Wartburg, TN — The National Park Service is celebrating 50 years of federal protection for the Obed Wild & Scenic River in Morgan County.
On Oct. 2, 1968, President Lyndon Johnson signed the Wild & Scenic Rivers Act of 1968.
It aims to limit human interaction with certain rivers across the country, including the Obed.
You can get a good look at the Obed River and all the views it has to offer at the Lilly Bluff Overlook.
It's a whole world, nearly untouched by humans.
"Look over, out to the horizon there, and (you) see almost nothing," park visitor Chuck Nicholson said. "No human presence. No buildings, no highways, no things like that there. Just nature at its finest."
Nicholson is pretty familiar with the Obed Wild and Scenic River.
"(I visit) pretty regularly, several times a year," Nicholson said.
It's a scenic place that's always been a part of his life.
"I started coming to this area in my teens, when my father would take us whitewater boating," Nicholson said. "It's such an original, unique area."
The river is a snapshot of life long before digital cameras.
"It's a vestige of primitive America," Chief Ranger at the Obed Wild & Scenic River Matt Hudson said. "It's what you would've seen even 1,000 years ago."
Hudson said that's partially because of a 50-year-old federal law -- the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968.
It preserves the Obed and a small number of rivers across the nation, safeguarding their special character.
"We're so blessed in East Tennessee here with our beautiful parks that we have, and wild spaces that we have," Hudson said. "And rivers and streams are a critical part of that."
The rangers hosted a celebration of the 50-year anniversary Tuesday.
Park Superintendent Niki Nicholas said the Obed has helped Morgan County grow.
She said about 215,000 people visit the park each year, netting nearly $4 million in economic impact.
"It's just a great part of East Tennessee," Nicholson said.
Hudson said the drive time from Knoxville to the Obed Wild and Scenic River is about the same as from Knoxville to the Smokies.
He said everybody should come out and enjoy what the place has to offer.