Leadership Overton
Overton County is the part of the Upper Cumberland that people tend to discover by accident and then come back to on purpose. We have one of the clearest lakes in the eastern United States reaching into the north end of the county, a state park and state forest covering thousands of acres in the west, the Cumberland Plateau rising to the south, and a courthouse square in the middle of it all that has been the center of community life since the 1800s.
There is no admission gate and no crowd to fight. What there is instead is water, woods, small towns, and the kind of quiet that people drive a long way to find.
This page covers the practical questions. If you have one we have not answered, call the Chamber at (931) 823-6421 or email tourism@overtonco.com, and a real person will pick up.
Getting Here
Livingston is the county seat and the place most visitors start. It sits roughly twenty miles north of Cookeville and Interstate 40, which makes it about an hour and forty minutes from Nashville and just under two hours from Knoxville.
From Nashville. Take I-40 east to Cookeville, then State Route 111 north to Livingston. Approximately 90 miles.
From Knoxville. Take I-40 west to Cookeville, then State Route 111 north. Approximately 107 miles.
From Kentucky and the north. State Route 111 and State Route 52 both connect into the county from the north, and travelers coming down from Burkesville and Celina generally take State Route 52 east.
By air. Nashville International Airport is approximately 94 miles away and is the nearest commercial service. Private and general aviation can fly directly into Livingston Municipal Airport, two miles northeast of town, which has a 5,152-foot lighted asphalt runway, published GPS approaches, and self-service fuel available around the clock.
Dale Hollow Lake
Dale Hollow is the reason a great many people find Overton County in the first place. The lake spans four Tennessee counties and two in Kentucky, and its southeastern backwaters reach well into the north end of ours, with the water known regionally for a clarity that makes it a genuine destination for divers as well as anglers.
The smallmouth bass fishing here is nationally known, the water is cold and clean, and the shoreline is largely undeveloped federal land, which means the views from the water look much the way they did fifty years ago.
Willow Grove Recreation Area, operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at 10788 Willow Grove Highway in Allons, offers lakefront camping under mature shade trees with a boat ramp, swimming area, and bathhouses. Reservations are made through recreation.gov.
Winter visitors should know that Dale Hollow supports one of the larger wintering bald eagle populations in the region, generally visible from mid-December through mid-February.
Mitchell Creek Marina and Resort, at 1260 Livingston Boatdock Road in Allons, offers lodging, boat rentals, and full marina services. Call (931) 823-6666.
Willow Grove Resort and Marina, at 11045 Willow Grove Highway in Allons, is a full-service marina with lakefront cabins, pontoon and boat rentals, slip rentals, a well-stocked store, and lakeside dining. Call (931) 823-6616.
Standing Stone State Park
Standing Stone State Park sits near Hilham in the western part of the county, protecting 855 acres around a 69-acre lake and adjoined by an 11,000-acre state forest. It is the kind of park people have been coming back to for generations, built in large part by the Civilian Conservation Corps, and it remains one of the quieter state parks in Tennessee.
Visitors will find hiking trails, fishing, rowboat and paddle boat rentals at modest rates, cabins, a group lodge, a swimming pool, and a playground. The park office is at 1674 Standing Stone Park Highway in Hilham and can be reached through the state park reservation line at (800) 250-8611 or (888) 867-2757.
Standing Stone is also home to the National Rolley Hole Marble Championship, held each September, which draws players and spectators from well beyond Tennessee for a game that has been played in these hills for well over a century.
Downtown Livingston
The Livingston square is the center of the county in every sense. It is built around a historic courthouse, it has anchored community life since the 1800s, and unlike a great many small-town squares in this part of the country, it is still very much alive with businesses that are open and people who are on it.
Around and near the square you will find locally owned restaurants, antique and specialty retail, a city park, and an outdoor performance stage that hosts live music through the warm months. Livingston is one of only six Tennessee municipalities receiving an allocation under the Courthouse Square Revitalization Pilot Project, which means the investment you see on the square is ongoing rather than finished.
Downtown is walkable, parking is free, and most of what there is to do can be reached on foot once you have left the car.
History and Heritage
The Overton County Museum at 318 West Broad Street in Livingston occupies the county's former jail and covers more than two centuries of local history, including exhibits on a Tennessee governor who played a significant role in the ratification of women's suffrage and on a Overton County native who flew on the space shuttle. Admission and hours are posted at the museum, which currently opens Thursday through Saturday. Call (931) 403-0909.
The Governor A.H. Roberts Law Office is among the county's most significant surviving historic structures and is the subject of an ongoing preservation effort supported through the federal Historic Preservation Fund.
The county itself was established in 1806 and named for Judge John Overton, and Livingston has served as the county seat since 1835. The surrounding communities of Allons, Allred, Alpine, Crawford, Hilham, Monroe, and Rickman each carry their own history, and Alpine in particular has a notable education history worth the drive.
Where to Stay
Overton County offers lakefront cabins and resort lodging at the Dale Hollow marinas, cabins and a group lodge at Standing Stone State Park, Corps of Engineers camping at Willow Grove, downtown lofts and short-term rentals on and around the Livingston square, and traditional motel lodging along the main corridors.
Summer weekends at the lake and the full Fall-O-Ween season both book up well in advance, so travelers planning to visit during either should reserve early.
Where to Eat
Livingston has more good places to eat than a county this size has any business having, including barbecue and a full-service restaurant on the square itself, a longstanding sandwich shop a block off it, country cooking that draws a line on Sunday mornings, and Mexican restaurants that locals will argue about. Out at the lake, the marina restaurants serve people who arrive by boat as readily as by car.
Plan Your Trip
The Chamber office at 222 East Main Street in Livingston serves as the county's visitor information point, with maps, visitor guides, and staff who can help you plan a day or a week. Call (931) 823-6421 or tourism@overtonco.com.