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In the late 1840s, construction of the Nashville & Chattanooga Railroad was already in progress and had reached the base of the plateau below Sewanee. In 1853, Major A.E. Barney, a civil engineer, was commissioned to designed a spur rail line to carry coal from the mines of the Plateau to market, beginning in Sewanee and, over time, extending to Tracy City, Coalmont, Gruetli-Laager, and Palmer.
Barney’s “Mountain Goat Railroad” earned its name due to its steep climb up onto the Cumberland Plateau from Cowan. At the time, it was the steepest railroad grade in the world.
In its heyday, the Mountain Goat line ran 3 or 4 trains a day with both coal and passenger cars. It stopped running passenger cars in 1971 and freight trains in 1984. CSX officially abandoned the line in 1985 and removed the tracks in 1986.
In the early 2000s, the Mountain Goat Trail Alliance was formed to transform nearly 40 miles of the former rail bed into a paved, multi-modal trail.
Explore with this Self-Guided History Tour
Outdoor Adventures
Bigfoot Adventure Zipline & Disc Golf
RV park and campground with ziplining, disc golf and clay shooting
Outdoor Adventures
Birds & Clays at Baggenstoss Farms
Full-service 500-acre hunting destination, featuring bird hunting, clay shooting and specialty hunts.
Food & Drink
Dari-Delight
Pizza, burgers, sundaes & more
Food & Drink
Dutch Maid Bakery
The oldest family-owned bakery in Tennessee
Food & Drink
El Maguey Mexican Restaurant
Authentic Mexican cuisine
Food & Drink
Hank's Corner Grille
Steaks, burgers, wings & pizza with a full bar
Food & Drink
Henry Flury & Sons Grocery
A classic turn-of-the-last-century American grocery store, and a step back in time
Shopping
Music Barn
Musical instruments & accessories, bibles, books and gifts
Shopping
Nature's Treasures
Garden produce center and seasonal decor store
Food & Drink
Off the Rails
Railroad-themed food & energy station in Tracy City
Shopping
Olde House Shoppe
A carefully selected collection of home & garden decor, antique/vintage finds, gifts & unique items
Food & Drink
Potbellies
Chow down on a hearty breakfast of omelette, skillets, or the hillbilly bowl, or come at lunch time for a sizzlin' sandwich or mouth watering burger.
Food & Drink
Rosie’s Farmhouse Kitchen
Country breakfasts, daily plate lunches and evening meals
Taste of Ink Tattoo Studio
Private tattoo studio offering a variety of custom tattoo, art and piercings.
Outdoor Adventures, Spa & Fitness
Tenacity Adventure Fitness
Martial arts studio with weight training equipment and indoor climbing, trampolines and obstacle courses for kids
Food & Drink
Tracside
Offering breakfast, lunch and dinner with special plate lunches on Sundays
Outdoor Adventures
High Point Climbing
Fully insured and certified climbing guides at Denny Cove and Foster Falls
Outdoor Adventures
Black Canyon Cascade
One of the most picturesque sites in the Fiery Gizzard State Park, Black Canyon is technically a cascade, not a waterfall, but still an amazing sight, as two creeks come together and are squeezed through a narrow rock opening. Access this adventure from the Fiery Gizzard North trailhead.
Outdoor Adventures
Blue Hole Falls
This pristine mountain creek waterfall is in an awe-inspiing setting in Fiery Gizzard State Park, with a good swimming hole. Access this adventure from the Fiery Gizzard North Trailhead.
Outdoor Adventures
Denny Cove & Falls
Explore a world-class rock climbers’ paradise in Fiery Gizzard State Park, with a double-cascade waterfall and nearly 500 climbing routes with grades ranging from 5.8 to 5.14. Access this adventure from the Denny Cove Trailhead.
Outdoor Adventures
Fiery Gizzard Trail, a 2-day Adventure
Ranked as one of the top 25 backpacking trails in the United States by Backpacker magazine, "The Gizz" features cascading streams, numerous waterfalls, panoramic overlooks, extremely rocky gorges, gentle slopes and lush woodlands. Use either the Fiery Gizzard State Park's North or South trailheads to begin this adventure!
Outdoor Adventures
Foster Falls
In Fiery Gizzard State Park, at the southern end of the Fiery GizzardTrail, is Foster Falls, a 60-foot waterfall, the tallest in the parks, with a swimming hole at its base. There is an easy quarter-mile hike to observe the falls from above; and a much more strenuous two-mile hike (round trip) to clamber to the bottom of the falls on a rocky trail. Access this adventure from the Fiery Gizzard South Trailhead.
Outdoor Adventures
Grundy Forest Loop/CCC Camp
In Fiery Gizzard State Park, you'll discover a moderate 3-mile trek with swimming holes, history, geology, giant hemlocks and cascading streams with an optional 1/3-mile walk through the site of a 1930s CCC camp. Access this adventure from the Fiery Gizzard North Trailhead.
Outdoor Adventures
Grundy Lakes & Lone Rock Coke Ovens
In Fiery Gizzard State Park, there's a recreational lake with swimming and picnicking facilities at the site of the historic Lone Rock Coke Ovens, where locally-mined coal was converted to coal coke by convict labor. An easy 2.3-mile hike encircles the lakes; some of it using a low-traffic paved road. Access this adventure from the Grundy Lakes Trailhead, which is also the parking area for the swimming and picnicking facilities.
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