History & Culture

Clear Creek from the Lilly Bluff Overlook.

The history of the Obed Wild and Scenic River traces back many centuries. Even so, the scenery still looks much the same as it did before America became a nation. This fact makes it easy for us to imagine what life around the river must have been like for the Native people and the early pioneers.

This history page will help you discover the people, places, and stories of the river and the surrounding Cumberland Plateau. It will also give you insight into how the river became a unit of the National Park System, in 1976.

Finally, it will give you a quick look at some of the artifacts that are on exhibit at the Obed Wild and Scenic River Visitor Center.