At the other end of the state is Roan Mountain State Park, which boasts the distinction of having the highest swimming pool of any park in Tennessee. Roan Mountain is famous for its grassy balds and rhododendron gardens. The mountain reaches 6,285 feet, an elevation at which there’s no poison ivy, and even the blackberry bushes lack thorns.
75 years and growing: Tennessee state parks celebrate milestone » Knoxville News Sentinel.
The High Country: Carter County, TN
Roan Mountain State Park and the Highlands of Roan are the crown jewels of Carter County. While the state park sits in the valley along the Doe River, the true “Mountain Dream” experience happens as you ascend toward the clouds.
Points of Interest by Locale
| Location | Interest for AppalachianMountainDreams.com |
| Roan Mountain State Park | Home to that famous “highest swimming pool,” but also excellent for capturing the transition of the Doe River. The park’s 19th-century Miller Farmstead is a perfect subject for heritage and lifestyle photography. |
| Carvers Gap | The gateway to the Grassy Balds. This is the prime spot for capturing the Appalachian Trail as it crosses from Tennessee into North Carolina amidst those sweeping, treeless views. |
| The Cloudland Hotel Site | For your historical “Odyssey” style posts, the site of the former 19th-century hotel offers a ghost-story-like look at early Appalachian tourism at 6,000+ feet. |
| Rhododendron Gardens | Over 600 acres of natural gardens. In June, this is a sea of pink and purple that looks almost otherworldly against the dark spruce-fir forest. |
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