Beautiful mountains
surround Knoxville.
As an East Tennessee
native, I have grown
up hiking these
rugged peaks. My
personal favorite is
the Clinch Mountain
Ridge, which can be
reached by traveling
northeast along Lee Hwy (Highway 11W)
to the Grainger County line. This 15-mile
drive from the Knoxville city limits allows
different vantage points of the Great Smoky
Mountains, House Mountain and, of
course, the Clinch Mountain Ridge range.

The Clinch Mountain range starts in
Blaine, and stretches to Burke’s Garden,
Virginia. The Clinch River basin to the
north is separated from the Holston River
basin to the south by this long, irregular
range. The average elevation along the
ridge is 2,000 feet and offers great views of
the valley, rivers and lakes.

Climbing the Clinch Mountain Ridge is
different from hiking in a national or state
park. There are no groomed trails and the
need for bushwhacking is commonplace.
Getting to the top is no easy feat, and the
climb means crossing large rock outcrops
as well as briars and huckleberry groves.

Once on top, usually you can discover a
game trail that follows the ridgeline. Large
rhododendron thickets on top face north
and provide shade in the summer heat.
You rarely see other humans so the
experience is between you and nature.
Bird watching is great at this level as
hawks, grouse, turkey and songbirds are
everywhere.

Signal Point, the southern terminus of
the 150 mile Clinch Mountain Ridge, lies
at the intersection of Knox, Union and
Grainger counties. This high peak was
used to signal troops during the Civil War.
The mountains also played an important
role in the Battle of Bean’s Station.

Apart from battles, the mountains had
prominence in the late 1800s when the
mineral springs in the area drew notable
visitors from around the globe. Tate
Springs, as the town and resort were
named, included an enormous hotel, golf
course and mineral baths. The seasonal
resort even had its own spur on the
railroad, so visitors could easily make the
trip from all over the country. Notable
guests included the Fords, Studebakers,
Mellons, Firestones and Rockefellers.
Because of a devastating fire and the Great
Depression, only a few buildings survive
today. The gazebo bandstand is an elegant
reminder of the heydays of Tate Springs.

When I was a child, my parents, uncles,
aunts and grandparents and I would make
a pilgrimage to Signal Point at least twice a
year. I started climbing with them when I
was five years old and hope to be climbing
when I am 85 years old. I am in the
process of passing on these simple joys to
my sons. This includes swinging on the
vines growing in tall trees, rolling large
boulders down ravines and “riding a
hickory sapling.” This last feat is
accomplished by running down grade and
jumping as high as possible to hold on to
the sapling. The sapling dampens your
landing during this simulated freefall
(imagine pole vaulting in reverse).

My favorite time of the year to climb is
December through March. Rattlesnakes
and Copperheads are in their dens, so this
is not a concern. The air is crisp and clear
and keeps the body temperature at a more
comfortable level. The best gear includes
a light windbreaker and hat that can be
carried, as a light shirt and jeans are all
that is needed. Once on top, the wind is
always blowing and at that point, hikers
need extra layers. This time of year also
provides an abundance of springs along
the face of the mountain. This water is
filtered by rock and always tastes sweet, so
it is easy to understand why Tate Springs
developed.

My favorite overlooks include Donehew
Head, High Lonesome and Wildcat Spur.
These places offer breathtaking views and
a different prospective of our neighbors in
the valley. My hopes are that after reading
this, you will get off that couch and join
the rank of “Highlander.” The mountains
are calling. EK

Mike Newman (Mike@MikeNewHome.
com) is a broker with Home & Garden
Real Estate, a native of Grainger
County, and serves on the Board of the
East Tennessee Preservation Alliance
(ETPA). ETPA is a new regional historic
preservation membership-based
organization that serves Anderson,
Blount, Campbell, Claiborne, Cocke,
Grainger, Hamblen, Jefferson, Knox,
Loudon, Monroe, Morgan, Roane,
Sevier, Scott and Union counties.
Preservation field services in this
region are provided by Knox Heritage
and are assisted by a Partners in the
Field challenge grant from the National
Trust for Historic Preservation. For
more information, please visit www.
knoxheritage.org.