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Highway 30: Pikeville to Spencer, Cumberland Plateau, Tennessee
Photo: Mike Tilley · CC BY 3.0 · cropped

Drives Tennessee Knoxville, Chattanooga and East Tennessee

Highway 30: Pikeville to Spencer

SR 30 · Pikeville → Spencer

Sweeping23 mi35 min2,900 ft climbHigh point ≈ 1,900 ftOne way
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The drive

This is Tennessee Highway 30 from Pikeville, in the Sequatchie Valley, up the Cumberland Plateau's eastern wall to Spencer. It begins at US 127 in Pikeville and is 23.2 miles, climbing about 2,900 feet.

The steep part is the climb off the valley: Wikipedia describes a drop of more than 1,000 feet between the plateau near Mount Crest and the Sequatchie Valley. On top, the road meets TN 101 at Mount Crest and, just before the Van Buren-Bledsoe county line, TN 284, the main access route to Fall Creek Falls State Park. It then crosses the plateau to Spencer, where TN 30 follows College Street through town.

Along the way

  1. Pikeville (US 127)
  2. Spencer
Elevation
2,900 ft of climbing · high point ≈ 1,900 ft
PikevilleSpencer
Curves
Mostly gentle, with two twisty stretches
PikevilleSpencer
GentleHairpins

Good to know

  • Wikipedia notes the steep section off the plateau has occasional rockslide closures.
  • TN 284 to Fall Creek Falls State Park branches off near the Bledsoe-Van Buren county line.
  • Floods have briefly closed TN 30 near the park before.

Open all year, weather permitting. Roads close for snow, fire, storms and repairs: before you set off, check TDOT SmartWay.

Questions about this drive

How long does Highway 30 from Pikeville to Spencer take?

Highway 30 from Pikeville to Spencer is 23.2 miles and takes about 35 minutes.

How do I get to Fall Creek Falls on Highway 30?

TN 284, the primary access route to Fall Creek Falls State Park, meets TN 30 just before the Van Buren-Bledsoe county line.

What you get in the app

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Distance, time, elevation, curves and intensity are from Carve's route. Checked 2026-10-28.

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Map of Highway 30: Pikeville to Spencer, from Pikeville to Spencer