This is walk-in cache in honor of the Volunteers from the University of Tennessee. There are a few parking spots nearby, but ample parking is available at Willow Lane Park and it is a fun walk with several other caches along the way.
There is easy access along the greenbelt, but the cache location does not meet accessibility requirements so terrain is rated 2. The cache was originally GC5RQXT Rocky Top and was rated 4.5 for difficulty. However, most of the riprap that concealed the cache has been removed and the hide became easy-peasy in May 2019. The cache should be an easy grab if you can spot the light colored rock and lift it up. When you lift up a rock, please return it to where you got it. Please watch your children since water is near the cache site and the river is easy to walk to from there. A rock bench is nearby for those who need to take a break from searching or for that non-caching spouse who has tagged along.
The song "Rocky Top" was written by songwriters Felice and Boudleaux Bryant in 1967 while they were working in Tennessee on a collection of slow tempo songs for a project for Chet Atkins and Archie Campbell. The fast paced "Rocky Top" was a nice diversion for them. The song is one of Tennessee's ten official state songs (unique they would have 10 state songs). The authors never indicated the song referred to any specific location, but a barren summit known as Rocky Top in the Great Smokey Mountains on the Tennessee - North Carolina border is attributed to the song and is close to Gatlinburg where the song was written.
The Osborne Brothers were the first to record "Rocky Top" as a bluegrass version that was released on Christmas Day 1967 and reached Number 33 on the Country Charts. The song remained a part of their concerts. In 1970, Lynn Anderson recorded the song and that version peaked at number 17 on the Country Charts and achieved more popularity. It has been recorded by numerous artists. In 1972, Barry MacDonald produced an arrangement for the Pride of the Southland Band and played it at some drills. The appeal of the arrangement was apparent and it was soon being played at every game. It is now an expected song at every game and often during the game.
"Rocky Top" is the not the official football theme for the University of Tennessee Volunteers even though it is regularly played. That honor goes to "Down the Field" which is played when the T formed by the Pride opens for the team to run through at the end of the band's pregame show as well as after a score. The University of Tennessee has been granted rights to play the song in perpetuity so it will not be going away anytime soon.