We saw the sign to the Norris Dam when we were driving in Tennessee and diverted down a pleasant country road and followed the signs. Before we reached it we came across a weir on the Clinch River which we stopped and wandered along a path to see it and then continued onto the dam. There was a small visitor centre there with friendly staff who suggested we watched a short film about the dam before we went to see it. This we did. The Norris dam was the first dam built by the Tennessee Valley Authority and was named after Senator Norris who was the author of the legislation which created the TVA. It was started in 1933, finished in 1936, has a height of 265 feet and a length of 1860 feet. The reservoir length is 129 miles.
We wandered across the dam looking at the views and then drove across to a viewing point above it. We considered it a worthwhile deviation from our route. The area is part of the Norris Dam State Park and there are also walking trails, car parking, toilets, picnic areas and a launching area for boats.
