Upper South

States: Tennessee

Start near: Knoxville (starts here) · Asheville (about 1 h 50 min to Bristol)

US 11E: The Great Valley Road

Knoxville to Bristol, statesman country

US 11E: The Great Valley Road is a ~110-mile back-roads route from Knoxville to Bristol on US 11E, driven in 1–2 days, that stays off I-81 / I-26 through the Upper South.

Open the interactive map →

Drive

Knoxville → Bristol

Distance

~110 miles

Time

1–2 days

Highways

US 11E

Avoids

I-81 / I-26

Region

Upper South

The Great Valley of East Tennessee funneled the frontier through a string of towns that kept their receipts: Morristown built sidewalks in the sky over its 1960s Main Street, Greeneville keeps Andrew Johnson's tailor shop and impeachment saga, Davy Crockett's birthplace sits on the Nolichucky, and Jonesborough, the state's oldest town, reinvented itself as the storytelling capital of the world. A Miocene sinkhole full of fossil red pandas at Gray closes the argument that this valley has always collected travelers.

📍 Great Stage Road markers pace 11E; Jonesborough's district plaques repay a slow walk.

The drive, segment by segment

Holston Country

Knoxville → Bulls Gap · ~45 mi

Up the valley past Morristown's overhead sidewalks to Archie Campbell's railroad gap.

• 🛸Morristown SkyMart — Morristown

  A full downtown of elevated sidewalks built over Main Street in the 1960s, unique in America; urban renewal's strangest survivor, now beloved.

• 🎬Archie Campbell Hometown — Bulls Gap

  Hee Haw's cornerstone gets his due in the little rail town that raised him; museum, home and a healthy sense of humor about itself.

Presidents & Storytellers

Bulls Gap → Jonesborough · ~40 mi

Johnson's Greeneville, Crockett's riverbank, and the oldest town's brick Main Street.

• 🏛️Andrew Johnson NHS — Greeneville

  The tailor shop, homestead and grave of the president who inherited Lincoln's peace and an impeachment; the site tells it without flinching.

• 🌲Davy Crockett Birthplace — Limestone

  The Nolichucky riverbank where the king of the wild frontier was born in 1786; cabin, museum and campground on the water.

• 🏘️Jonesborough — Jonesborough

  Tennessee's oldest town and the International Storytelling Center's home; the October festival fills tents with the world's best liars, professionally speaking.

The Tri-Cities

Jonesborough → Bristol · ~25 mi

Johnson City, the Gray fossils, and the handoff to Bristol's state-line music.

• 🌿Gray Fossil Site — Gray

  A Miocene sinkhole discovered during roadwork: fossil tapirs, mastodons and the celebrated red panda, still being excavated beside the museum.

Tips and best time to go

• The National Storytelling Festival (first weekend of October) books the Tri-Cities solid.
• Chain straight into the Bristol sign and the Crooked Road at the state line.

Frequently asked questions

How long is US 11E: The Great Valley Road and how many days does it take?

US 11E: The Great Valley Road is about 110 miles and takes 1–2 days at a back-roads pace.

Where does US 11E: The Great Valley Road start and end?

It runs from Knoxville to Bristol.

Which highways does US 11E: The Great Valley Road follow?

It follows US 11E.

Which interstate does US 11E: The Great Valley Road replace?

It avoids I-81 / I-26, using US 11E instead.

How many stops are on US 11E: The Great Valley Road, and what are the highlights?

6 stops are mapped, including Morristown SkyMart, Archie Campbell Hometown, Andrew Johnson NHS, Davy Crockett Birthplace and Jonesborough.

When is the best time to drive US 11E: The Great Valley Road?

The atlas’s seasonal note for this route: “The National Storytelling Festival (first weekend of October) books the Tri-Cities solid.”

Worth a detour

• Rocky Mount — The 1770s log capital of the Southwest Territory at Piney Flats, run as first-person living history with total commitment.
• Bush's Beans Visitor Center — The actual Bush's museum, café and general store at Chestnut Hill; Duke the dog's secret remains secure.