White House Cliffs Trail

White House Cliffs Trail (log in to submit report)
Highlight	High-point vista from within Rocky Fork SP
Park	Rocky Fork State Park
Located	Erwin, Tennessee
Trail Marking	Beige plastic TN State Park logo
Trail UseThings allowed to do on or near the trail
FeaturesThings to see on or near the trail
Difficulty Rating	Medium
Hiking TimeTime from car and back. Includes any time hiking to access this trail.	2 hrs0.125 Days <br />120 Min <br /> round trip
Distance:	0.9459 mi1.522 km <br /> trailStrict non-repeating trail length / 1.9 mi3.058 km <br /> round tripTypical or shortest length from the car, hike the trail, and return to car
Trail Type	In-and-Out
Low / High Point	2,406 ft802 Yards <br />733.349 Meters <br /> / 3,308 ft1,102.667 Yards <br />1,008.278 Meters <br />
Elev. Gain/LossSee link for details of calculation. Gain/Loss is direction dependent.	902 ft274.93 Meters <br /> / (0 ft0 Meters <br />) – South-to-North
Trip ReportsFrom user "hiked it" submissions<br />Recent is within last 90 days	2 logged hikes (0 recent)
NearbyWithin 5 mi<br />Click link to view list	No other Trails within 5 mi
Parking	36° 2' 53.63" N, 82° 33' 30.10" W Map
Trailhead	36° 2' 53.63" N, 82° 33' 30.10" W Map
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Trail Overview

In the Rocky Fork State Park TN state park area. A steep hike to first highpoint to enjoy some views of the surrounding mountains.

How to get there

From I-26 Tennessee Exit 43 Temple Hill Road (hour from Kingsport):

1. Head south on US 19W/Temple Hill Road (brown sign for Lamar Alexander Rocky Fork State Park shows correct turn)
2. After 1.1 miles, veer slight right onto TN 352 going under I-26 (another brown information sign directing)
3. After 4.8 miles, turn right onto Rocky Fork Road (entrance sign for state park here)
4. After 0.8 miles, turn left for park access road to reach large gravel parking area.
5. White House Cliffs Trail starts by the campfire area.

Alternatively, from I-26 Tennessee Exit 46 Flag Pond Road (45 minutes from Asheville):

1. Turn left onto Upper Higgins Creek Road.
2. After 0.4 mile, turn right/north Old Asheville Highway.
3. After 2.2 miles, turn left onto Rocky Fork Road (entrance sign for state park here)
4. After 0.8 miles, turn left for park access road to reach large gravel parking area.
5. White House Cliffs Trail starts by the campfire area.

Note that I-26 Exit 43 has the Tennessee Welcome Center with indoor bathrooms and vending. To then reach the park:

1. Take the access road and then turn right/north on Clear Branch Road.
2. Proceed thru tiny community of Clear Branch, past Clear Branch Church, and down steep grade to stop sign - about 0.8 mile.
3. Turn left onto TN-352 and go about 2.5 miles to Rocky Fork Road on your right.
4. After 0.8 miles, turn left for park access road to reach large gravel parking area.
5. White House Cliffs Trail starts by the campfire area.

Route Description

NEW Whitehouse Cliffs Trail
A new trail starting from the parking area was built in 2018-2019 and opened to the public on December 28th 2019. A tremendous amount of volunteer hours was put it to make the new trail.

The trail is obvious and well marked. Just follow it steeply all the way to the top.

Distance (mi)	Elevation (ft)	Feature
0.0	2,455	Trailhead at Campfire area
0.6	2,937	During winter months, good close up view of cliffs themselves
1.0	3,340	Highpoint

Typical Conditions

Located at the Main Parking Lot near Campfire Interpretation Area. New Whitehouse Cliffs Trail route is completely new as of 2019 and is the REQUIRED, marked route to reach Whitehouse Cliffs Knob overlook. The path is steep with many rock and log steps. During Fall, the heavy leaf litter can make it slippery, so hiking poles are recommended.

Parking lot has two pit toilets and picnic tables.

Old Whitehouse Cliffs Trailhead and Trail
Route is CLOSED TO PUBLIC (located off of Rocky Fork Trail). Staff is letting nature/forest reclaim for Ecological Restoration.

Fees, Permits, etc.

Not permitted on the watershed are horses, motor vehicles, fires or camping.

After the Hike

The welcome center at I-26 Exit 43 provides restroom facilities and vending machines.

Misc. Information

Huckleberries were found on top - typically ripe in July-early August.

Photos

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  Whitehouse Knob Elev. 3,440 Ft

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  Looking south into NC during Fall

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  Fresh bear track!

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  Trail Profile

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