Wind Rock Riding to Panther Rock and the Abandoned Lake City Air Base

above: sundrops blooming on Cross Mountain

Wind Rock Riding to  Panther Rock and the Abandoned Lake City Air Base

 Sat. August 30, 2025

Dana & Kenny Koogler 

Photos are HERE 

Wind Rock Info HERE

(Important : It goes without saying that if you're going to ride at Wind Rock you'd best pay and get a pass.  It is per rider, not per machine!  They check. ) 

   I have been going through a spell of indecisiveness lately when it comes to making plans. Kenny counts on me to have a list of suggestions for what we get into.  It is why I write things down when the notion pops up.  It is called "unbottling".  It is how inspiration works for me.  Bob Dylan wisely knew about this concept and wrote down song lyrics and ideas as they flowed.  The well of inspiration for some people is bottomless while for some it is a finite thing.  Bob Dylan felt like he wasn't taking the chance that it was a finite quantity and jotted things down.  It resulted in The New Basement Tapes and this song Kansas City which brought me to tears as it did Marcus Mumford.  

    I went over my list of ideas and finally sat down with Kenny to toss them out to see which one struck his fancy.  I suggested we finally go four wheeling at Wind Rock which we've not done in many years.  I had the abandoned air base and Panther Rock on my list of spots to visit. I had a feeling it would be a fun and interesting day trip.  Kenny agreed.  He bought our permits for Wind Rock and we set out on a Saturday morning with lunches packed, a change of clothes and our gear.  Wind Rock is a very big area and the things we planned to see were accessible from Rocky Top.  We drove up there and found a spot in town to park near a railroad bridge.   We unloaded and set off. I had  never been to Wind Rock from this area. Only from the main entrance out at Oliver Springs.   I am also not the same person I was fifteen years earlier.  I used to get torn up riding at Wind Rock and Royal Blue.  I was a hiker and a purist.  I wrongly believed the only way to experience nature was to  hike in pristine areas.   

What I did not know was that disturbed areas of mining, logging, farming or whatever could be beautiful and rewarding.  We see so much more than we would if we ONLY hiked or ONLY went riding. Combining the two is the perfect balance for us.  Kenny got our Wind Rock passes the night before online and had them on his phone. 

Below: the railroad bridge in Rocky Top by where we parked. 

  The main features we wanted to visit today were Panther Rock overlook and the old abandoned air base.   I hoped we'd run into Benny Aslinger as we did last visit out this way. He is a fascinating man who has lived this history, and can tell you all about it.  I haven't come up with a question yet to ask him he didn't have the ready answer for!   We came in via Rock Top entrance since those spots were out this way.   Lifetime Maps has the locations of these spots and more.   We got under way and the scenery was very pretty. We couldn't have ordered a more perfect day weather wise.  It was sunny, comfortable and a nice breeze.    

     Since we started out in the vicinity it wasn't long at all until we were approaching Panther Rock.

I had studied the map for so long and so intently that I knew where we were as we went.  My love of maps is possibly unhealthy.  The forest opened up before us and we got a glimpse of blue sky peering through the canopy.   Before us was a gnarly rock outcrop that is "Panther Rock".  How it came by that name is anyone's guess, but it doesn't look like a panther nor did we see any today.  It was interesting and beautiful though.  The rock juts out and drops off sharply at the end.  Someone had to be rescued from dropping a machine down over a cliff a few weeks earlier.  I am not sure which spot.   The view here was very pretty.  Below us we could hear many machines running.  I could hear conversation, but it was muffled.   Though I couldn't see them I suppose there were people below us on a trail very near. 

Below: Panther Rock overlook 

  

Below: the view from Panther Rock minus the rock itself

  

Below I have inserted a satellite view map of Panther Rock so you'll know where it is and to illustrate the shape of it.  I could imagine people just driving off the end.

Below is a short video of the view from Panther Rock

   Once we'd enjoyed the view at Panther Rock we loaded up and headed onward to see the abandoned Lake City Radar Base.    It wasn't far away.  We had two waterfalls we wanted to check out in the area today as well. One was Ward Branch Cascade.  Another was un-named at least on Lifetime maps.  

We weren't sure the falls would be running great today so we chose to head to the radar base first.  It had been on the list longer and rain fall amounts wouldn't affect that visit.   We had quite a fun ride getting there. We encountered a big bunch of side by sides coming down a rutted area as we tried to go back up it.  We had to sit and wait on them, but it was fun watching them.  Going down it was rough, but fun also. 

   We began to gain elevation and wind our way up the sides of Cross Mountain to its summit where you find the abandoned radar base.  We could hear people and machines up ahead.  We arrived to find somewhere in the neighborhood of twenty forerunners.  A huge group ride. We don't care for those ourselves, but life is different for everyone.    We got out and started looking around.   The air base was quite spread out. It was bigger than I'd imagined.  It was built in 1952 around the time of the Korean War  to protect Oak Ridge and the bomb facility.  It operated until 1962 when it was decommissioned.  It was a radar base only. No planes up there. The role it played in defense of our nation was that of early warning against incoming missiles.  They had to identify the threat and guide the fighters from other air bases to intercept them before they could harm our people or facilities.  According to  what I've read the base was not terribly successful which was part of why it only operated for a decade.  Its elevation had it too low to be real effective against some types of planes and too high to detect others.   It picked up a lot of artifact from trees and mountains.   That being said it was no worse than the giant pyramid early warning base in Nekoma, North Dakota. It cost $5.7 BILLION dollars and was only operational for six months. It was declared fully operational in October of 1975 and was shut down in April 1976. Military historian and analyst Lynette Nusbacher commented about it  if that was the cost of preventing a nuclear war it was money well spent. I agree!  Technology by its very nature advances so fast and radically  at times that this sort of thing is bound to happen.  Newer and better comes along and replaces the old making it obsolete.  Now it is just a piece of history and we like that sort of thing.   

