. The park offers forty nine
(49) paved campsites complete with electric and water hookups and a modern
bath house with a dump station. Each site has a picnic table with grills
located nearby. Stay is limited to two (2) weeks. Three (3) shelters are
available to picnickers or groups and can be reserved for a fee. The shelters
each have electricity, water, and grills available. There are also single
tables and grills available to the park. The park offers a new 82’
X 45’ swimming facility complete with bath house. Recreation at
Indian Mountain State Park includes two (2) walking trails, each expressing
the scenic beauty surrounding the park. The park contains playground area
with swings and slides to provide enjoyment for the children of the family
as the adults enjoy the peaceful environment around them. Volleyball and
horseshoes are available from the park office at no charge and may be
used at various locations throughout the park. The park is open daily
during day light hours.
For
further information please contact the Park Office at (423) 784-7958.
Norris
Dam State Park
Norris
Dam State Park is located on the shores of Norris Lake at the site of
Norris Dam about twenty (20) miles northwest of Knoxville and is accessible
from I-75 from both the Lake City and Norris exits. Great emphasis is
placed on historical interpretation at Norris. Lenoir Pioneer Museum,
an 18th century gristmill, a threshing barn and a shop featuring authentic
Tennessee crafts are among the cultural attractions for park visitors.
The park has nineteen (19) rustic vacation cabins and ten (10) three-bedroom
deluxe cabins. Located in quiet wooded settings, the cabins are completely
equipped for house keeping including electrical appliances, cooking and
serving utensils and linens. The park features two (2) camping areas with
forty (40) sites in the east section and fifty (50) sites in the west
section of the park. Sites are available only on a first come, first served
basis and maximum stay limit is two (2) weeks.
Picnic areas
are available and a large commercial marina is located near the dam. Miles
of woodland trails, an Olympic sized pool and a large kiddies pool are
also available for visitors to the park.
For
more information and reservations contact: Norris Dam State Park –
125 Village Green Circle – Lake City, TN 37769-5932 (865) 426-7461
– Toll Free 1- (800)-543-9335.
Norris
Lake
Norris Dam was the first dam constructed by the Tennessee Valley Authority.
Construction began in 1933, providing the largest flood control storage
of any TVA dam. The gates were closed in 1936 and the Norris Reservoir,
fed by the Clinch and Powell Rivers, was completely filled in early 1937.
With a total of eight hundred (800) miles of shoreline, the maximum width
of the lake is 1.2 miles with a surface area of thirty four thousand two
hundred (34,200) acres. The watershed area for the lake covers approximately
three thousand (3,000) square miles
.Norris Lake
is well-known for its opportunities for fishing, swimming, water skiing,
and boating. Numerous marinas nestled between the East Tennessee ridges
and the shoreline provide accommodations and the amenities needed for
any water recreation. Fishing follows seasonal patterns and the deep waters
of Norris produces excellent catches of rock fish, bass, walleye, and
crappie. Boat launching is available at the local marinas and at public
launching ramps provided by TVA.
Royal
Blue Wildlife Management Area
Just
off Exit 141 on Interstate 75, Royal Blue Management Area features over
fifty three thousand (53,000) acres of mountain forests with elevations
reaching to three thousand two hundred (3,200) feet. It is home to a substantial
population of whitetail deer, wild turkeys, beavers, and squirrels, an
occasional black bear and now elk. The recent reintroduction of elk to
the area has brought much excitement and more are to be released in the
near future. Numerous ponds provide water for the land animals and also
draw blue gill fisherman, Canada geese and great blue herons. Many other
species of birds are prevalent in the area. Over six hundred (600) miles
of roads, many blazed when the area was mined and logged, now entice riders
of mountain bikes and off-highway vehicles (ohv’s) to experience
nature rebuilding itself. Royal Blue WMA is open year round to the public.
User fees are required for the use of off-highway vehicles. Fees can be
paid at any location that sells hunting and/or fishing license. Visitors
to the area are randomly checked and fines may result in noncompliance.
Contact
Stan Stooksbury, Manager, at (423) 566-8557.
Sundquist
Wildlife Management Area
Seventy-four thousand (74,000) acres of mountain land and high pastures,
known as the Sundquist Wildlife Management Area, provides a home to a
growing population of reintroduced elk, white tails, grouse, turkeys,
and non-game bird species in addition to aquatic species. Collectively
with the Royal Blue WMA, the newly acquired land is known as the Cumberland
Forrest and has been officially placed under the ownership of the Tennessee
Wildlife Resources Agency. Sportsmen and outdoor enthusiasts now have
one hundred twenty seven thousand (127,000) acres to roam. Such a continuous
expanse of forest land that is saved for wildlife but also available for
public use is rare indeed.
This vast expanse of forest provides important habitat for several rare
and endangered species, both terrestrial and aquatic. Recent surveys of
the area indicate that the project area harbors the most significant breeding
population of golden-winged warblers in the southeastern United States.
Visitors to the area may, also witness several other species of rare songbirds.
Off highway vehicles are allowed; however, a user fee is required and
may be obtained wherever hunting and/or fishing license are sold. For
more information concerning the wildlife management areas.
Contact
Stan Stooksbury, Manager, (423) 566-8557.
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