Visitor directory
Cocke County directory
The Smokies’ quiet Cosby side and the Foothills Parkway East, Pigeon River whitewater at Hartford, the Cherokee National Forest and Martha Sundquist State Forest, the Appalachian Trail on Snowbird Mountain, Rankin Bottoms on upper Douglas Lake, and the county seat of Newport on the French Broad.
Places checked 2026-10-28 from each business or official page — free listings; call ahead, small-town hours change.
Cities & towns
Communities
Parks, forests & trails
- Great Smoky Mountains NP — Cosby · National park
- Cherokee National Forest · National forest
- Martha Sundquist State Forest · State forest
- Rankin Wildlife Management Area · Wildlife mgmt area
- Newport City Park · City park
- Appalachian Trail · National scenic trail
- Foothills Parkway East · Scenic drive · NPS
Water
- Douglas Lake (upper end) · TVA lake
Official tourism, parks & attractions
Tourism
- Newport Tourism Information Center (City of Newport) ↗115 Mulberry St, Suite 100, Newport · (423) 613-4040 · Monday–Friday 9–5.
- Cocke County Partnership (Chamber · tourism) ↗Chamber of Commerce, economic development and the Newport/Cocke County Tourism Council · 115 Mulberry St, Suite 200 · (423) 623-7201 · events and the Christmas parade.
- Y’all Visit the Smokies (Cocke County tourism) ↗The Partnership’s visitor site — things to do, places to stay and area events.
Parks & outdoors
- NPS — Cosby Area (Great Smoky Mountains NP) ↗The park’s less-traveled northeast corner near Cosby and Hartford: Cosby Creek, old-growth forest, historic cemeteries, a picnic area, a seasonal campground and trailheads. Check NPS current conditions before you go.
- NPS — Foothills Parkway East ↗Scenic parkway section between Cosby (TN-32) and I-40, with overlooks across the valley.
- Pigeon River (Cherokee National Forest) ↗Dam-controlled whitewater: the upper section runs about five miles from below Walters power plant in Waterville, N.C., through Class III–III+ rapids to Hartford; the lower section runs about five more miles of Class II–III from Hartford toward Denton. Smallmouth fishing year-round. Book with a licensed outfitter.
- Cherokee National Forest — Pigeon River area ↗National forest backcountry between the French Broad and Pigeon rivers: the Appalachian Trail over Snowbird Mountain, Round Mountain campground, the Rocky Top sunrise drive (high-clearance vehicles on FR 402) and the historic Wasp community.
- Martha Sundquist State Forest (TN Division of Forestry) ↗2,001-acre state forest known locally as “the Gulf,” surrounded by the Cherokee National Forest · TN Gulf Trail, Brown Gap Trail, a 9-mile horse route and primitive campsites · access via Martha Sundquist Rd off Grassy Fork Rd · busy roads during bear season.
- Appalachian Trail (Appalachian Trail Conservancy) ↗The A.T. crosses Snowbird Mountain on the Tennessee–North Carolina line between Max Patch and the Pigeon River. Remote and steep — plan for no cell service.
- Rankin WMA — Rankin Bottoms (TWRA) ↗1,975 acres of islands and floodplain at the head of Douglas Lake — TWRA calls it the premier warm-season waterbird site in East Tennessee. Mudflats from mid-October to late March; flooded mid-May through July. TWRA ramps at Rankin Bridge, Leadvale and Walters Bridge.
Government
- Cocke County government ↗County mayor, legislative body and offices · Courthouse, 111 Court Ave, Newport.
- City of Newport ↗County seat · City Hall, 300 E Main St · (423) 623-7323 · parks, Newport City Park and the farmers market.
- Cocke County public libraries (TSLA directory) ↗Stokely Memorial, Newport (423) 720-2075 · Cosby Community (423) 487-5885 · Marie Ellison Memorial, Del Rio (423) 487-5929 · Parrottsville Community (423) 625-8990.
Shared with neighboring counties
- Great Smoky Mountains National Park (NPS) — shared with other counties; listed under East Tennessee (general)
- Douglas Lake (TVA) — shared with other counties; listed under East Tennessee (general)
Local resources
- Emergency (police · fire · EMS)911Call 911 for any emergency.
