Cove Creek rises in the mountains to the northwest (near the community of Pioneer) and flows southeastward for roughly 25 miles (40 km) before emptying into the Clinch River just north of Norris Dam.

U.S. Route 25W passes through the southern and eastern sections of the park, connecting it with Caryville to the west and the Norris Dam area to the east.

Archaeological excavations in the 1930s uncovered evidence of a Mississippian period (c. 1000–1500) Native American village near where US-25W now crosses Cove Lake, along the park's southern boundary.

Researchers determined that houses in the village were made of small upright logs posted in trenches and lashed together using cane and grass.

Several human burials, various pottery fragments, and tools and weapons made from stone, antler, and bone were uncovered at the site.

[3] In the 1920s, several groups began lobbying state and federal legislators for the construction of a dam at the confluence of the Clinch River and Cove Creek to control flooding and provide electricity to the area.

[5] Cove Lake State Park maintains a 106-site campground, an indoor pavilion, a restaurant, and several athletic fields and courts.

At present, an 11-mile (18 km) section of the Cumberland Mountain Segment is complete, and connects Cove Lake State Park with Tank Springs in LaFollette.

Going east from this access point, the trail leads up the flanks of Fork Mountain before crossing Bruce Creek and ascending to Devil's Racetrack.