Cove Lake State Park in Caryville, Tennessee, centers on a reservoir created by Caryville Dam in 1936 and was developed in the 1930s as part of the Norris Dam Project. Set at the western end of Powell Valley between Cross Mountain and Cumberland Mountain, the park reflects both natural and human history. Archaeological excavations found a Mississippian-period Native American village at the nearby Irvin Mound Site, while later generations farmed, logged, and mined coal in the valley. The Civilian Conservation Corps began building the park in 1937, and Tennessee acquired it in 1950. It remains a recreation area and a gateway to surrounding mountain trails.