Obed River is a stream draining a part of the Cumberland Plateau in

Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...

. It, and particularly its tributaries, are important streams for

whitewater Whitewater forms in a rapid context, in particular, when a river's gradient changes enough to generate so much turbulence that air is trapped within the water. This forms an unstable current that froths, making the water appear opaque and ...

enthusiasts. The Obed River rises in Cumberland County, Tennessee, just south of Crossville. It is bridged by U.S. Highway 70 between downtown Crossville and the municipal

airport An airport is an aerodrome with extended facilities, mostly for commercial air transport. Airports usually consists of a landing area, which comprises an aerially accessible open space including at least one operationally active surfa ...

, and meets its confluence with the

Little Obed River The Little Obed River is a ten mile long stream in the Cumberland Plateau in Cumberland County, Tennessee. The Little Obed rises east of Crossville and from near its source flows in a deep gorge that it has cut into the rocks capping the plateau, ...

near a bridge on U.S. Highway 70N and an abandoned

railroad Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...

bridge which was formerly part of the rail system linking Nashville and

Knoxville Knoxville is a city in and the county seat of Knox County in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 United States census, Knoxville's population was 190,740, making it the largest city in the East Tennessee Grand Division and the state' ...

. Shortly thereafter, it is bridged by U.S. Highway 127 and

Interstate 40 Interstate 40 (I-40) is a major east–west Interstate Highway running through the south-central portion of the United States. At a length of , it is the third-longest Interstate Highway in the country, after I-90 and I-80. From west to ea ...

. Except during periods of very high flow, the stream is scarcely visible from these bridges because of the depth of its gorge.

Obed Wild and Scenic River

From there the stream enters a rather remote area. After several miles it is bridged by State Route 298 (Genesis Road). From this point to its mouth it is designated as a

National Wild and Scenic River The National Wild and Scenic Rivers System was created by the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968 (Public Law 90-542), enacted by the U.S. Congress to preserve certain rivers with outstanding natural, cultural, and recreational values in a free- ...

along with Clear Creek and Daddys Creek. The area is maintained by the

National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) is an agency of the United States federal government within the U.S. Department of the Interior that manages all national parks, most national monuments, and other natural, historical, and recreational propert ...

. The direction of flow changes gradually from largely south to north to largely west to east. Shortly after crossing into Morgan County it receives the flow of Daddys Creek, which is a good whitewater rafting stream. Downstream from this is the mouth of Clear Creek. This stream is also part of the Obed River "Wild and Scenic" designation; like Daddys Creek, it too is a premiere whitewater stream during periods of high flow.

Amenities

The National Park Service maintains a visitor center located at 208 North Maiden Street in

Wartburg The Wartburg () is a castle originally built in the Middle Ages. It is situated on a precipice of to the southwest of and overlooking the town of Eisenach, in the state of Thuringia, Germany. It was the home of St. Elisabeth of Hungary, the ...

. They also maintain the Rock Creek Campground and the Nemo Picnic Area.

Emory River confluence

Several miles below the mouth of Clear Creek is the confluence with the Emory River. Although the Obed River is the larger of the two, the river takes the name of the Emory River below the confluence.

References

External links

Obed Wild and Scenic River

Obed Watershed Community Association

Tennessee Scenic Rivers Association (TSRA)
{{authority control Rivers of Tennessee Wild and Scenic Rivers of the United States Protected areas of Cumberland County, Tennessee Protected areas of Morgan County, Tennessee National Park Service areas in Tennessee Rivers of Cumberland County, Tennessee Rivers of Morgan County, Tennessee

Obed Wild and Scenic River

Amenities

Emory River confluence

See also

References

External links