- Cocke County E-911 non-emergency dispatch(423) 623-3064Also (423) 623-8777 · business office (423) 623-5978 ⓘ source
- Cocke County Sheriff’s Office(423) 623-6004111 Court Ave, Newport · Sheriff C.J. Ball ⓘ source
- Cocke County Emergency Management(423) 613-1772Emergency Operations Center, 120 Fairground Circle, Newport · storm, flood and river-safety information · for emergencies call 911 ⓘ source
- Tennova Newport Medical Center(423) 625-2200435 Second St, Newport · 24/7 emergency department ⓘ source
- Cocke County Health Department(423) 623-8733Tennessee Department of Health clinic, Newport ⓘ source
- Cocke County Mayor’s Office(423) 623-8791Western Plaza, Newport · Mayor Joe Shults ⓘ source
- Cocke County Schools(423) 623-7821Central Office, 305 Hedrick Dr, Newport — calendars, closings ⓘ source
- Newport City Schools (Newport Grammar School)423-625-0686301 College St, Newport ⓘ source
- Cocke County Election Commission(423) 623-2042157 Western Plaza Dr, Newport · Election Day Tue Nov 3, 9 AM–8 PM ⓘ source
- Veterans Service Office423-623-7911141 Western Plaza Way, Newport ⓘ source
- Highway emergency (cell)*THP (*847)Tennessee Highway Patrol ⓘ source
Checked Oct 28, 2026 · official sites only · phone numbers copied from each agency’s own page — tap ⓘ to confirm. In an emergency, call 911.
Area news
Headlines from local outlets · Cocke County
Newport is one of 14 Tennessee communities awarded a Downtown Improvement Grant — $245,511 for facades, signs and streetscape work, with a local match.
Read at Tennessee Town & City (TML) →The Newport Christmas Parade is set for 6:30 PM Friday, Dec. 4, along Broadway in downtown Newport, with the theme “Red, White and Bright: An American Christmas.”
Read at The Newport Plain Talk →Early voting runs through Thursday at the Election Commission, 157 Western Plaza; Newport voters choose a mayor, aldermen and city school board members, and Parrottsville fills three commissioner seats.
Read at The Newport Plain Talk →Cocke County commissioners approved a Safe Haven Baby Box at the county fire department, and Newport Pediatrics is starting a fundraiser to cover the cost.
Read at WVLT 8 →TDOT’s culvert replacement on Hwy 25/70 near Del Rio keeps traffic to one lane each way on a temporary signal; TDOT expects it to fully reopen in early 2027.
Read at WVLT 8 →
Short summaries in our words — tap through to read the full story at the outlet. All area news → · Outlet requests: [email protected]
A short history
The Tennessee General Assembly created Cocke County from Jefferson County in 1797 and named it for William Cocke, a Revolutionary War soldier who supported the State of Franklin, helped write Tennessee’s first constitution and served as one of the state’s first U.S. senators. The county lies against the Great Smoky Mountains and is crossed by the French Broad and Pigeon rivers. John Gilliland planted a corn crop at the mouth of the Pigeon River in 1783 to claim land there; early settlers gathered near forts such as Whitson’s, McKay’s, Wood’s and Huff’s, and the Big Pigeon Baptist Church was organized in 1787.
The first county seat, New Port, stood on fifty acres beside the French Broad donated by John Gilliland’s son. After the Cincinnati, Cumberland Gap and Charleston Railroad arrived in 1867, the seat moved to a new site on the bluffs above the river that kept the name Newport, and the original town became Oldtown; its O’Dell House, built in 1814, is on the National Register. Fire destroyed the courthouse and most county records in 1876, government returned to Oldtown until 1884, and the present Colonial Revival courthouse dates to 1930. Parrottsville, settled by German families in the 1780s, is one of the oldest communities in the state.
Ben W. Hooper of Cocke County became Tennessee’s first Republican governor in thirty years in 1911, and the soprano Grace Moore was born near Del Rio. The county’s mountains now hold part of the national park around Cosby, the Foothills Parkway, the Cherokee National Forest and Martha Sundquist State Forest. In 2024, flooding from Hurricane Helene damaged homes and businesses in Newport and the river communities, and the county is still rebuilding.
Towns & communities
- Newport — county seat on the bluffs above the French Broad; the 1930 courthouse
- Parrottsville — town settled by German families in the 1780s
- Cosby (community) — gateway to the national park’s Cosby area and the Foothills Parkway East
- Hartford (community) — Pigeon River whitewater base near I-40
- Del Rio (community) — French Broad valley community; birthplace area of Grace Moore
- Bybee (community) — northern Cocke County near Douglas Lake
Our place stories in and near Cocke County
Go deeper
- The Lost State of Franklin (1784–1789)
- When Tennessee was North Carolina
- Tanasi: the town that named Tennessee — and the TVA waters
Neighboring counties: Greene County · Hamblen County · Jefferson County · Sevier County · All counties →
Official visitor links
Checked Oct 27, 2026 · hours, fees and events live on these pages.
Videos
Sources
Checked Oct 27, 2026 · We summarize; follow these for the full history. No hours or fees on this page — check official sites before you go.