Coker Creek

Then - Although the Unicoi Path cut through here, the area was not heavily settled until the 18th and 19th centuries. The Unaka Mountains were the least desirable of the Cherokee lands, so Cherokees did not move into the area in significant numbers until the dissolution of the old Overhill Cherokee Towns. After the Unicoi Turnpike was established as a toll road a small number of people moved in to operate turnpike stands, with the most notable being Merony's Stand at Coker Creek. After gold was discovered at Coker Creek in the 1830's white prospectors began to pour in, even though the area was still part of the Cherokee Nation. The federal government intervened by establishing Fort Armistead at Coker Creek to deter the intruders but the strategy failed miserably and whites continued to move in. When the Cherokee Removal got underway in 1838, Fort Armistead was reactivated as a holding area for Cherokee people who were forcibly removed to the West. The promise of gold never fully materialized at Coker Creek but this high mountain community survives.

Now - Gold can still be found by panning Coker Creek, but it is the crafts heritage, outdoor recreation in the Cherokee National Forest, and natural beauty that draws people here today. The Coker Creek Welcome Center sits on the Unicoi Turnpike Trail, at the junction of Hwy 68 and Joe Brown Highway. It provides restrooms, mountain crafts, and information about places to buy handmade crafts, enjoy the outdoors, and more.

Hwy 68/Joe Brown Hwy
423-261-2286
Hours: 9:00-4:00 Tues-Sat