Before March of 2023, I’d never knowingly heard of Sewanee, Tennessee, nor given it so much as a thought. It appeared on our radar this Spring when my oldest son applied for the Sewanee Summer Music Festival. A quick map check showed it was one hour and twenty-seven minutes from our front door. When his application was accepted, we had to come to terms with the fact that we’d likely be driving there one to two, sometimes three times a week, for concerts. I quickly came to find that this was not a chore but a delight! His month-long stay and our nine trips burrowed Sewanee deep into my heart, and we’re already planning another day trip soon; I can’t get enough.
Sewanee is in Franklin County, Tennessee; at the 2020 census, the population was barely over 2,300. It’s best known for being home to the school bearing the same name, “Sewanee: the University of the South.”
Come along on a day trip to Sewanee! First, we recommend you leave Huntsville around 9:00 am; that way, right before ascending the Sewanee mountain, you could stop in the charming and cozy town of Cowan. With a population of 1,788, this quaint little town dates back to the mid-19th century. Best known for its railroad, the heart of Cowan is a historic train station, the first tiny courthouse, and a quaint historic downtown.
Adjacent to the train station is an antique Texaco station, preserved like a time capsule. I recommend stopping and looking inside; it’s a scene frozen in the middle of the last century. And that’s about it for Cowan.
Next, buckle up and get ready to take on the height of the Cumberland Plateau, referred to in the Episcopal world as “Holy Mountain”; you’ll find yourself on a steady incline, trees overhanging, with valley views appearing and disappearing between the limbs as you summit the mountain. At the plateau, you’ll enter the pocket-sized Sewanee Village, a small strip packed full of welcoming eateries, shops with locally made goods, an outdoor pavilion for live events, and a few essential spots like a bank, gas, and the university bookstore.
The university’s land holdings stretch across 13,000 acres. Constructed in 1857 by Oxford University in England – with noticeable British influence – the campus of Sewanee gets in your soul. It is moving and otherworldly. The only institute of higher education governed by the Episcopal Church, there is an overwhelming sense of holiness here – the space feels set apart. It’s a rare experience to find a stunning mountaintop campus surrounded by bluffs, forests and waterfalls, hiking trails, and waterfalls.
Sewanee: University of the South
For starters, stroll through campus and observe the distinguished collegiate gothic architecture made with locally sourced Sewanee Sandstone. We felt like Harry stepping onto the campus of Hogwarts that first time, and they’re similar in that Sewanee is also a self-contained community: everything you need is here.
The buildings are captivating, and almost every staircase tower spirals up to a landing – my older kids were quoting Monty Python’s Holy Grail, while my youngest shouted, “I’m the king of the castle!” Tranquil greenspaces are interspersed between the majestic 150-year-old buildings steeped in history.
On the must-see list is All Saints Chapel; note the pointed arches in the ceiling, the mesmerizing stained glass windows in both the front and back of the chapel, and ribbed vaults. Also, don’t miss the Convocation Hall and Dupont Library. Though it’s sequestered away in a different section of campus, Sewanee’s graduate school, The School of Theology, is where Apostles Chapel is located. The stunning interplay of cross-bracing trusses and geometrically shaped glass creates an atmosphere of wonder as the natural light fills the space! I recommend a visit to All Saints Chapel, which left my jaw agape, the Apostles Chapel, where the beauty and meaningfulness set me to tears, and the Dupont Library, where I could spend all day curled up in the corner, reading an issue of the Sewanee Review.
Sewanee village for lunch at LUNCH
After viewing the campus, walk or drive back into Sewanee Village to Lunch, a market and food counter with a farm-to-table concept started by Sewanee Alum. Everything is delicious and unique. Other lunch options are Shenanigans and The Blue Chair.
Next, check out the incredible views.
Sewanee is a world set apart from the hustle and bustle of city life, situated in the center of a picturesque mountaintop that overlooks farmlands and forests far below. Encompassing the plateau are sixty-five hiking trails that cover the domain, and several trails intersect between and connect to the perimeter trail, which covers the entire loop of the Cumberland Plateau.
Sewanee Memorial Cross
Input “The Cross” into GPS or follow Tennessee Street to its end, and you will find a larger-than-life cross overlooking a stunning valley view below. To either side are trailheads leading to over 65 hiking trails across the mountain.
Also nearby, Bridal Veil Falls is the most popular waterfall in the area and is closest to campus. It’s accessible from the convergence of trailheads.
Coffee: Stirlings or Cup and Gown
By this time, it’s the afternoon, and you might need a pick-me-up. Consider stopping in at a coffee shop on campus; our favorite was Stirlings – a historic yellow house with a porch like Grandma’s – seriously, it feels like going home. They have a wide array of coffee drinks, blended teas, and deli items. Another option is a cafe within the Dupont Library, where the Cup and Gown cafe is located. I couldn’t catch them open, but the menu looked enticing.
Greensview
Whether you enjoy hiking or not, still make time to go to Greensview, a campus overlook where the scene below is a patchwork of chromatic greens; there is a trail to the right that has been enhanced by boy scout troops offering stone steps and cross bridges making the area more accessible. My son and I hiked about ten minutes in and found ascending stone steps along the earthy forest, and the natural foliage was breathtaking. Nearby lies Greensview Grill, a restaurant with a surreal view of the distant valleys.
Mountain Biking
Rent bikes from Woody’s bicycle shop in Sewanee Village and hit the trails! The biking trails vary in difficulty, yet several hiking trails are open to mountain biking and are labeled such.
Put an exclamation point at the end of your visit with a good dinner! Stop in at the Mclure dining hall for a sumptuous cafeteria-style meal for $12, or if you want fine dining, head down to Monteagle, just a few miles North and enjoy High Point Restaurant. Situated in a historic 1929 mansion, High Point features gourmet American food in an ethereal setting.
The day is over, so we prepare for the drive down the mountain. You could stop back into All Saints for a quiet moment of reflection before reentering everyday life down below – stay on campus to hear the chimes one last time. As you depart, you will find the drive back to Huntsville gorgeous. The Davy Crockett highway is dotted with cornfields, cows, silos, and barns. If you’re lucky enough to catch golden hour, the dancing light is the perfect encore to a peaceful day spent on the lovely Cumberland Plateau.
Cyle Augusta Lewis enjoys asking questions. A freelance writer for thirteen years, she is happiest when stringing words together to tell a story. A Southerner that doesn’t like sweet tea, Cyle grew up on the Georgia coast, riding bikes on the beach, reading Anne of Green Gables, and being curious about everything. Cyle is a ministry wife and mother of four active kids. She goes by Rocket City Writer on Instagram.
Great read and to top it off… I was born in Sewannee! Way back in 1959, delivered by a woman doctor.. so cool for the time! During my college years I spent many a weekend with my best friend who attended and had some great fun! It’s a magical place! All my family is buried down the mountain in Sherwood TN, just a place in the road now, but there used to be a huge Limestone company! My family is from Cowan also.. there used to be a cool drug store, Rittenberrys.. just like you would imagine in the ‘50’s! Ok good memories!
13,000 acres not miles