Our family is from Northern Kentucky and we have spent many summers boating on the Ohio River and camping at lakes in KY. 20 years ago, we decided to head south and book a summer trip at Norris Lake, TN with some friends. Ever since that first trip, we found ourselves booking more and more trips and eventually decided to dock the family boat permanently at Shanghai Marina. In 2017, we were fortunate to purchase a small cabin behind Shanghai and discovered as summer came to an end, we wanted to extend the time we spent in Tennessee. In early 2020, we purchased our first side by side ATV and convinced some friends and family to do the same and join us in our quest to “get busy living”.

With our youngest child now in college, we’ve experienced plenty of free weekends and have been spending them hiking, riding and enjoying the beautiful mountains. We’ve also been able to spend more time off the lake in the town of Lafollette, meeting new people and researching the rich history of Lafollette, including the Elk release that occurred in 2000.

As the summers ended, what we found was an entirely unique experience off the lake and realized there was an entirely different group of people looking for an outdoor experience on the surrounding TWRA trails. We had discussed one summer about the idea of purchasing a lake front home to rent, but realized there were so many lake homes already, so we decided to opt for a different type of adventure.

In July 2020, we purchased property just 2.5 miles outside of Lafollette, TN that backs up to Big Creek and the TWRA trail systems (Sundquist, Royal Blue, Tackett Creek) and we are on schedule to open up in the Spring of 2021 with Coke Oven Cabins. With all of the history of coal mining, coke production, and steel production started by the Lafollette Family, we could think of no other better name for our cabins.

Our family looks forward to seeing you at Coke Oven Cabins and riding the trails of TN into 2021 and beyond.

Marc & Gina Siemer and Family