Loudon: River Landscapes, Trails and History

In Loudon County, nature trails, river connections and local history sit side by side. When planning your day, it is worth looking at the specific differences: Some trails are characterized by their length, route or difficulty, while the museum and historic buildings offer their own chapters in the history of the city and county.

Explore Trails and Water

The Hall Bend Habitat Protection Area Trail is five miles long and rated moderate. Its features include viewpoints, fishing spots and opportunities to observe wildlife. The Hall Bend Trail near Tellico Village is a 4.7-mile loop suitable for all skill levels; dogs are welcome. When comparing the trails, you can therefore consider their respective lengths, whether they are loops, and the information on difficulty and dogs.

The East Lakeshore Trail runs along Tellico Reservoir, which extends across Loudon, Blount and Monroe counties in East Tennessee. The trail is designated a National Recreation Trail. In Lenoir City, by contrast, the Town Creek Greenway is a 3.3-mile, fully paved out-and-back route in the city center. It is accessible year-round and can be used by cyclists. The information therefore highlights differences such as the reservoir-side location of one trail and the paved route through the city center of the other.

River Landscapes and Events

Since 2019, Loudon County has been one of the Tennessee RiverLine’s first 15 partner communities. The initiative of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and TVA represents a continuous, multimodal system of paddling, hiking and cycling experiences along the 652-mile Tennessee River between Knoxville and Paducah. This gives the river landscape a regional framework encompassing different kinds of experiences.

Fishing and events are also part of the county’s character: several fishing tournaments take place throughout the year. Longstanding traditions include “Rockin’ the Docks” and the annual Lenoir City Arts and Crafts Festival. Both celebrate the connection to the river landscape and attract thousands of visitors. Several boat and water access ramps in Loudon County are associated with the Tennessee River and Tellico Reservoir.

Museum and Architectural History

The Lenoir City Museum documents the city’s settlement, the railroad, the Civil War and its development through its incorporation as a city in 1907. It is located in the Lenoir City Company Building, built in 1890 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. The city’s history thus intersects with the building’s architectural history and its history on the Register.

The Lenoir Cotton Mill Warehouse in Lenoir City was built around 1830. The one-and-a-half-story cotton warehouse is a timber-frame structure with brick infill, located opposite the confluence of the Tennessee River and Little Tennessee River. The Loudon County Courthouse was built in 1872 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. For Blair’s Ferry Storehouse, 1977 is the year it was added to the Register; as a surviving structure, it is a testament to Loudon’s early history.

More Experiences and Hotel Planning

At Sweetwater Valley Farm, the Seed to Sandwich Cafe serves grilled cheese sandwiches made with the farm’s own cheddar, as well as milkshakes. Windy Hill Farm and Preserve offers a different, specialized activity: professionally guided quail hunts in the upland hunting style typical of East Tennessee, on restored native grasslands and with trained hunting dogs.

When searching for a hotel in Loudon, it helps to first identify your main destinations. If the museum and Town Creek Greenway are on your itinerary, Lenoir City can be a useful specific location to enter in your search; for trails, bodies of water and events, look at the location named for each one. Then compare the locations of the hotels shown to you with your planned visits.

Discover more destinations: Lenoir City, Loudon, Tipton, Carter, Obion County, Mcnairy County, Sevier, Bedford County.

Go to the main travel overview: Tennessee.