I am not one for checking out scenic rivers per se but when there is one along our route it was a no brainer to stop. I was figuring it would be a quick stop for a stamp and we'd be on our way. However, sometimes these NPS stops don't always go as planned.
Obed Wild & Scenic River Visitor Center is located in Wartburg, TN. The actual river is out of town. The visitor center is open 9-5 daily. There is not much in the visitor center but the rangers were very helpful. They gave us a few places to view the river. They also suggest another National River to check out but it was out of the way.
We decided first to check out the Nemo Bridge. It used to be a railroad bridge back in the day. It now is bike and walking trail crossing the Obed River. I did not walk the bridge but we saw views of the river and the bridge. Maybe one day I will be back to actually walk across the bridge.
We planned on doing a short hike the Lily Bluff Overlook Trail. We never found the overlook. We got to the right area but I don't think we followed the road far enough.
We did find a trail head though. From the looks of it was the Bridge Trail which was a .5 mile round one way trail that was moderate to strenuous. We actually had shoes on for this one. We made it about 1/4 of the way before turning around. It would have eventually led us to the overlook I think.
Despite our mishap with the Lily Bluff Overlook Trail, we still got to see the river and it was gorgeous.
If you ever find yourself on the back roads of Tennessee between Knoxville and Louisville, check out Obed Wild and Scenic River. It's worth the detour.
Next time maybe we will take the detour to check out Big Fork South National River.
There are 400+ National Park Sites across the US and I've now been to 66 of them. Stay to tuned to see which one is number 6-7.
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