above: yellow fringed orchid at Catoosa
Catoosa Hiking and UT Plateau Discovery Gardens
Saturday August 2, 2025
Saturday our plans changed suddenly. Uncooperative weather and road closures had us looking into Plan B on Friday night. We got up Saturday to an overcast day with blessedly cool temperatures of seventy-one degrees. Instead of going to Alarka, NC we headed to my beautiful plateau and Crossville. I had wanted to visit Catoosa for wildflowers. I wanted to visit Plateau Discovery Gardens. No crazy road closures or crowds there. We ended up having a very nice day, and a relaxing one. We went out to Catoosa and just took my jeep since we weren't planning on the usual long day exploring there. We'd be hiking so we didn't need the side by side.
We did great navigating the maze of roads that leads to Catoosa WMA. Today we didn't take a single wrong turn! The drive out was pretty and quiet. We saw zero other hikers today. Not a soul swimming or boating on Daddy's Creek. The temperature was 69 degrees on the plateau when we first got there. The cooler temperatures, overcast skies, and almost no bugs was much appreciated.
We saw lots of yellow composites, some purple heal all, daisy fleabane, orange coneflowers, and pink rose gentians along the roadsides. Wildlife today was a few deer, a hawk, and a few butterflies and dragonflies. We've had an owl hooting in the trees in the wee hours of dawn right behind our house lately!
Below: Heal All blooms by the road
Below: a butterfly on some DYCs
Below: Joe Pye Weed is getting started in the roadsides and fields
We made our hikes at Catoosa and went further on some trails than we had previously. For all our extra effort we didn't see anything of interest on the new sections of trail. At least not this trip. We had a good time. Never saw a single snake thankfully, but we wore our gaiters and snake boots just the same. We did not tarry as long as usual in Catoosa since we had another destination or two in mind.
We hiked back to the jeep. Got out of that hot gear and headed down toward Daddy's Creek to eat lunch. The entire time we were there we saw exactly one other jeep. It had pulled down to the stream, but they didn't attempt to ford it for whatever reason. It was a tricked out jeep with knobby tires for four wheeling, but hey...
We sat there and enjoyed the view of the river along with the quiet. I usually see a few folks swimming here in Summer, but not today. I told Kenny after surveying it that I believed my stock jeep would ford Daddy's Creek today. The water levels were certainly low enough. He had his doubts. I said "We could go out this way and hit Hebbertsburg Road then get back on the interstate at Crab Orchard." He didn't want to do it. He was of the opinion we should head back out the way we'd come. In the end he couldn't resist trying it. I should have done it myself.
He didn't think to lock it in four wheel drive before starting into the stream. I have a skid plate under my jeep. Today I was especially grateful for that. I have a video included of the crossing and the convo that transpired. It isn't a great video, but its kinda funny. It also has the sound of boulders groaning and grinding as we ford the stream. It was like nails on a chalkboard. It set my teeth on edge. Once we made it across Kenny backed up like he was going to turn and go back through. I protested. I reminded him we made it through with a stock jeep. Good for us.
Past success doesn't guarantee future success. I did not want to tempt fate further and ruin our day. He saw sense and we proceed onward to Fairfield Glade somehow. It was a good decision.
If you skip ahead to 3:17 seconds on the video I know the grinding and groaning of the rocks is right there. Eerie sounding.
Plateau Discovery Gardens
Once in Crossville we stopped at Beall's for me to run in and buy a black blouse. We then got back out on Hwy 127 and headed toward Plateau Discovery Gardens. Kenny decided to try the directions Google Maps was suggesting. It routed us across Northside Drive which we had never attempted before. It cuts of a corner and avoids town. It also is very, very pretty out through there. You'd almost forget you were in Crossville city limits!
It took us round to US 70 N which is also a pretty drive. I love this area. It is so uncrowded by comparison to other places we visit. We finally came in sight of the Plateau Discovery Garden sign and turned in. It looks like you are turning into someone's driveway. It is a former residence that has been turned into UT property for horticulture experiments.
We parked and saw not one soul there the entire time. No staff. No other visitors. It turned out to be magnificent and bigger than we'd expected. I could not believe I'd waited so long to visit this place. It is a hidden gem. I guarantee you I'll be back again.
Below: the office where you first pull up and park.
Below: Swamp milkweed in the rain garden is one of the first things we saw!
Below: Swamp Rose mallow growing in the rain garden. beautiful and delicate! It is native to Tennessee. We have wetlands in Alcoa and Blount County where wild cotton blooms. It is also in the mallow family.
Below: observation platform with seating at the gardens. It is surrounded by lovely shrubs, trees and flowers.
Below: a look at one of the gardens. I think this one was the sensory garden. Tactile things. Visual things. Scented things. Tasty things! Many culinary herbs, lambs ear, grasses. I have found out that many culinary herbs are also mosquito repellant!
Below: Tall purple top verbena
Below: hibiscus garden was an explosion of color!
Below: one last look around the scenery in general. Crape myrtles, hydrangeas, golden shrubs, elephant ears. Such a gorgeous place!
We concluded our walk around the gardens and headed back to the jeep. I had big ideas for the day about going to Meadow Lake park and Obed River Park today. Those had to be shelved. We were tired and had the drive home to face. Plus those spots deserve visits of their own and not a rush job because I'm tired. It might be possible to fit both into one day, but I have a feeling I'm going to need a weekend or two separate visits 1. because I am so nosey and 2. I will get to Meadow Lake Park and want to do erry single thing there. Kayak paddle, swim, hike, etc. and I'll lose track of time!
I highly recommend Plateau Discovery Gardens. They have something different at different times of year. Fall Gardeners Festival is coming up fast. Tuesday August 26, 2025 9 am to 3 pm Central Time.
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