  Men who worked at the base traveled to the top of the mountain in an aerial tram way that started down here the blue coal washing plant near Briceville.   It took about twenty minutes to get up there by the tram.  Benny had a conversation with us a few years back and was able to tell us what it was like riding it and working up there.  It brought jobs, families and life to this area.  I have also read that some folks still think to this day they had planes up there.  It would have been possible to land a helicopter up there, but certainly not a plane.  

       Below is a photo of the main buildings that exist there now.  Much has changed since the base was decommissioned.  Now things have changed and some buildings have been demolished and a bunch of communications towers are up there.  All this stuff is current day. 

Below: another view of the larger area

Below: some of the many SUVs up there.  

Below: tower and shed with great mullein 

Below: some sort of lavender morning glory. it was tiny. 

Below: blue morning glory. This is the kind I remember at Aunt Mary Sue's house when I was little. 

Below: golden rod blooms atop Cross Mountain at the old base

Below: more of the old buildings and concertina wire. 

Below: They serious about keepin' folks out of the vicinity with that wire! 

Below is a video of the area.  

  

  We walked around and checked out the old buildings.  It wasn't as much fun with so many other vehicles and people up there.   Lots of late Summer wildflowers grew around the mountain top.  Butterflies and bees were feeding on them.  I love this time of year.   We did see one or two places where you could look off the mountain through a clearing and get a view.  

above and below.: two spots where we had a view from the mountain.  Both power line clearings. 

Below: some of the beautiful Summer wildflower we saw.  Bold red cardinal flower 

Below:  a wild and tangled field of flowers and dead trees

Below: closer inspection ... ironweed, johnson grass, and DYCs

Below: Eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterfly

Above: goldenrod and pink Joe Pye Weed

Above: Biennial guara is one of my favorite Summer flowers. 

Below: a grasshopper in the gravel.  My Dad used to catch these and hand them to my son so he'd grow up not being scared of them.  I used to catch them when I was little. The grasshoppers and crickets sing more this time of year. 

Below:  poke berries ripened to dark purple/black. I used to write with these as a kid.  

Below: jewelweed turns deep red orange this time of year. 

Below: thistles and lots of butterflies! 

Above: some type of old concrete equipment with trees growing around it. 

Above: tall pastel pink spires of Joe Pye Weed

Below: ripened elderberries 

  Once we left the radar base and headed down the mountain we pulled over to ponder where to go next?  Upon closer inspection Kenny decided we were NOT going to try to visit Ward Branch Cascade as it was further away than he wanted to go.  The un-named waterfall was on our route so we headed to see that instead.   It was pitiful.   It was a few drips over a rock face. Another family had stopped to check it out and their little girls were running around.  They were happy with it. We were not impressed.  I later found a photo of what was supposed to be Ward Branch Cascade.  It was underwhelming also.   I am not 100% sure that is actually it. I still want to see for myself especially when we've had good rain fall. 

Below: the waterfall needs only one ingredient... water.  Just wet rocks.  

   The next spot that was interesting was the Incline Bunker indicated on Lifetime Maps. We soon arrived at this past the dry waterfall. It was easy to spot as it sits right by the trail.  Below the trail is another manmade structure hard to spot through the trees.  We later learned this was a bin of some kind for storing coal.  

Below: the bin in the forest was for storing coal to load on the cars for the incline. 

Below: our side by side in front of the incline bunker.  The bunker housed the works for the incline. An Incline railroad or tramway balances loads. One load goes up and one comes down.  The one coming down pulls the other one up.  

above: the bunker and our machine.  








Below: more photos of the bunker

Below: a piece of wire cable buried in the earth.  Part of the old incline. 

Below: pale jewelweed was growing at the incline bunker.  

Below: one last spot that we visited that was pretty was a meadow that was filled with lots of wildflowers.  It was a feast for the eyes with colors and textures.  Kenny fussed at me for wading out into it. Some fools never learn. I did look around carefully though to watch for snakes. 

  We'd seen enough for the day. We were satisfied and began to work our way back toward civilization.  The ride out was pretty.  We passed wet lands, tailing ponds and a spring fed creek!  We could not see any reasonable way to access the creek.  Maybe we'll try again later in Winter.  

Down closer to town we encountered a group of side by sides and a Wind Rock employee checking permits!   It was Benny! I got my wish!  He was giving them directions and checking permits at the same time.   We had a chance to visit with him a little bit once he finished with them.  He is the nicest man.  I could listen to him all day.  He answered all our questions about what we'd seen. He sorted me out on stuff.  It was a great day! 

above and below: Benny Aslinger works for Wind Rock and he is a historian to beat all! 

  It was such a good day that we're already looking forward to going back!  Wind Rock may be a bit pricey, but it is worth the admission.   

  Note to Self: Go back this Winter as soon as it cools off and check the three or four abandoned railroad bridges near the Pine Grove Church near Briceville.   It would be a nice addition to a bridge hunting day. Maybe those and the abandoned tunnels near Newcomb.