Tennessee's Newest Gem: Activating Clinch River Valley State Park

Hey folks,

Tennessee just added another jewel to its collection — Clinch River Valley State Park, the newest addition to the state park system — and I couldn't wait to get up there and put it on the air.

Honestly, the drive alone is worth the trip. The route serves up some of the finest scenery in the state. You roll past the beautiful Cherokee Lake, a reservoir on the Holston River, then wind your way up into the rolling Appalachian folds of Powell Mountain and Copper Ridge. The final stretch takes you up through the Clinch River Valley itself, past weathered old barns and stretches of rich, fertile farmland that look like they've been feeding these hills for generations. By the time you arrive, you're already glad you came.

The park is small but mighty. It protects 21 acres along the Clinch River — one of the most biologically diverse rivers in all of North America — with a 16-acre core area wrapped around the historic Kyle Ford General Store. There's exciting work underway here: plans are in motion to open a restaurant inside the old store and to build cabins for overnight stays. For us radio folks, there's a large deck and a pavilion area that would make an excellent operating spot for a more leisurely activation down the road.

For this visit, though, I kept it simple. I set up right in the parking lot with a 15M hamstick mounted on the roof of the truck — quick, easy, and enough to get the job done.

The real treat came while I was chatting with the General Store's management. It turns out James is a fellow ham — KI4YWW! Always a pleasure to run into one of our own out in the wild. He was busy preparing for all the great things coming to this park, so I didn't keep him long, but it was a great reminder of how our hobby has a way of showing up in the most unexpected places.

This little park has a big future ahead of it, and I feel lucky to have gotten in early to help put it on the map. I'll definitely be back — next time to set up properly on that deck and give it the activation it deserves.

If you're planning your own trip, it's worth knowing that the park sits right up against a wildlife management area, US-7600. Tempting as that sounds for a two-fer, the two areas don't actually overlap, so there's no valid double-dip to be had here — they're neighbors, not roommates. And on my visit I found the WMA to be badly overgrown from most of the access points I checked, so getting a clean setup inside its boundaries would take some scouting.

I'll be honest — I think I missed the best operating spot on this trip. It's only after I got home and studied the map that I spotted the parking area for the Kyle Ford Falls trailhead, which looks like the prime location to set up a POTA activation in the park. Next time. For this visit I activated from just around the corner of the General Store instead, and it turned out to be a fine little spot with a story of its own.

Here's how to find it: next to the store parking is Joe Alder Rd. Drive a short way down, and where the road bends away from the river you'll come to a parking area for the WMA. You'll know it when you see it — there's an ancient stacked-stone wall with old stone stairs built right into its side, leading up to where a cabin once stood. The cabin itself is long gone, but its stacked-stone chimney still stands watch over the spot. It has the look of something that surely predates the Civil War, and I'd love to know its history — if anyone reading this knows the story of that old homestead, I'm all ears.

I put the 20M hamstick on the roof and got to work, logging 19 stations stretching from Florida to Utah and up into Canada. Not a bad haul at all for a quick roadside activation next to a bit of forgotten Tennessee history.

73,
Rick / W4IO