East Tennessee Crossing (Hwy 25E) stretches 83 miles in Tennessee from the Cumberland Gap, southeast to the Cherokee National Forest. It has been used since prehistoric times by pioneer travelers, hunters and tourists alike, and is as well traveled as it is named.
The route is known as the Cherokee Warriors’ Path, originally cut by bison and used by Native American tribes to attack each other, trade with each other, and travel from place to place.
It is also known as Wilderness Road, an important route for settlers from the East Coast colonies moving west into “new” lands. Wilderness Road changed the rugged lifestyle of the settlers in the Appalachian Mountains, bringing craftsmen with new skills and visitors with new ideas to the area.
