Tennessee Tourism Commissioner Susan Whitaker officially launched The Pie in the Sky Trail. The seventh of 16 self-guided driving tours in the Discover Tennessee Trails & Byways program, The Pie in the Sky Trail spans 363 miles throughout East and portions of Middle Tennessee, guiding tourists through communities brimming with iconic attractions and outdoor adventure from Chattanooga to Monteagle, McMinnville to Crossville and returning to the Sequatchie Valley.
Led by the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development, The Pie in the Sky Trail is the result of multiple state agencies working together, as well as city and county officials in Hamilton, Marion, Franklin, Grundy, Warren, Van Buren, Bledsoe, Cumberland, Rhea and Sequatchie counties.
The special launch event was held at the new Chattanooga Visitors Center. Participating dignitaries in the unveiling of the new trail included Tennessee Tourism Commissioner Susan Whitaker; Tennessee Department of Transportation Assistant Commissioner Joe Carpenter; City Mayor Ron Littlefield; County Mayor Jim Coppinger; Chattanooga Area
Convention and Visitors Bureau President and CEO Bob Doak; and other state agencies and state and local elected officials.
Also on display was the “World’s Largest MoonPie” provided by the Chattanooga Bakery and antique cars displays.
The trail officially begins at the Chattanooga Visitors Center where guests can pick up brochures, maps and coupons before heading out to discover Tennessee’s back roads. However, visitors can choose to begin their journey at any site along the path. Once on the trail, guests can explore rock gardens and farms, revitalized downtown areas and historic places commemorating the American Civil War, the Holocaust and African American heritage along the Pie in the Sky Trail.
The Pie in the Sky Trail, with the tagline, “MoonPies to Mountain Highs,” is the latest road tool for travelers to southeast and middle Tennessee. The trail leads travelers to iconic destinations such as Lookout Mountain, the Cumberland Plateau in Monteagle and to Fall Creek Falls State Park and the Sequatchie Valley.
The trail urges visitors to take in the 129 cultural gems along the Pie in the Sky. Visit the hometown of Lodge Cast Iron and the National Cornbread Festival; tour historic Falcon Rest Mansion and explore the site of the 1925 Scopes Trial that inspired the classic film Inherit the Wind. Visitors will have the chance to sample pastries from Tennessee’s oldest family-owned bakery – the Dutchmaid Bakery in Tracy City - and fill up on comfort food at a working farm.
Packed with outdoor adventure, trail explorers can visit three Tennessee state parks and hikers, no matter the skill level, will find picturesque views on this mountainous trail at every turn. The history of the area unfolds at more than 30 Civil War sites along the trail and at county museums. Visitors will observe some of Earth’s most interesting creatures at America’s No. 1 aquarium in customer satisfaction, the Tennessee Aquarium, and tap into their artistic side in the Bluff View Arts District. This trail delivers some of the best of Tennessee, topped off with the one-of-a-kind taste of a Chattanooga original: The MoonPie®.
The Department of Tourist Development provides marketing support and branding starter kits for each new trail, including development of trail logos, design and oversight of the award-winning Discover Tennessee Trails & Byways website at www.tntrailsandbyways.com and creation of a comprehensive trails brochure highlighting attractions, culinary, agritourism, outdoor recreation, shopping, history, culture, music and much more, along the trail.