Watauga Lake Fun for water lovers and outdoor enthusiasts alike

In the sometimes sweltering heat, all you want to do is take a dip in some water to cool off. Just over the Tennessee border, Watauga Lake rests amidst sprawling mountain tops and forested banks where boaters and fishermen can become acquainted with their sea legs in the middle of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Visitors to this pristine location have a variety recreation options available to them, including swimming, camping, hiking, biking and much more. Watauga Lake is the perfect place for aquatic adventure.

Situated in the Cherokee National Forest, Watauga Lake is actually a manmade reservoir, even though its inherent beauty would leave one assuming that its pristine shores were shaped by nature. The lake was created in 1948 as part of the Watauga Dam in order to control flooding in the Tennessee River Watershed.

In order to complete the project, an entire town had to be relocated. Much of Butler, Tenn., known affectionately as the “Town that Wouldn’t Drown,” had to be relocated to higher elevations, thus staying true with the mantra. The town’s population of 600 people, as well as many of the town’s homes and businesses, were relocated to a location that is known today as “New” Butler. All in all, 55 miles of new road had to be constructed and approximately 1,000 gravesites had to be relocated. Today, the relocated Butler is an unincorporated community in Johnson County, Tenn., along the northern shore of

Watauga Lake.

Visitors can explore the area’s history at The Butler Museum, located at 123 Selma Curtis Road in Butler, Tenn. The museum is open from 1:30 to 4 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays during the summer, and tours can be made by appointment. For more information, click to thebutlermuseum.com.

Watauga Lake has five U.S. Forest Service-maintained recreation areas