Visitor directory
Unicoi County directory
Rocky Fork State Park’s backcountry, the Nolichucky Gorge at Chestoa, the Appalachian Trail over Unaka Mountain and Beauty Spot, the Pinnacle Mountain fire tower, and Erwin’s fish hatchery, Heritage Museum and railroad-town downtown in Tennessee’s Unaka Mountains. About half the county is Cherokee National Forest land, and Hurricane Helene’s 2024 flooding still shapes what is open — check each official page before you go.
Cities: Erwin (county seat) · Unicoi
Communities: Banner Hill · Flag Pond · Limestone Cove · Temple Hill
Official tourism, parks & attractions
Tourism
- Visit Unicoi County (Unicoi County Chamber of Commerce) ↗Unicoi County Chamber of Commerce, 100 S. Main Ave, Erwin · (423) 743-3000 · parks, trails, waterfalls, rafting outfitters, heritage sites and places to stay.
Parks & outdoors
- Lamar Alexander Rocky Fork State Park (TN State Parks) ↗501 Rocky Fork Rd, Flag Pond, off I-26 near the North Carolina line · a rugged mountain park surrounded by the Cherokee National Forest, with marked hiking and mountain-bike trails, trout water in Rocky Fork Creek, backcountry campsites and access to the Appalachian Trail · ranger-led hikes on the park’s Happenings page · camping reservations 1-888-867-2757.
- Cherokee National Forest — Chestoa Recreation Area & the Nolichucky Gorge (USFS) ↗A day-use area on the Nolichucky River south of Erwin and the take-out for whitewater trips through the Nolichucky Gorge from Poplar, N.C. · open with limited amenities, sunrise to sundown; no fee and no drinking water · watch for rafting buses and for fast-rising water after rain in North Carolina · rafting is with licensed outfitters (list on Visit Unicoi County).
- Cherokee National Forest — Rock Creek Recreation Area (USFS) ↗On TN 395 about 3.5 miles east of Erwin, below Unaka Mountain · a CCC-built picnic area and stream-fed swimming area, a campground with electric sites, and trails into the Unaka Mountain Wilderness · gate 7 AM–10 PM; day use $2 per vehicle · the campground is seasonal, so check the USFS page for dates.
- Cherokee National Forest — Pinnacle Mountain Fire Tower (USFS) ↗A covered viewing platform on a 40-foot fire tower atop Buffalo Mountain (3,520 ft), on the Washington County line above the town of Unicoi · Pinnacle Mountain Trail starts at the trailhead off I-26 Exit 32 · open year-round, sunrise to sunset · no water at the tower.
- Cherokee National Forest — road and trail conditions (USFS) ↗About half of Unicoi County is Cherokee National Forest land · after storm damage, Martin Creek Road (FS 410) and Rocky Branch Road (FS 4343) are not scheduled to reopen · a July 2026 Forest Service alert says TN 395 is closed, blocking Unaka Mountain access from Indian Gap · Unaka Mountain Road (FS 230) is a seasonal road · check alerts and closures before you head out.
- Appalachian Trail — Nolichucky River detour (Appalachian Trail Conservancy) ↗The A.T. crosses Unicoi County from the North Carolina line near Sams Gap, down to the Nolichucky River near Erwin, and over Unaka Mountain and Beauty Spot to Iron Mountain Gap · Hurricane Helene washed away the Chestoa Bridge that carried the trail over the Nolichucky; the ATC says no timeline has been shared for a new bridge, and hikers use a 3.6-mile road-walk detour or a shuttle · the Iron Mountain Gap section reopened July 29, 2026.
- Fishery Park (Town of Erwin) ↗Next to the fish hatchery in Erwin · playground, pond, skate park, courts, pavilions and a seasonal pool, plus a section of the Erwin Linear Trail · the playground is closed for construction Oct 28–Nov 6, 2026 (Town of Erwin).
Attractions
- Erwin National Fish Hatchery (U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service) ↗520 Federal Hatchery Rd, Erwin, off I-26 Exit 36 · a federal trout hatchery here since the 1890s · visitor center and raceways open Mon–Fri 7 AM–3:30 PM; admission and fish food are free · a half-mile nature trail behind the Heritage Museum · (423) 743-4712.
Museums & history
- Unicoi County Heritage Museum & Clinchfield Railroad Museum ↗529 Federal Hatchery Rd, Erwin, on the fish hatchery grounds · the 1903 home of the hatchery’s first superintendent, with rooms on Blue Ridge pottery from Erwin’s Southern Potteries, the railroad and county history, and a depot-style railroad museum next door · call for hours, (423) 743-9449.
Government
- Unicoi County government (UT CTAS county profile) ↗County mayor, commission and county offices · Unicoi County Courthouse, 100 N. Main Ave, Erwin · (423) 743-9391.
