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Mountaintop Marvel

Raccoon Mountain

The Raccoon Mountain project is TVA’s largest hydroelectric facility. Water is pumped to the reservoir on top of the mountain and then used to generate electricity when additional power is needed by the TVA system.

Raccoon Mountain Pumped-Storage Plant is located in southeast Tennessee on a site that overlooks the Tennessee River near Chattanooga.

The plant works like a large storage battery. During periods of low demand, water is pumped from Nickajack Reservoir at the base of the mountain to the reservoir built at the top. It takes 28 hours to fill the upper reservoir. When demand is high, water is released via a tunnel drilled through the center of the mountain to drive generators in the mountain’s underground power plant.

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The area around Raccoon Mountain is a state-designated Wildlife Observation Area. The mountaintop is home to whitetail deer, woodchucks, gray foxes and, of course, raccoons. The most compelling wildlife attraction of the area is a large wintering population of bald eagles, which can be sighted from the overlook as they hunt in the woods and waters.

The adjacent day-use area offers more than 28 miles of mountain biking trails—with names like Live Wire, Megawatt, Switch Yard and High Voltage—for riders of all abilities, as well as a bike-washing station. The trails are open to hikers as well.

Visitor Center

Learn about TVA history, the generating facility and the benefits of TVA’s activities to you. View maps of the Tennessee River and tributaries that allow us to provide power, support economic development and protect natural resources for the 10 million people we serve. The overlook at the visitor center offers a spectacular view of the river gorge, and nearby Laurel Point offers access to nearly 30 miles of biking and hiking trails on the dam reservation. You can also talk with TVA retirees about their service and ask questions about what it means to you.

Hours

Open year-round. From April to October the center is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and from November to March it’s open 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Closed on federal holidays. The Visitor Center and Laurel Point restrooms are always open, even if the center is closed.

Directions

The center is located at TVA Access Rd, Chattanooga, TN 37419 (Google directions).

From Chattanooga, Tenn.: Go west on Interstate 24 to exit 175 (Browns Ferry Road). Turn right on Browns Ferry Rd away from Lookout Mountain. After about 0.9 miles, turn left on Elder Mountain Rd. Go about 1.8 miles and turn left on TVA Access Rd. Continue about 1.2 miles to the visitor center.

Raccoon Mountain: Facts & Figures

  • Construction at Raccoon Mountain began in 1970 and was completed in 1978.
  • The reservoir constructed at the top of the mountain contains approximately 107 billion gallons of water covering 528 acres of water surface.
  • The dam at Raccoon Mountain’s upper reservoir is 230 feet high and 8,500 feet long. It’s the largest rockfill dam ever built by TVA.
  • Raccoon Mountain Pumped-Storage Plant is a hydroelectric facility. It has four generating units with a summer net dependable capacity of 1,616 megawatts. Net dependable capacity is the amount of power a plant can produce on an average day, minus the electricity used by the plant itself.