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State Historic Site · Tennessee

Sycamore Shoals State Historic Area

Sycamore Shoals State Historic Area
Photo: JERRYE & ROY KLOTZ MD, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Location
Carter County, Tennessee
Nearest town
2.3 miles west of Elizabethton
Type
State Historic Site
DirectionsOfficial park site ↗

About Sycamore Shoals State Historic Area

A reconstructed Fort Watauga stands along the Sycamore Shoals of the Watauga River, marking ground where a Cherokee attack was fought off in 1776 and where the Overmountain Men gathered before marching in 1780. The 70-acre site, a National Historic Landmark, also holds a visitor center and museum, the Carter House and Sabine Hill. It was here that settlers formed the Watauga Association in 1772 and that Richard Henderson and Daniel Boone struck the 1775 treaty that opened millions of acres of Cherokee land and led to the Wilderness Road.

Hours, fees, camping, reservations and closures are set by the park and change often. Check the official park site before you go.

Getting there

Sycamore Shoals State Historic Area is in Carter County, Tennessee, 2.3 miles west of Elizabethton. The Directions button takes you to the park's mapped location; the entrance may be elsewhere, so check the official site for the address to use.

State parks near Sycamore Shoals State Historic Area

Within 60 miles, closest first, straight-line. All 53 in Tennessee →

Towns near Sycamore Shoals State Historic Area

State parks near Johnson City, State parks near Bristol, State parks near Kingsport, State parks near Boone, State parks near Greeneville, State parks near Lenoir

Facts from Wikidata, checked September 25, 2026. Distances are straight-line.