Discover Monroe County

When searching for hotels in Monroe County, it’s worth first prioritizing the experiences you want to include in your trip planning: cave tours and Cherokee history, scenic overlooks and hiking trails, or activities on the lakes. These destinations offer different ways to connect with nature, history, and culture.

Guided Cave Tour and Cherokee History

At The Lost Sea, a guided tour takes you through the historic Craighead Caverns and ends with a boat ride on America’s largest underground lake. The round trip is about 1.2 kilometers long; the tour takes approximately one hour and 15 minutes. This gives you an idea of how much time to allow for the tour when planning your trip. Check the current tour schedule before your visit.

The Sequoyah Birthplace Museum focuses on Sequoyah and the history of Cherokee homelands during his lifetime. The museum is a certified site of the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail and features historical and interpretive exhibits. Parking for cars is available. Those interested in Cherokee history will find a connection to this subject here, while the Unicoi Turnpike Trail later offers a link to historic landscapes and Appalachian traditions.

Architecture and Historic Sites

The Monroe County Courthouse in Madisonville was built in 1897. It is a Victorian Eclectic building featuring elements of the Italianate, Romanesque, and Classical Revival styles. This combination of styles makes the courthouse a concrete example of the area’s architectural history.

Fort Loudoun is managed as a day-use park and has a visitor center. This makes it different in terms of the visitor experience from places focused on a guided tour or on hiking and scenic overlooks.

Cherohala Skyway, Waterfalls, and Lakes

The Cherohala Skyway is a 43-mile route connecting Tellico Plains, Tennessee, with Robbinsville, North Carolina. Experiences along the route include high-elevation scenic overlooks, hiking opportunities, and picnic areas in the southern Appalachian national forests. The forested landscape also conveys the cultural heritage of the Cherokee and early settlers. The Skyway thus combines scenic views with cultural context rather than serving simply as a road between two places.

Bald River Falls is 90 feet high and easily accessible from Tellico River Road (NFRS 210). A roadside pedestrian viewing area offers a view of the falls. At Indian Boundary Lake, other natural features come together with a broader range of recreational activities: the lake covers 96 acres, sits at an elevation of 1,560 feet, and is surrounded by hardwood and conifer forests. Visitors can fish, swim, boat, and observe wildlife there.

Tellico Lake in Vonore also offers boating opportunities. Visiting conditions and water levels can vary seasonally. The Unicoi Mountains near Tellico Plains offer hiking trails. These options differ both in landscape and activity: the lake offers several recreational opportunities, while the mountains are known for their hiking trails.

Cultural Trails and Local Experiences

The Unicoi Turnpike Trail offers access to Cherokee heritage, Appalachian traditions, and historic landscapes in Monroe County. Together with the Cherohala Skyway, it offers a cultural perspective that encompasses both historic landscapes and the history of earlier residents.

Coker Creek Gold Camp, near the Coker Creek Welcome Center, is recommended for gold panning. Check directly with the camp for its opening hours. Tsali Notch Vineyard offers wine tastings, seasonal grape picking, and handcrafted muscadine grape products. Grape picking is seasonal; check availability before your visit.

The café at Sweetwater Valley Farm serves grilled cheese sandwiches made with cheese produced on the farm and hand-dipped milkshakes. Café hours may change, so check the latest information before your visit.

Discover more destinations: Vonore, Sweetwater, Knox, Hamilton, Polk County, Humphreys, Bedford County, Franklin County

For the main travel overview: Tennessee.