Visitor directory
Hancock County directory
Sneedville and the Clinch River valley: Tennessee’s newest state park at Kyles Ford, the upper Powell River, Elrod Falls under Clinch Mountain, and the Melungeon heritage of Vardy.
Cities: Sneedville (county seat)
Communities: Kyles Ford · Treadway · Vardy · Mulberry Gap · Alanthus Hill · Xenophon · Evanston · Luther · Big Creek · Yount Town · Papaw · New Hope
Official tourism, parks & attractions
Tourism
- Ride “The Spider” motorcycle routes ↗Eight scenic routes that fan out from downtown Sneedville over Newman’s Ridge, along the Clinch and over Clinch Mountain.
- Sneedville/Hancock Chamber & Community Partners ↗Volunteer chamber behind the Hancock County Fall Festival (first weekend of October) and the Christmas parade.
Parks & outdoors
- Clinch River Valley State Park (TN State Parks) ↗Tennessee’s 67th state park, opened August 2026 at the old River Place general store on the Clinch · 2788 TN-70, Kyles Ford · Thu–Sun 8–4:30 · free · (423) 259-4339. Ranger-led floats and heritage programs; trails are still being built.
- Elrod Falls (Hancock County tourism) ↗Three cascades, more than 100 feet combined, with a swimming hole and picnic spots off SR 31 about 7 miles south of Sneedville (Elrod Circle to Elrod Falls Rd). No restrooms.
Museums & history
- Vardy Community History Museum ↗Melungeon heritage in the Vardy-Blackwater valley: the restored Vardy Church museum and the Mahala Mullins cabin · 3845 Vardy-Blackwater Rd · 3rd Saturday, May–October, 11–2.
- Hancock County Historical & Genealogical Society ↗County history, Melungeon research and genealogy · 1236 Main St, Sneedville · Tue & Fri 10–5. (Its 1860 Old Jail home burned in April 2025.)
Government
- Hancock County Public Library ↗138 Willow St, Sneedville · 423-733-2020 · Mon–Fri 9–5:30.
- Hancock County government ↗County mayor, commission and offices · Courthouse, Main St, Sneedville · 423-733-4341.
- Town of Sneedville (county page) ↗County seat · Town hall, 292 New Jail St · (423) 733-2254.
Shared with neighboring counties
- Powell River Blueway — shared with other counties; listed under East Tennessee (general)
Local resources
- Emergency (police · fire · EMS)911Call 911 for any emergency.
- Hancock County Sheriff’s Office(423) 733-2250265 New Jail St, Sneedville ⓘ source
- Hancock County EMS423-733-44541517 Main St, Sneedville · for emergencies call 911 ⓘ source
- Hancock County Hospital (Ballad Health)(423) 733-50001519 Main St, Sneedville · 24/7 emergency room ⓘ source
- Hancock County Health Department222 Public Health Dr, Sneedville (behind the hospital) · M–F 8–4:30 ⓘ source
- Hancock County Mayor’s Office423-733-4341Courthouse, Sneedville · Mayor Greg Marion ⓘ source
- Hancock County Schools423-733-2591418 Harrison St, Sneedville — calendars, closings ⓘ source
- Hancock County Election Commission(423) 733-45491237 Main St · 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 · Hancock County
State leaders dedicated Clinch River Valley State Park on the banks of the Clinch, with a master plan for more river access ahead.
Read at WGRV (Greeneville radio) →Clinch-Powell, which bought River Place in 2005 to revive Kyles Ford, marked the property's handoff to Tennessee State Parks.
Read at Clinch-Powell RC&D →Tennessee's newest state park opened at the old River Place store in Kyles Ford, with river floats now and cabin rentals planned for 2027.
Read at The Rogersville Review →Hancock County's new 8,000-square-foot health department opened behind the hospital in Sneedville, with exam and dental rooms.
Read at Hancock County Government →
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
Hancock County was created in 1844 from parts of Hawkins and Claiborne counties and named for John Hancock, first signer of the Declaration of Independence. The first act was flawed, and a court fight kept county business on hold from 1846 until 1848, when the Tennessee Supreme Court ruled for the new county. Its Knoxville lawyer, W. H. Sneed, gave his name to the county seat, built at a creekside landmark called Greasy Rock.
Long before that, people living along the Clinch were noted by 17th-century explorers and by John Sevier in 1784. They came to be called Melungeons, families of mixed ancestry who were pushed off good land and into the ridges. The Vardy community, below Newman’s Ridge, keeps that history through its church museum and the cabin of the legendary Mahala Mullins.
Hancock stayed rural: farms, a zinc mine at Treadway from the 1950s to 1971, and in 1967 WSJK, Tennessee’s first state-owned public TV station, signed on from Sneedville. In 2026 the old River Place general store at Kyles Ford became Clinch River Valley State Park, the state’s 67th.
Towns & communities
- Sneedville — county seat and the only incorporated town, chartered in 1850 and named for attorney W. H. Sneed
- Kyles Ford (community) — Clinch River crossing and home of Clinch River Valley State Park
- Vardy (community) — Melungeon settlement below Newman’s Ridge; church museum and Mahala Mullins cabin
- Treadway (community) — under Clinch Mountain near Elrod Falls; zinc was mined here 1950s–1971
Our place stories in and near Hancock County
Go deeper
Neighboring counties: Claiborne County · Grainger County · Hawkins 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.