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Get ready for White Lightning — 200 miles of history, beauty, adventure, and charm just outside of Knoxville’s famous attractions and little-known sites.

This trail gets its name from the route’s legendary history as a Moonshine-Running corridor around the time of prohibition. It was a time when rebels careened around these curves, transporting illegal, homemade corn whiskey under the cover of darkness to avoid the law. Visit historic towns whose famous thrill-seeking outlaws unknowingly laid the foundation for today’s stock car racing.

Along the drive, you’ll experience the Stunning Scenery of East Tennessee, and you’ll find that much of it remains as it has for hundreds of years. You’ll encounter the Tennessee, Powell, Nolichucky, French Broad and Holston Rivers. These ancient forces have been harnessed by the Tennessee Valley Authority to generate today’s power, creating vacation hotspot Norris Lake , as well as the popular Douglas and Cherokee Lakes — beautiful bodies of water that draw thousands of visitors each year. You’ll dip through the hills on this picturesque mountain drive, traveling along the path first cut by Daniel Boone himself.

As you cruise through our rolling hills and valleys, you’re also taking a trip through history. You’ll visit the forts that protected the territory’s first settlers and the school where the Clinton 12 stood their ground in the name of civil rights; you’ll walk with the ghosts of Civil War soldiers and coal miners who left their mark on Appalachian communities. The story of White Lightning is uniquely American, and it’s told every day through arts and crafts, preserved buildings and sites, historic town squares, and the tales of legendary characters along the way. And speaking of legends, no Tennessee trip would be complete without a little Music Heritage — visit the hometowns of country music’s Roy Acuff, Chet Atkins, Kenny Chesney and Carl Smith in your travels.

You’ll follow part of East Tennessee Crossing National Scenic Byway, where you’ll have an unforgettable view from the overlook atop Clinch Mountain. The byway has been used for human travel for centuries, as the Cherokee Warriors’ Path for Native Americans, called the Wilderness Road by the early settlers, named the Dixie Highway during the Civil War, and notoriously known as Thunder Road by moonshine-toting rebels.  Click here to download map.

Unlike those early travelers, you’ll find plenty of friendly faces with secret recipes you’ll want to sample along the way at historic soda fountains, drive-ins and BBQ joints. In fact, you may want to start your journey with the aptly named Thunder Road burger at Litton’s in Fountain City.

There’s a lot to take in, so turn off your phone, buckle up, and have your camera ready. You’re about to explore Tennessee’s backstage, with an adventure at every turn.