We Were Left All Alone in a Remote Tennessee Park Filled With Otherworldly Rock Formations

I feel pretty lucky that on our first trip there, we found the best hike in Pogue Creek Canyon. The Mesa Top Trail was a wild ride with many points of interest along the way. We were blown away by the variety of scenery, and it was so remote that we only saw one couple the whole time we were hiking. If you have been looking for some lesser-known trails near Knoxville, then head up to Pogue Creek Canyon an experience this amazing hike.

This part of Tennessee, one of the state's designated dark sky parks, is more than just a pretty spot to look up at the night sky. Hidden within the forest is a plethora of otherworldly rock formations and beautiful vistas. The first stop on our hike was to see the mesa-top views. I was familiar with mesas from my trip out West, but it wasn’t something I was expecting to see in my own state. The trail looked like an old dirt road at first but then took a few surprising turns, which we learned was the norm on this trail. The rickety steep wooden stairs up the cliffside was our first indication that this hike would be a little adventurous. 

After traversing some very narrow paths with large blueberry bushes, some of them as tall as my chest, we arrived at a little bridge over a crack in the rock. The crevice went down impossibly far, it was too dark to see the bottom. We hopped over the little footbridge and were blown away by the incredible view. The mesa, in particular, was beautiful and something certainly unique in Tennessee. After soaking in the scenery for a moment we turned to finish off the loop trail.

Our original plan involved a much longer trail that day, which included an arch, but due to a massive storm the previous week, the trail was closed. I wondered how much of what I saw online I would be able to see on the limited hike; and there was one particular spot I had high hopes for visiting. We took the loop to finish off the hike, and I was nervous that what I had hoped for was located in a closed area, but then we rounded the corner and there it was!

It was even better than I could have hoped for. We left the familiar packed dirt path for soft sand and enjoyed a view far better than the mesa. The massive rock wall stretched up far above our heads with swirls of colors and otherworldly formations. On the other side of the trail was an arch-like cave we had to walk through to continue hiking. I was elated to find this hidden gem in the northern Tennessee woods, so we stayed for a while taking pictures while my kids played in the sand.

I was flabbergasted by the scenery, and the pictures just don’t do it justice. We were the only ones around, so our excited voices echoed through the quiet forest. I felt like this trail kept getting better from one place to another.

The air shifted as we wandered through the tunnel on the trail. Inside there was even a smaller arch that my girls crawled through. This hike reminded me of our time spent hiking in the desert with arches, sand, and cool rock formations, so I was basically in heaven. 

We continued on, and around every corner it was filled with caves, towering rock walls, and columns of limestone. The wall looked like a candle in a haunted mansion that had melted and had an eerie look to it. It may have been my overactive imagination but, I couldn’t help but picture ghostly apparitions within the wall. Maybe that’s just me though…

The Mesa Top Trail is one of the best hikes with views in Pogue Creek Canyon; in fact, it is the best hike in Pogue Creek Canyon period. I was blown away by this adventurous trail and found it to be well worth the drive to the remote area of Jamestown to enjoy it. While in the area make sure to explore nearby Big South Fork, which is also filled with many unbelievable scenery. I would recommend downloading all the maps of the trails you want to hike on AllTrails Plus before you go, since there is very little cell service. 

To see more of this epic hike check out an Adventuring in the Moment video we made to showcase this one-of-a-kind trail.