
Mountain Goat Trail

The Mountain Goat Trail is a rails-to-trails project, following the route of an historic railroad that, from 1856 to 1985, the carried coal and passengers over the Cumberland Plateau and down to the main Nashville-to-Chattanooga line in Cowan. It was called the Mountain Goat because its climb onto the Plateau was, at the time, one of the steepest railroad ascents in the world.
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, and it continues to be expanded. New segments of the Trail are scheduled to begin construction from Sewanee to Cowan and Tracy City toward Coalmont in 2026. The bridge across Interstate 24 is due to be replaced, with the addition of a multimodal trail, in 2026 or 2027.
The Sewanee-Monteagle section of the trail begins in downtown Sewanee and ends at Mountain Outfitters in Monteagle. The best place to park in Sewanee is at the Sewanee Welcome Center, downtown at the flashing light. Parking is also available in the gravel lot on Highway 41A at Hawkins Lane.
In Monteagle, parking is available at Mountain Outfitters or Monteagle City Hall to access the Trail. Another trailhead is at Fiery Gizzard State Park Visitor Center.
In Tracy City, the trail can best be accessed from Old Roundhouse Park downtown or from Tracy City Elementary School.
Trailheads
Hikes & Attractions
Nearby Places to Eat
Nearby Places to Stay
More to do nearby

Tracy City
Christ Church Episcopal
From a humble start in a woodshed, an enduring legacy

Tracy City
E.L. Hampton House
From Railroad Ticket Agent to Coal Company President

Tracy City
Frank White House
An Eclectic Home with a “Do It Yourself” Owner

Tracy City
Historic Henry Flury & Sons Grocery
A Century of Essentials and Personal Service

Tracy City
Historic Mountain Goat Railroad
A real-life version of “The Little Engine that Could”

Monteagle
Monteagle Sunday School Assembly
One of Nine Surviving Chautauquas

Monteagle
The Hotel, The Eagle & College Hijinks
An Epic Tale of Fire, Abduction, Guilt and Repatriation

Monteagle
The Mabee Homeplace
A Storied Home with Connections to Al Capone

Tracy City
The Marugg Company
The Business that Scythes Built

Sewanee
University of the South
History Awaits at the University of the South

Monteagle
Wrenn's Nest
A place to escape summer heat and yellow fever
































































