Tennessee's Intriguing Mountaintop Town Is Rich With Appalachian Heritage And Delicious Dining

Perched on the Cumberland Plateau at the base of the Appalachian Mountains is an intriguing mountaintop town with a rich history. Monteagle is known as the gateway to the region of the Southern plateau, and for good reason, since it's home to the South Cumberland State Park Visitor Center. It's an ideal jumping-off point for those who want to visit places like Lost Cove, which has one of the largest cave openings in the state (impressive considering Tennessee has over 10,000 caves to explore), and Grundy Lakes. For others, it's infamous for its sometimes treacherous stretch of I-24, whose steep winding roads with sweeping views have earned it the distinction of having special driving rules just for truckers, who've had to make good use of the highway's emergency runaway ramps.

But perhaps more impressive than its natural and wild beauty is Monteagle's pivotal role in American history. This small town of just over 1,800 people was instrumental in the Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s and 1960s, as its world-famous social justice center, the Highlander Folk School (now the Highlander Research and Educational Center), hosted and shaped some of the movement's most prominent activists like Rosa Parks, John Lewis, and Martin Luther King Jr. It wasn't just progressive pioneers passing through this mountain town either; the world's most notorious gangster, Al Capone, frequented and worked out of a 1920s mansion that's now the site of one of Monteagle's most delicious dining spots. Luckily for travelers, it's just one of a handful of excellent dining options in this heritage-filled destination.

Monteagle was first settled in 1792, and in 1858, one of the last groups of Cherokees on the Trail of Tears passed through it. The town was officially established in 1870, and Monteagle has retained remnants of its centuries-old history, like the Dubose Conference Center in the former building of Fairmount College, an all-girls school established in 1878. 

Just 10 minutes outside of town is the University of Sewanee, a.k.a. the University of the South, whose stunning mountain campus includes evocative stone architecture. Established in 1857, before the Civil War, this university is known for its School of Theology, but one of its main legacies is its pioneering role in land management and conservation in the late 1800s, a time when environmental protection wasn't yet in the mainstream.

Tennessee is home to some of America's most important civil rights sites, and it can include Monteagle on that list. Although currently, the Highlander Research and Educational Center is in New Market, its original buildings in Monteagle still stand today. The Highlander Folk School was established in 1932 to support the labor movement and address the needs of the South, so it switched its focus to civil rights issues in the 1950s. 

Before its Monteagle location was shut down in 1961 due to its civil rights activities, the Highlander Folk School hosted integrated social justice workshops, like those attended by Rosa Parks before she refused to give up her seat on the bus, which greatly shaped her activism. Perhaps most famously, Martin Luther King Jr. visited the Highlander Folk School in 1957 to deliver his "A Look to the Future" address, a still-relevant speech about the power of being "maladjusted" to systemic oppression. 

Monteagle's storied history extends to at least one of its dining establishments, High Point. This 1929 mansion still has original elements like light fixtures and hardwood floors, but what makes it really stand out — besides the menu of gourmet steak and seafood dishes and its scenic views — is its connection to Al Capone, who used to frequent its hallowed halls. Rumor has it that Capone financed the mansion, which has underground tunnels and escape hatches used to transfer liquor during the Prohibition era of the 1920s and '30s. 

For something more casual, head to the Mountain Goat Market, which was included in Yelp's list of the top places to eat in the U.S. in 2019. This boldly designed market features cheeky murals of its goat mascot, along with top-notch sandwiches and desserts, making it a necessary stop before exploring the Cumberland Plateau.

Monteagle is only reachable by car, and luckily, it's relatively close to some of Tennessee's major hubs, so you can incorporate it into a scenic road trip through the state's magical and ethereal mountain landscape. Chattanooga is only 45 minutes away, while Knoxville is 2.5 hours, although note that if coming from either of these places, you'll be switching from Eastern to Central time, so you'll gain an hour with your trip. Nashville is about an hour and a half away. Be aware that when driving on I-24 near Monteagle, there's a section where runaway ramps for trucks are on the left-hand side, which means that trucks can use the leftmost lane, which is typically used only for passing.