A self-guided driving tour leads to brightly painted quilt blocks in Stewart County, Tennessee. The Quilt Tour consists of four separate drives. Many of the other 90 blocks are located at shops, churches, and private homes. Visitors who want to see all the blocks should allow at least three to four hours. The format combines a drive through the area with a glimpse of these colorful motifs in everyday settings.
Waterways and Getting Your Bearings
Cross Creeks National Wildlife Refuge lies in the floodplain of the Cumberland River, which now forms Barkley Lake. The refuge provides wintering habitat and protection for large numbers of waterfowl, including 30 different species. Its winter setting is a distinctive part of the area’s character for nature enthusiasts; visitors can also kayak there.
At Stewart State Forest, visitors can take part in an orienteering course to practice using a compass, pacing, GPS, and maps. The forest area’s historic and cultural sites also include hundreds of charcoal-making sites and an iron ore mine. Practical navigation and traces of past land use sit side by side here, without prescribing a set itinerary for a visit.
Driving Routes from Dover
Dover is the starting point for two distinct scenic byways. The Woodlands Trace National Scenic Byway crosses Kentucky and Tennessee, running the entire length of the Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area. The Tennessee River Trail Scenic Byway also begins in Dover and stretches 440 miles along winding two-lane roads on both banks of the Tennessee River. Their different routes can help visitors decide: one passes through the recreation area, while the other follows both riverbanks over a long distance.
Another self-guided drive is the Fort Donelson NB Auto Tour Route. It includes eleven stops at Fort Donelson National Battlefield and in the town of Dover. Together with the four separate Quilt Tour drives, it illustrates how the routes described here differ in design: one has stops at a battlefield and in a town, while the other spreads across several drives to quilt blocks.
Fort Donelson and Its History
The capture of Fort Donelson was the North’s first major victory. The Dover Hotel was built between 1851 and 1853 to accommodate riverboat travelers before and after the Civil War. During the Battle of Fort Donelson, General Buckner and his staff used the hotel as their headquarters. The building brings together construction history, river travel, and military history in one tangible place.
Fort Donelson National Cemetery covers 15 acres and is surrounded by a limestone wall. It contains the remains of 670 United States soldiers and civilians from the Civil War. The grounds are open to pedestrians from sunrise to sunset; temporary closures may affect access. Check the current park notices before visiting.
Museums and Living History
The Stewart County Historical Museum/W.D. Sykes Museum displays artifacts, photographs, and exhibits on the county’s history, from early settlement through the Civil War. It is housed in the Brandau/Sykes House, a large historic wooden home modeled after a 19th-century riverboat. Its design gives the museum visit a distinctive architectural connection to the history of the river.
The Homeplace Working Farm offers another way to experience history. This living history museum features costumed interpreters carrying out daily tasks on a working farm. Rather than an exhibition about rural life, the focus here is on activities at a working farm.
Plan Your Visit
Fort Donelson’s temporary visitor center is located at 120 Fort Donelson Park Road in Dover. It is open daily from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (CST), except Thanksgiving, December 25, and January 1. Since operating hours can change, check the latest notices before visiting. The different drives, the refuge, and the historic sites offer a range of experiences; for planning, consult the specific details about the Quilt Tour drives and the visiting conditions for each site.
More Destinations
Explore more destinations: Bumpus Mills, Franklin County, Davidson, Coffee, Sequatchie County, Putnam County, Obion County, Greene.
For the main travel overview: Tennessee.
