Visitor directory
Grainger County directory
Rutledge, Bean Station and Blaine: Cherokee Lake to the south, a slice of Norris Lake to the north, Clinch Mountain down the middle, and the famous Grainger County tomato.
Cities: Rutledge (county seat) · Bean Station (also Hawkins) · Blaine
Communities: Washburn · Thorn Hill · Powder Springs · Tate Springs · Avondale · Liberty Hill · Puncheon Camp · Richland
Official tourism, parks & attractions
Tourism
- Trail Through Time (Visit Grainger TN) ↗Self-guided history kiosks in Rutledge, Bean Station, Blaine, Thorn Hill, Washburn and on Clinch Mountain.
- Grainger County Tomato Festival ↗Rutledge’s July tomato festival, now in its 33rd year (2026 was July 17–18).
- Clinchview Golf Club ↗18 holes in the Clinch Mountain valley · 970 Hwy 11W, Bean Station · (865) 993-2892.
- Visit Grainger TN (Chamber tourism) ↗Lodging, food, trails and events from the Grainger County Chamber · 460 Water St, Rutledge · 865-828-4222.
Parks & outdoors
- Grainger County Park on Cherokee Lake (County Parks) ↗Lakeside walking trail, playground, picnic areas and shoreline access off Lakeshore Dr (SR 375), Rutledge. Food Truck Fridays, April–November.
- Buffalo Springs WMA (TWRA) ↗342 wooded acres with Buffalo Creek waterfalls and the state fish hatchery · 329 Wildlife Way, Rutledge. Open daylight hours.
- Veterans Overlook on Clinch Mountain ↗Roadside memorial and big view over Bean Station and Cherokee Lake on US-25E (eastbound side).
- Narrow Ridge Center ↗550-acre earth-literacy center with the Black Fox Wilderness trails · 1936 Liberty Hill Rd, Washburn.
Museums & history
- Nance House Arts & Heritage Center ↗National Register home and Friendship Park in downtown Rutledge · 103 Marshall Ave. Renovations under way; call Clinch-Powell 865-828-5927.
- Grainger County Archives ↗County records, genealogy and local history · Rutledge.
Government
- Grainger County government ↗County mayor, commission and offices · Courthouse, 8095 Rutledge Pike, Rutledge · 865-828-3513.
- Town of Bean Station ↗Town hall, 785 Main St · (865) 993-3177.
- City of Blaine ↗City hall, 220 Indian Ridge Rd · (865) 933-1240.
- Rutledge (MTAS directory) ↗County seat · City hall, 8655 Rutledge Pike · (865) 828-4513.
Shared with neighboring counties
- Norris Lake (TVA) — shared with other counties; listed under East Tennessee (general)
- Cherokee Lake (TVA) — shared with other counties; listed under East Tennessee (general)
Local resources
- Emergency (police · fire · EMS)911Call 911 for any emergency.
- Grainger County 911 non-emergency dispatch865-828-3337County-wide dispatch ⓘ source
- Grainger County Mayor’s Office865-828-3513Courthouse, 8095 Rutledge Pike, Suite 100, Rutledge · Mayor Mike Byrd ⓘ source
- Grainger County Sheriff’s Department865-828-3613270 Justice Center Dr, Suite 105, Rutledge · Sheriff James Harville ⓘ source
- Grainger County EMS(865) 828-3682270 Justice Center Dr, Suite 101 · for emergencies call 911 ⓘ source
- Grainger County Health Department(865) 828-5247185 Justice Center Dr, Rutledge · M–F 8–4:30 ⓘ source
- Grainger County Schools865-828-36117850 Rutledge Pike — calendars, closings ⓘ source
- Grainger County Veterans Service Office865-828-34237707 Rutledge Pike · by appointment ⓘ source
- Grainger County Election Commission(865) 828-51327701 Rutledge Pike · Election Day Tue Nov 3 ⓘ 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 · Grainger County
Marine Corps veteran and Morristown councilman Al A'Hearn will headline Grainger County's Veterans Day ceremony.
Read at Grainger County Journal →Twenty-six boats fished Cherokee Lake in the Grainger County Fishing Tournament out of Grainger County Park.
Read at Grainger County Journal →Two Grainger High welding students won first place at the 2026 Tennessee Valley Fair for a scrap-metal bouquet.
Read at Grainger County Journal →Rutledge-based Clinch-Powell RC&D is acting on a regional housing-needs study to tackle rural housing costs and supply.
Read at Grainger County Journal →Walters State's president met more than a dozen Grainger County leaders on a listening tour about workforce and education needs.
Read at Walters State Community College →After July's flash floods, which led to about 30 rescues, Mayor Mike Byrd and the city mayors asked the state for an emergency declaration to help with recovery.
Read at WBIR 10 →Grainger and Union counties are pitching quiet lake getaways, from Cherokee Lake to Norris, and Grainger's new Trail Through Time history kiosks.
Read at WATE 6 →
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
Grainger County was formed in 1796, the year Tennessee became a state, from parts of Hawkins and Knox counties. It is the only Tennessee county named for a woman: Mary Grainger Blount, wife of territorial governor William Blount. Its early lines once took in parts of today’s Campbell, Claiborne, Hamblen and Union counties, and the court moved from place to place until a courthouse went up at Rutledge in 1801.
Bean Station grew up where the Old Kentucky Road met the road from Washington to New Orleans, and its tavern hosted a long list of famous travelers. In December 1863 the battle of Bean’s Station followed Longstreet’s failed siege of Knoxville. Later the mineral springs along Clinch Mountain drew resort crowds, and Tate Springs, with its big hotel and golf course, thrived until the Great Depression; its springhouse still stands.
TVA’s lakes changed the county again: Cherokee Lake to the south and Norris Lake to the north brought fishing, boating and lake homes. Farming still matters too, and the Grainger County tomato is known well beyond East Tennessee.
Towns & communities
- Rutledge — county seat since 1801, named for General George Rutledge; Andrew Johnson once ran a tailor shop here
- Bean Station — old crossroads town on US-25E and US-11W, incorporated in 1996; a sliver reaches into Hawkins County
- Blaine — once Blaine’s Crossroads at the end of the old Emory Road, incorporated in 1978
- Thorn Hill (community) — north of Clinch Mountain, known for its black marble
Our place stories in and near Grainger County
Go deeper
Neighboring counties: Claiborne County · Hamblen County · Hancock County · Hawkins County · Jefferson County · Knox County · Union 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.