Raccoon Mountain Visitor CenterEquipment improvements and maintenance at the Tennessee Valley Authority's Raccoon Mountain Pumped Storage Plant have forced temporary closure of the visitor center there, according to a news release.
The Raccoon Mountain Visitor Center and parking lot will reopen in the fall of this year, allowing Tennessee Valley Authority workers to create a safe construction area while the power facility is upgraded, the TVA release states.
TVA also is developing a new TVA history walking trail at the Laurel Point Recreation Area near the upper reservoir. The history trail, to open this spring, will feature archived photos illustrating the agency's legacy and impact on the Tennessee Valley. Several of the visitor center's outdoor informational displays will be moved to Laurel Point, the release states.
The area's trail system will remain open during the work.
Raccoon Mountain is a four-unit hydroelectric, pumped storage facility that can generate about 1,652 megawatts, using water stored in a 528-acre mountaintop reservoir.
For more information and directions to Raccoon Mountain, go to www.tva.gov/sites/raccoonmt.htm.