The path ascends gently as it continues to follow Rocky Fork a short distance before making a crossing at a new footbridge and then heading up the valley of Flint Creek. I'd travel the loop in a clockwise direction, bearing left at the junction onto the Flint Creek Trail. The Rocky Fork Trail passes the spur to Whitehouse Cliffs about 3/4-mile in and then, shortly thereafter, ends at a large opening where the loop portion of my hike would begin. The river is incredibly pretty as well as it tumbles its way over numerous cascades through the deep gorge. This would be a wonderfully easy stretch of trail if one just wanted to get out for a short stroll in the woods. The pathway follows Rocky Fork closely for the first mile and climbs very gently. From the parking lot an old logging road, now designated the Rocky Fork Trail and open for foot travel only, leads into the interior. This is the primary access point for the State Park. The starting point for the hike would be at the new parking lot off Rocky Fork Road. So the plan for the day would be this.I'd make a comfortably long 10-mile loop through the interior of the park stopping by along the way at the Flint Creek Battle Site and the parks most well-known natural attraction, the Whitehouse Cliffs. If for any other reason this is why I decided to finally make my way over and make my first visit. In the coming years I'm certain that the many natural wonders of the park will continue to draw more and more people as word of its existence grows. As such Rocky Fork remains relatively undiscovered though, located as it is just off I-26 midway between Asheville and Johnson City, I doubt it will stay that way for long.
The park is relatively new, formed in 2012, and it wasn't until the last couple years that the trail system and access to the park saw significant improvement. The park encompasses a landscape of steep ridges, narrow gorges, and deep forests as well as a significant historical site dating back to the Chickamauga Wars of the 1780's. Situated right inside the state line the park is bounded by the venerable Appalachian Trail atop the high ridges to the west while Cherokee National Forest surrounds it to the north and south. Rocky Fork also boasts habitat for game animals such as bear, turkey, deer and grouse.Rocky Fork State Park is a 2,036-acre piece of public land located in the rugged hills of Unicoi County in northeastern Tennessee.
Sixteen miles of pristine blue-ribbon trout streams, including the waters of Lower Higgins Creek and Rocky Fork Creek, harbor exceptional populations of native brook trout. About 1.5 miles of the Appalachian Trail crosses the southwest border of the property, and half the property can be seen from the trail. Rocky Fork’s many resources provide a range of world-class recreational opportunities that have been attracting generations of visitors from across the country. The tract is also a part of the Unicoi Bear Preserve and contains prime bear-breeding habitat. The tract is home to several species in need of conservation including the peregrine falcon, east hellbender, and the Yonahlossee salamander. The area is named for the creek that runs through its center and lies within the Cherokee National Forest in Tennessee and abuts the North Carolina’s Pisgah National Forest. The other 4,000 acres are found in Greene, County. Approximately 6,000 acres of the near 10,000-acre Rocky Fork tract are located in Unicoi County.
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