The Tennessee Departments of Tourist Development and Transportation, in partnership with tourism organizations in ten counties in Middle and East Tennessee launched the Top Secret Trail Friday as a part of the 10th Annual Secret City Festival in Oak Ridge.
The 15th of 16 self-guided driving tours in the Discover Tennessee Trails & Byways program, the trail is made up of sites and attractions in Knox, Anderson, Campbell, Overton, Fentress, Morgan, Scott, Clay, Roane and Pickett counties showcasing Middle and East Tennessee’s history, culture, music and cuisine.
Executive Director Katy Brown, Oak Ridge Convention and Visitors Bureau hosted the event. Commissioner Susan Whitaker, Tennessee Department of Tourist Development, and Commissioner John Schroer, Tennessee Department of Transportation, made special remarks.
“Keeping with our goal of more visitors, staying longer and spending more, Discover Tennessee Trails & Byways is the perfect program to encourage our residents and visitors to get out and explore the state’s well-known attractions as well as our hidden gems,” said Commissioner Susan Whitaker, Tennessee Department of Tourist Development. “This trail offers 465 miles of scenic beauty and wonderful sites and attractions to be discovered and enjoyed by the traveling public.”
The Top Secret Trail allows travelers to explore through Middle and East Tennessee, touring fascinating towns, from the “Secret City” of Oak Ridge and its atomic mysteries to utopian towns such as Harriman, “the town that temperance built” and Rugby, one of the most authentically preserved historic villages in America.
Visitors can also celebrate Tennessee history makers by visiting Green McAdoo Cultural Center, the birthplace of desegregation, Cordell Hull Birthplace State Park, where you’ll find a replica of Nobel Peace Prize winner and former U.S. Secretary of State Cordell Hull’s log cabin. Or, Sergeant Alvin C. York Historic Park, dedicated to one of the most decorated war heroes of World War I.
The Department of Tourist Development provides marketing support and branding starter kits for each new trail, including development of trail logos, design and oversight of the award-winning Discover Tennessee Trails & Byways website, tntrailsandbyways.com and creation of a comprehensive trails brochure highlighting attractions, culinary, agritourism, outdoor recreation, shopping, history, culture, music and much more. The 27 page Top Secret brochure highlights 111 points of interests.
For more information on the Top Secret Trail, please contact Derrick Smith at Derrick.Smith@tn.gov or visit www.tntrailsandbyways.com. For the latest tourism happenings in Tennessee, visit us at tnvacation.com, facebook.com/tnvacation, tnvacation.com/triptales/, or twitter.com/tnvacation/.