Doe River Gorge offers outdoor family adventures

Doe River Gorge, located in Hampton, has a historic ring to it as many years ago the beloved Tweetsie traveled the gorge on its way to Roan Mountain and western North Carolina. Today it is owned and operated by Doe River Gorge Ministries and is located along the Doe River.

River Gorge Ministries is a Christian organization that invites guests to leave the pressures and business of the world behind by offering outdoor camps for all age ranges. At over 370 acres, Doe River Gorge offers plenty of space for adventure-based activities as well as summer youth camps and leadership retreats.

The property includes a 4.9 mile hiking trail which is open to the public from October until March. Additionally, permission to hike the trail must be obtained prior to the trip from Doe River Gorge Ministries. Each person (or family) will need to fill out and sign a visitor release form and drop it off in the train mailbox at the front of the offices.

Doe River Gorge includes over one mile of railroad track and an antique steam engine, 40 acres of pastureland, cabins, a zipline, a riverfront recreation area, a vertical challenge course, horse arena, sand volleyball court, paintball, rifle range, and climbing tower, among other things.

Scenic rail trips into the Doe River Gorge are part of summer Day Quest Saturday programs. Also, fall excursions are also usually popular with leaf peepers. A corn maze is generally popular with locals during the month of October.

The gorge is also open for hiking and fishing, however, guests must check-in. To hike there you will need to plan your visit during the Doe River Gorge Ministries’ off-season from October to March, and you will also need to call ahead for permission and to sign a waiver at the main office, which you will drop off in a kiosk outside of that office.

The hiking trail is the railway of the historic ET&WNC Railroad, and is considered an “easy” hike. The trail includes two tunnels in the Doe River Gorge. Not only does this hike provide amazing views of soaring cliffs and a whitewater river, but it has historical railroad significance, along with tales from bygone days. It is an easy five-mile round-trip that can be enjoyed by beginner and expert hikers alike.

The trail (which is the railroad) begins at the small lake near the main office. From here, you’ll simply follow the tracks into the gorge, almost immediately entering one of the two tunnels on this hike.

However, hiking in the Gorge does have its challenges.

The Doe River Gorge section is extremely rugged and seated deeply between Cedar and Fork mountains in Carter County. The cliffs on the south face of Cedar Mountain are vast, imposing, and elevated. And the twisting river down in the ravine below flows along large rocky cascades with rapids and waterfalls. It is an exceptionally picturesque area. When you hike in this gorge, you’ll gain a great appreciation of what an amazing engineering feat it was to carve a rail line through this rugged area, especially in the late 1800s. The 2.5 miles of trail have several very large retaining walls, two tunnels, man-made gaps with high rock walls and an enormous old trestle.

Railroad enthusiasts will also enjoy walking along the narrow gauge rails that once carried trains full of iron ore through the gorge on their journey between North Carolina and Northeast Tennessee. Add in some fall colors, and this hike is a winner for beginners and seasoned hikers alike.

For fishing, the Doe River is stocked annually. A Tennessee fishing license is required as all Tennessee waterways are state property, even when they flow through private property.