Clinch Mountain, where it meets SR 131 at a restricted-offset intersection in the community of Thorn Hill. North of Thorn Hill, US 25E traverses through the rugged forested Copper Ridge area before approaching the pre-stressed box girder Indian Creek bridge. After crossing Indian Creek, US 25E enters the Dry Valley region adjacent to the Clinch River. US 25E briefly parallels the Clinch River on its west side and Dry Valley rock bluff on its east before crossing the Clinch River at the Grainger-Claiborne county line via a multi-beam girder bridge. Entering Claiborne County, US 25E winds through the forested and mountainous Caney Valley region and crosses Big Sycamore Creek on a stringer bridge. North of Big Sycamore Creek, US 25E has an intersection with eastbound SR 33, beginning a concurrency northbound towards the town of Tazewell. US 25E-SR 33 exits the Caney Valley region and enters the rural unincorporated community of Springdale. US 25E then enters the town limits of Tazewell near Wallen Ridge. In Tazewell's central business district, US 25E splits from SR 33, heading north and meets SR 345 at its eastern terminus. US 25E then exits the commercialized northern end of Tazewell and enters a rugged rural and forested corridor approaching the Powell River. US 25E then enters the city limits of Harrogate after crossing the Powell River on a girder bridge. In Harrogate, US 25E traverses a rural-residential corridor before meeting eastbound SR 63, beginning a minor concurrency before meeting westbound SR 63 (Corridor F) at the corner of the campus of Lincoln Memorial University (LMU). US 25E is adjoined by LMU's campus on the west, and Harrogate's central business district on the east. Exiting Harrogate, US 25E enters the town limits of Cumberland Gap and upgrades to a freeway at the base of the Cumberland Mountains. It then encounters the western terminus US 58 via trumpet interchange and begins its approach to the Cumberland Gap Tunnel at the base of the Cumberland Gap. It crosses the Tennessee-Kentucky near the tunnel's midway point, and exits the tunnel and Tennessee as a four-lane freeway. Kentucky Cumberland Gap-Pine Mountain region Exiting the Cumberland Gap Tunnel and Tennessee, US 25E has a trumpet interchange with the entrance road for Cumberland Gap National Historical Park before heading west to the city of Middlesboro in Bell County, where it downgrades to a four-lane highway, and intersects KY 74. North of KY