FIND YOUR ADVENTURE
Morgan county offers so much to do. White water rafting on the Big South Fork or paddle the wild and scenic Obed River, camping and hiking in the beautiful Frozen Head State Park, Horseback trails in the Lone Mountain State forest, a view of the past in the historic town of Rugby or just settle in for a cozy afternoon at one of our bed and breakfast hot spots or stay in the wonder of the wilderness area.
The Obed Wild and Scenic River is Tennessee’s only federally designated Wild and Scenic River, a designation that honors and protects free-flowing rivers in the U.S.possessing remarkable scenic, recreational, geologic, fish and wildlife, historic, and cultural values. This 5,200-acre National Park Service corridor park preserves one of the state’s most scenic watersheds and provides a wealth of outdoor recreational opportunities.
Frozen Head State Park and Natural Area encompasses more than 24,000 acres of wilderness area and is named for a 3,324-foot peak in the Cumberland Mountains, the top of which is often shrouded in ice or snow in the winter months. The impressive entrance leads visitors into a vestige of densely forested, unspoiled mountain splendor — once common throughout the Cumberland Plateau.
Lone Mountain state forest is located a few miles to the south of Wartburg. The forest consists of 3,624 acres and is managed by the Tennessee Department of Agriculture, Division of Forestry. Lone Mountain itself is a detached ridge-like mountain rising to an elevation of 2,530 feet, spanning much of the stretch of U.S. Route 27 between Harriman and Wartburg. Its isolation makes it one of the 25 most prominent mountains in the state. The state forest has approximately 15 miles of trails, the most popular leads to Coyote Point, an overlook just below the summit on the south slope of the Mountain. The trails were developed in the late 1980's for horseback riding, and are well-equipped with watering holes and hitching posts. The trails are also open to hikers and mountain bikers. The trailhead is located on Clayton Howard Road.
This section of the Cumberland Trail will eventually climb from Emory River Gorge within the National Park Service (NPS)-administered Obed Wild and Scenic River (WSR) to the edge of the Cumberland Mountains in the town of Wartburg. Emory River Gorge marks the place where the current version of the Cumberland Trail departs from the trail’s original route.
Although only 1.3 miles of the CT have been constructed in this section to date, entirely within the Obed WSR, the section contains several gems. The iron bridge over the Emory River is piece of history saved only by the efforts of those with a long-term vision for the CT. The railroad tunnel overlook near the section’s north end is one of the most unique along the trail.
Catoosa Wildlife Management area is a large game-management area. It contains 82,000 acres of wild land administered by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. The area is funded by hunters and fishermen thru their licensing fees and is a popular spot for many outdoor activities. Recreational opportunities include: trails for hiking and backpacking including the famous Cumberland Trail, gravel roads and dirt track four-wheel drive roads for motorized travel, and white water rafting.
RUGBY
Rugby is both a living community and a fascinating public historic site run by Historic Rugby offering visitors a museum, historic building tours, lodging, stores and a full service restaurant. Many original buildings still stand, nestled between the Big South Fork National Recreation Area and the Rugby State Natural Area, surrounded by rugged river gorges and historic trails. Historic Rugby has been open to the public since 1966 and is nationally recognized by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.