Tipton Place Pullout

The farmstead is associated with the Tipton and Oliver families and has log houses, a cantilever barn, a blacksmith shop, a corn crib, a smokehouse and a woodshed. The cantilever barn is the most striking building. Its upper loft extends over the lower pens on all four sides, a design common in East Tennessee that shelters livestock and keeps hay dry. The blacksmith shop is a reminder that a mountain farm made and repaired most of what it used.

You can walk through the yard, look into the open doors, and read the signs. The buildings are open to look into rather than furnished.

• Where: on the south side of the loop, after Cable Mill and Dan Lawson Place and before Carter Shields Cabin.
• Time to allow: 20 to 30 minutes.
• Parking: a small lot at the lane. A parking tag is required for stops over 15 minutes.
• Facilities: none. Restrooms are at Cable Mill.
• Hours: the loop is open sunrise to sunset; it is closed to cars on Wednesdays from May 6 to September 30, 2026.

The farmstead faces south and catches afternoon sun, which is why photographers linger here. In the evening, deer graze in the fields behind the buildings and wild turkeys cross the lane. Keep 50 yards from bears.

After the Tipton Place the loop returns to the exit in a few miles. The line of cars is usually shorter here than at the mill, and if you have been stuck in traffic, this is a good place to stretch your legs. The Dan Lawson Place, with its own barn and house, is a few minutes before.