Shady Valley, Tennessee
Shady Valley is an unincorporated community in Johnson County in the northeastern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is just outside Cherokee National Forest. Shady Valley is also the name of the valley in which the town is located, between Holston Mountain on the northwest, and the Iron Mountains to the southeast. At 2,785 feet, it is the second-highest community in Tennessee.[2]
Shady Valley, Tennessee | |
---|---|
Unincorporated community | |
A church sits among the mountains of Shady Valley. | |
Shady Valley Shady Valley | |
Coordinates: 36°31′09″N 81°55′40″W | |
Country | |
State | |
County | Johnson County |
Elevation | 849 m (2,785 ft) |
Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
ZIP code | 37688 |
Area code(s) | 423 |
FIPS code | 47-67460 |
GNIS feature ID | 1301197[1] |
Natural history
After the Pleistocene ice ages, species and ecosystems that had shifted southward often survived in local refugia. As a result, cold-adapted ecosystems, such as cranberry bogs, remain in Shady Valley, far south of their usual range.[3] Shady Valley once contained an estimated 10,000 acres (40 km²) of boreal cranberry bogs.[4]
Recreation
The roads that run in and around the town are popular among motorcyclists since nearby mountains provide nearly 500 pigtail curves to navigate.[5] The most popular road for motorcyclists is US-421,[6] which offers many challenging curves.
Economy
Shady Valley has one small general store; a locally owned restaurant, the 'Raceway Grill'; a U.S. Post Office;[7] and the Shady Valley Elementary School.[8]
The town holds its annual Cranberry Festival the second weekend in October with food, a parade and auctions.[9]
References
- "Shady Valley, Tennessee". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2011-09-10.
- "Trade, Tennessee". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2017-03-03.
- "Appalachian-Blue Ridge forests". Terrestrial Ecoregions. World Wildlife Fund.
- Davis, Donald Edward. Where There Are Mountains: An Environmental History of the Southern Appalachians. University of Georgia Press, 2002, p. 13.
- Motorcycle Playground website, archived October 30, 2007
- Johnson County, Tennessee General Highway Map (PDF) (Map). Tennessee Department of Transportation. 2003. Retrieved 28 April 2013.
- "Shady Valley Post Office". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2011-09-10.
- "Shady Valley Elementary School". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2011-09-10.
- Cranberry Festival Archived 2006-07-21 at Archive.today, Johnson County Chamber of Commerce website, accessed August 22, 2009