As the home of A.P. & Sara Carter and Mother Maybelle, Scott County is the true “birthplace” of country music. Janette Carter, one of A.P. and Sara’s three children, established the Carter Family Fold in 1974 to preserve her parent’s legacy. Janette, and brother, Joe, have since passed, but the legacy continues with a third generation of Carters. The Fold holds performances every Saturday night, and these performances highlight the musical style made popular by the Carter Family. In keeping with tradition, no electrical instruments are allowed. In addition to the fold, you can find A.P. and Sara’s original log cabin, plus a well-stocked store and museum of the Carter’s famous recordings.

Scott County definitely has its own soundtrack, and you can find informal jams every week.

Visitors can follow in the footsteps of famed frontiersman Daniel Boone or see railroad history both at Fannon Railroad Museum and Natural Tunnel State Park, recently named one of the “Top 20 Tunnels in the World” by The Weather Channel.

More than 100 miles of the picturesque Clinch River winds its way through Scott County. The Clinch is recognized world-wide for containing the largest fresh-water mussel collection in the world. The North Fork of the Holston also runs through Scott County. The 61-acre Bark Camp Lake offers a variety of fish. The lake as well as Big and Little Stoney Creeks and Stock Creek are routinely stocked with trout by the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. Nature enthusiasts will find Natural Tunnel State Park an outdoor lover’s dream. Hiking and equestrian trails are abundant in Scott County. Scott County has several recreational facilities, including municipal parks in various small towns. Horse lovers can find a horse show just about every weekend at the Scott County Regional Horse Park, located in Dungannon. For the kids, a trip to Creation Kingdom Zoo, an endangered species breeding zoo, is a must.

Scott County offers mountain cabins, bed and breakfasts and local inns for overnight accommodations.

A word of caution about a visit to Scott County: “Once you visit, you may never want to leave.”