Lilly Bridge is down to the left from the Lilly Bluff Overlook above. There’s a short trail from the small parking lot, a medium trail down to the bridge and longer trails too. The timing didn’t work out for me, but in theory on weekends you can ask at the Lilly Pad Hopyard near the bridge to help shuttle you to a kayak launch or pick you up. There’s a 2 mile class II trip on Daddy’s Creek and several longer and more challenging trips on the Obed & Emory Rivers and on Clear Creek, all depending on river flow levels, of course, and understanding the limited put in/ take outs available in these protected waters.

The park film showcases the paddling, climbing, hiking and wildlife, with a Tennessee ‘mountain dew’ vibe, and the area feels remote, with hog hunting permitted in the area. Moonshine distilleries must have operated around here for centuries (which may explain why I prefer Tennessee moonshine to their rye whiskey). The US also secretly enriched uranium nearby in Oak Ridge for the Manhattan Project. It’s a lovely area, and I should have budgeted more time to visit.