Frozen Head & the Obed — Cumberland Plateau Ridgetops & Wild River Gorges

An hour northwest of Knoxville, the Cumberland Plateau rises abruptly into a tangle of forested sandstone ridges and river gorges that see a fraction of the crowds drawn to the mountains east of the city. Frozen Head State Park protects a rugged massif of steep hardwood-covered peaks — its high point stays frosted late into spring, giving the park its name — laced with strenuous trails that climb to a restored fire lookout tower with a plateau-wide panorama. A short drive north, the Obed Wild and Scenic River has carved deep, boulder-choked gorges through the Emory and Obed river system near Wartburg, where sheer sandstone bluffs draw climbers and the clear rivers run through some of the wildest country in Tennessee. This is a full day of ridgetop hiking, gorge overlooks, and river scenery, anchored by a hearty small-town meal in Wartburg.