Sharp's Ridge

Radio towers atop Sharp's Ridge

Sharp's Ridge is a steep ridge in Knoxville, Tennessee, north of the city's downtown. A 111-acre (45 ha) area of the 7-mile (11 km) ridge is maintained as Sharp's Ridge Memorial Park, a city park dedicated to the honor of the area's war veterans. The ridge also is the site of a transmitting antenna farm that serves most of Knoxville's broadcasters.[1][2] The highest ground point on the ridge is an abandoned fire tower located at 1,391 feet (424 m) above mean sea level. The ridge itself averages 200 to 300 feet (40 to 60 m) above the surrounding valley floor,[1] allowing panoramic views of the Great Smoky Mountains and adjacent ranges to the east and the Cumberland Plateau and Cumberland Mountains to the west.

Sharp's Ridge is named for the Sharpe family, who lived on the ridge during the 19th century.[3]

  1. ^ a b Sharp's Ridge Memorial Park History Archived 2011-05-01 at the Wayback Machine, City of Knoxville website, accessed August 30, 2009
  2. ^ Sharp's Ridge Memorial Park, Tennessee Ornithological Society website, accessed August 30, 2009
  3. ^ Jim Matheny, "Why Do They Call It That? Sharp's Ridge." WBIR.com, 3 December 2010. Archived 9 February 2013 at archive.today