The weekend took us towards the east part of Tennessee where we went to see the Obed National Wild and Scenic River. This river is maintained by the national park system and offers visitors an incredible place to enjoy the rugged natural beauty of Tennessee.
The Obed River is 45 miles long through the Cumberland Plateau. It is a favorite place for kayaking, fishing, and rock climbing. There are also a number of trails that take visitors through lush greens of rhododendrons and towering rocks.
For our hike, we took the Lily Bluff Overlook Trail where we had the rushing sound of the river on one side and the beautiful layered rocks on the other side. This river joined the national park system in October 1975 when it was designated as one of the country’s wild and scenic rivers. They have developed it to a small degree, but there is a focus on keeping it as wild and natural as possible.
The river has many waterfalls and gorges along its path. Because of the smaller creeks that join the river, the river makes a gradual change of flow from mostly south to north and mostly west to east. The deepest point of the river in one of the gorges is 500 feet deep.
This area was home to multiple Native American tribes roughly between the 1300s-1800s. Because of the steep bluffs and rocks, they could not use the land for farming but found it to be a great place to hunt. The rocks provided shelter from the weather as well. The 18th century brought European settlers to the region, but they too used the area for hunting but would live farther away from the river. The visitor center in the city of Wartburg has articles and artifacts from all the different people who benefited from their time by the Obed River.
We loved our hike along the Obed River. It felt like stepping into another world and getting to be part of the wild and scenic for a little piece of time.
If you are interested in some of the other rivers in the National Park system, then you may be interested in these:
Buffalo National River – Arkansas
Thank you for coming along on this visit to the Obed National Wild and Scenic River. May the current be gentle and your footing be sure as you walk along the river.
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