Local Outdoor Activities & Attractions
Gold Panning on Coker Creek
The Coker Creek Welcome Center is a dealer for the Gold Panning Association of America – with memberships
available at our location. We sell maps, books, panning supplies and have a free map and information available.
Mon – Sat 9 am to 5 pm 423-261-2286
** Gold was discovered in Coker Creek in the early 1830′s.
Hiking Trails in & Around Coker Creek
Unicoi Turnpike Trail: A Path Through Time
Cherokee National Forest Trails – Ocoee Ranger District
Arbutus Trail #141 – 0.7 miles
Red Leaf #144 – 0.3 miles
Azalea Trail # 141 – 0.4 miles
Benton Falls Trail #131 – 1.5 miles
Clemmer Trail #302 – 1.5 miles; 4.5 miles on Benton Falls Trail to the junction of Trail #302.
Sylco Ridge Road – #302T (Off-road vehicle road.) Moderate to difficult riding.
Jake Branch Road – #101(Off-road vehicle road.) Easy riding.
Tellico Ranger District
Trail #129, the Indian Boundary Lake Trail is open for biking. It is 3.6 miles long and is rated easy to moderate.
The trail circles Indian Boundary Lake. Parking is available.
Watauga Ranger District
No trails designated specifically for mountain bicycles; however, biking is allow on some other trails. These are
Flatwoods Horse Trail, Josiah Horse Trail, Rogers Ridge Horse Trail. All horse trails are yellow-blazed. Bikes are
also allowed on Flatwoods all-terrain vehicle trail and Keener Spur Trail (orange-blazed.)
Unaka Ranger District
Rock Creek Bicycle Trail, 0.84 mile long, is an easy trail that begins opposite Loop B in the Rock Creek Recreation
Area and ends at Loop C. Bicyclists of all ages can enjoy this short trail.
List of Tellico Ranger District Trails. Click Here
Road and Off-Road Biking in & Around Coker Creek
Road biking is popular in particular sections of the Smoky Mountains National Park, namely Cades Cove Loop
Road, Cataloochee and Foothills Parkway/Look Rock. Most other roads are too steep, too narrow or too busy.
Cades Cove Loop Road extends for 11 miles around the cove and offers great views. It is closed to auto traffic on
Wednesday and Saturday mornings in summer, otherwise it can get very crowded. A special time to pedal the
cove is at night on a full moon. Cataloochee offers fairly level roads, though some are gravel. The traffic is
moderate.
Look Rock/Foothills Parkway is all paved, but many sections are steep, though the Look Rock campground loop is
doable by almost everyone.
Drives:
National Scenic Byways and Other Recreational Drives
Cherohala Skyway – Cultural heritage and historic sites of the Cherokee tribe and early settlers are offered
throughout the 36-km (23-mile) skyway in a grand forest environment in the southern Appalachian Mountains.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park – Roads in this great national park were designed for scenic
driving-laid out for the view with numerous turnouts and other facilities. Details on on American treasures such
as the Newfound Gap Road, Balsam Mountain Road, Little River Road, Foothills Parkway and more.
Coker Creek Historical Tour - Follow the Visitors Map (download the JPEG) to really get to know our sleepy
little community.
Unaka Mountain Auto Tour – The Unaka Mountain Auto Tour takes you on a 30 mile loop of the Unaka
Ranger District of the Cherokee National Forest. As you travel through Unicoi County you will see some of east
Tennessee’s most beautiful scenery.
Fishing Guide Services
Cherokee Guide Service, 423-261-2747(fishing & hunting guides)
Dry Flyer Outfitters, 423-338-6263 (fishing guides)
Hiwassee Outfitters, 423-338-8115; 800-338-6263 (fishing guides)
Mike Cole’s Fishing Guide Service, 423-253-7439 (fishing guides)
Boating Services & Rental
Lake Ocoee Inn, 423-338-2064; 800-272-7238
Tellico Harbor, Tellico Lake, 423-856-6806
The Beautiful, Nearby Tellico River
Areas to Fish:
Tellico River - Famous for Fly fishing for Trout.
Tennessee Tailwater Trout -Trout love tailwater. Here’s a look at three of Tennessee’s top tailwaters.
Fishing the Hazel Creek System – Wild trout still swim the remote streams of the Great Smoky Mountain
National Park. Here’s the word on the park’s crown jewel: Hazel Creek.
Great Smoky Mountains – More than just historic, the fishing here is great.
Hiwassee River – Now with better management, this river is on its way to offering some of the best trout fishing
in the U.S. Near Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Fly Fishing Abrams Creek – Superb fly fishing in Great Smoky Mountain National Park.
Tellico and Watts Bar Lake - rent boats and catch fish.
Golf in the Coker Creek vicinity
Madisonville Golf Course: 9 holes, par 36
Cart & club rental available 423-442-6423
Rarity Bay Golf Club: 18 holes, par 72
Copper Basin Golf Club: 9 holes, par 36
Cart & club rental available 423-496-3579