Roan Mountain State Resort Park

Located near the Tennessee-North Carolina border in Carter County, Roan Mountain State Park is a 2,006-acre park that preserves Roan Mountain, a 6,285-foot peak renowned for its annual blooming of wildflowers, especially its lush 600-acre carpet of crimson catawba rhododendrons. “Along its highest ridges, open meadows called grass balds stretch for as far as the eye can see,” observes naturalist Jennifer Wilson. “The views from the highlands stretch for miles into the Tennessee and North Carolina mountains, creating indescribable scenes and moods.” (1) The Cherokee National Forest surrounds the park while the Appalachian Trail crosses adjacent to the park. Along with cabins, a restaurant, a group lodge, a swimming pool, trails, picnic areas, and campsites, the park also features three cross-country skiing trails for winter recreation. The Daniel Miller homestead from the late nineteenth century, which presents the typical farmhouse and outbuildings associated with the region’s tradition of mixed agriculture, is preserved within the park’s boundaries.