Pistol Creek arises from several springs in the Carpenter's Campground section of Blount County, flowing first northeast, then northwest to Pearson Springs within the city of
Maryville. At Pearson Springs, the
Maryville Alcoa Greenway begins to parallel Pistol Creek, which then flows east through
Pearson Springs Park and
Sandy Springs Park. On the south side of Maryville, the creek passes the ruins of an early 20th-century dam and
mill race that are listed on the
National Register of Historic Places. Further downstream it passes Fort Craig spring, site of Maryville's founding settlement. It then hooks around the downtown area and contributes, along with Brown Creek, to the impounded Greenbelt Lake on the north side of town. From the Greenbelt, it flows north into
Alcoa and joins the Little River a mile south of
Rockford. Pistol Creek, after a survey by the
Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, was considered to be impaired due to
E.Coli and siltation. ==See also==