Tracy City, TN Road Trips

It's along US Route 41 near Interstate Route 24 in Central Tennessee, a region of the South that is, for the most part, thickly forested. Tracy City was incorporated in 1915, and named after financier Samuel Franklin Tracy. The city developed out of railroad and mining interests after coal was found in 1840. In 2010 the people of Tracy City elected a dead man, Carl Robin Geary, as mayor.

'There are many beautiful waterfalls near Tracy City because it is on the edge of the Appalachians, and many canyons dramatically cut their way through the side of the mountain range. However, the canyons themselves are hard to view because the region is thickly forested in most places. Although you might expect to see a lot of historic houses in the South, Tracy City was founded in the early 20th century, so there are not many historic buildings. 1 Foster Falls, 498 Foster Falls Road (A couple hundred feet from the southern Fiery Gizzard Trailhead). This beautiful waterfall is on a tributary of the Fiery Gizzard Creek and only exists at certain times of the year. It falls down a large rock overhang and into a pond below like many Tennessee waterfalls do. It is fairly easily accessible from the Foster Falls Campground. (updated May 2018) 2 Shook House (Corner of Railroad Avenue and Montgomery Street). This is a historic house near downtown. It is on a large property and is quite attractive, although not easy to view in detail from either Railroad Avenue or Montgomery Street. (updated May 2018)

The most well-known hike in the Tracy City area is the Fiery Gizzard Trail. 1 Fiery Gizzard Trail, 131 Fiery Gizzard Road (Fiery Gizzard Trailhead), ☏ +1 931 924-2980. The Tracy City end of the Fiery Gizzard Trail is accessed via the relatively flat Grundy Forest Day Loop. The loop begins at the Grundy Forest State Natural Area Picnic Shelter, and after just 500 feet (150 m) presents hikers with a 20-foot (6.1 m) waterfall. Vestiges of the Civilian Conservation Corps camp S-67 can be seen another half mile down the walk. Hikers can see the confluence of Little and Big Fiery Gizzard Creeks, can cool off in three swimming holes, two with waterfalls. The Fiery Gizzard trail begins roughly midway along the Day Loop, crossing a bridge across Little Fiery Gizzard Creek while the loop continues without crossing the bridge. Sights along the trail begin with a large rock shelter and a five-century-old Hemlock tree, the 7-foot-deep (2.1 m) Blue Hole with 9-foot (2.7-m) waterfall, then Sycamore Falls, a swimming hole at the base of a 12-foot (3.7-m) fall. The trail then passes through the "Fruit Bowl," a pile of house-sized boulders with stairs through them that were built by the Civilian Conservation Corps. Other features in this portion of the hike include Chimney Rock, a 20-foot (6.1 m) rock column, Black Canyon - so named because of organic stain on the rocks, and Crumbling Bluff - an area honeycombed with pits and small caves. After 3.7 miles (6.0 km), the trail begins an arduous climb to Raven Point, possibly one of the most rugged and difficult trails in Tennessee.

1 Hank's Corner Grille, 24 Main Street (corner of Main Street and Colyar Street), ☏ +1 931 592-4499. Open W-Su. (updated May 2018) 2 La Ranchera, 106 Colyar Street. Mexican cuisine. (updated May 2018)

1 Annex Cafe, 375 Railroad Avenue, ☏ +1 931 592-9973. (updated May 2018) 2 Dutch Maid Bakery, 109 Main Street (Corner of Main Street and Laurel Street), ☏ +1 931 592-3171. (updated May 2018)

There are no hotels or motels in Tracy City, so if you want anything close to luxury as a place to sleep, go to Kimball, Monteagle, or Chattanooga. However, there are multiple lodging services in Tracy City. 1 Cottages at Bear Hollow, 11845 U.S. Route 41 (On U.S. Route 41 west of Tracy City; near the visitor center), ☏ +1 931 924-7275. Small group of rent-able places to sleep west of Tracy City. (updated May 2018) 2 Still Waters Mountain Retreat, 1290 Pigeon Springs Road (Southwest of Tracy City), ☏ +1 931 592-6686. This is a Christian retreat near Tracy City. There are a couple of cabins that were built in the 2010s and a chapel on-site. (updated May 2018) For those who want to camp in this area, go to the southern end of the Fiery Gizzard Trail, where there is at least one campground. 3 Foster Falls Campground, Foster Falls Road (Near the Foster Falls at the southern end of the Fiery Gizzard Trail.). (updated May 2018)

U.S. 41 connects Tracy City with Jasper and Monteagle, and Tennessee Route 56 connects Tracy City with Coalmont and Altamont.