- Town of Erwin ↗Town Hall, 211 N. Main Ave · (423) 743-6231 · Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri 9–5; Wed 9–4 · parks and recreation, events and town services.
- Town of Unicoi ↗3600 Unicoi Dr, Unicoi · (423) 743-7162 · Mon–Fri 8–5 · Board of Mayor and Aldermen meets the third Monday at 5:30 PM · Mountain Harvest Kitchen and town events.
- Unicoi County Public Library ↗In the 1925 Clinchfield Railroad depot, 201 Nolichucky Ave, Erwin · (423) 743-6533.
Local resources
- Emergency (police · fire · EMS)911Call 911 for any emergency.
- Unicoi County Sheriff’s Office(423) 743-1864Erwin · Sheriff Bobby Rutherford
- Unicoi County Emergency Management(423) 735-3099Preparedness and disaster recovery · for emergencies call 911
- Hospital & urgent care911Unicoi County Hospital in Erwin is closed after Hurricane Helene; Ballad Health broke ground on a new hospital in August 2026 and expects it to open in 2028. For emergencies call 911. Ballad’s urgent care is at 800 S. Mohawk Dr, Suite C, Erwin. ⓘ source
- Unicoi County Health Department(423) 743-9103101 Okolona Dr, Erwin · 8 AM–4:30 PM ⓘ source
- Unicoi County Mayor’s Office(423) 743-9391Unicoi County Courthouse, 100 N. Main Ave, Erwin · Mayor Garland “Bubba” Evely
- Unicoi County Schools(423) 743-1600100 Nolichucky Ave, Erwin · calendars, closings ⓘ source
- Unicoi County Election Commission(423) 743-6521106 Nolichucky Ave, Erwin · Election Day Tue Nov 3: 8 AM–8 PM at your own precinct ⓘ 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 · Unicoi County
Erwin and Unicoi County officials are weighing a proposal to move EnergySolutions to the town’s Second Street industrial site, with a public forum planned before any vote.
Read at WJHL 11 →Unicoi County is on the state economic development department’s list of counties getting a housing market analysis.
Read at The Erwin Record →How the Unicoi County Apple Festival grew from its Old Joe Clark Days beginnings.
Read at The Erwin Record →TDOT still hopes to finish its I-26 work in Unicoi County by Oct. 31.
Read at The Erwin Record →Businesses in the Unicoi County Industrial Park, including Impact Plastics, are still rebuilding two years after Hurricane Helene.
Read at WCYB 5 →Two years after Helene, Erwin Utilities has federal money lined up for a new wastewater plant and substation, while the county’s Chestoa Pike bridge is still waiting to get started.
Read at WCYB 5 →
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
Settlers moved into the valleys along the Nolichucky River and its creeks below the Unaka Mountains in the late 1770s, when this was still the western edge of North Carolina. For nearly a century the land was part of Washington and Carter counties. In 1875 the General Assembly created Unicoi County from parts of both, and its first county court took office in January 1876. The name probably comes from the Cherokee word u’nika, meaning white or fog-draped, the same root as the Unaka Mountains.
The county seat went by Unaka, Longmire and Vanderbilt before it was named Ervin in December 1879. A postal error turned that into Erwin, and the name stuck. Railroads reached the valley from 1886, and after the Clinchfield line came through in 1908 Erwin grew into a railroad town. The federal fish hatchery opened in the 1890s. Southern Potteries made hand-painted Blue Ridge dinnerware in Erwin from 1916 to 1957, and Nuclear Fuel Services later became a major employer. The town of Unicoi in Buffalo Valley incorporated in 1994.
About half the county is Cherokee National Forest land, including the Unaka Mountain and Sampson Mountain wildernesses, and the Appalachian Trail runs through it from the Bald Mountains to Iron Mountain Gap. In September 2024, Hurricane Helene’s flooding on the Nolichucky destroyed Unicoi County Hospital, washed away the Chestoa Bridge that carried the Appalachian Trail over the river, and damaged the county’s industrial park. Ballad Health broke ground on a new hospital in August 2026 and expects it to open in 2028.
Towns & communities
- Erwin — county seat; downtown on Main and Nolichucky avenues, the fish hatchery and Heritage Museum, Fishery Park and the library in the 1925 Clinchfield depot
- Unicoi — town in Buffalo Valley; the Bogart-Bowman Cabin, Buffalo Creek Park and the Pinnacle Mountain trailhead at I-26 Exit 32
- Banner Hill (community) — next to Erwin
- Flag Pond (community) — off I-26 near the North Carolina line; Rocky Fork State Park
- Limestone Cove (community) — on TN 107 below Unaka Mountain
- Temple Hill (community) — southwest of Erwin near the Nolichucky and Chestoa
Our place stories in and near Unicoi County
Go deeper
Neighboring counties: Carter County · Greene County · Washington 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.