Top 10 Outdoor Activities in Tennessee, United States

March 19, 2022 Mikaela Didonna

Discover the best top things to do in Tennessee, United States including Ramsay Cascade, Little River Road, Alum Cave Trail, Fiery Gizzard Trail, Newfound Gap Road, Charlies Bunion, Foothills Parkway, Natchez Trace Parkway Bridge, Crockett Park, Newfound Gap.
Restaurants in Tennessee

1. Ramsay Cascade

Excellent
83%
Good
17%
Satisfactory
0%
Poor
0%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

5.0 based on 6 reviews

Ramsay Cascade

An 8 mile hike through the forest to the waterfalls.

2. Little River Road

Sugarlands Visitor Center to Cades Cove Loop Road also known as Fighting Creek Gap Road, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, TN http://www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/upload/map-nw.pdf
Excellent
78%
Good
20%
Satisfactory
1%
Poor
0%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

5.0 based on 218 reviews

Little River Road

Scenic road through the Great Smokies.

Reviewed By crystalm37 - Gatlinburg, United States

It snowed our first night in town so we decided to venture into the Smokies. Little River Road had amazing views of the mountains. Most of the ride from Sugarlands Visitor Center to Miegs Falls was a Winter Wonderland with white fluffy snow! It was beautiful!

3. Alum Cave Trail

Newfound Gap Road, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, TN http://www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/chimneys-alternative-alum-cave-bluffs.htm
Excellent
83%
Good
15%
Satisfactory
1%
Poor
0%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

5.0 based on 418 reviews

Alum Cave Trail

One of the most popular hikes in the park, it is the quick route to Mt. LeConte Lodge.

Reviewed By explorcation - Florida, United States

This trail is known to be the most hiked trail in the Smokies and for good reason. It follows a river in the beginning, takes you through a naturally formed rock arch and leads you to the Alum Cave Bluffs. You can decide how far you want to take the trail. If you want to do a full day hike you can take it all the way to the Mount LeConte peak! Hiking to the peak can take between 6 to 10 hours depending on your pace and how frequently you stop. The whole trail is so beautiful it would be hard to not stop frequently. This area is very popular, so arrive early to get a spot in the parking lot. During our visit many cars had to park along the side of the road. If you are planning a trip and want to see some video footage of the Alum Cave Trail check out our Alum Cave Trail hiking video on our YT Channel Explorcation. The link is in our bio. It also includes some more tips for visiting. Happy trip planning!

4. Fiery Gizzard Trail

Fiery Gizzard Road Fiery Gizzard Road, Tracy City, TN, 37387, TN 37387 +1 931-924-2956 http://tnstateparks.com/parks/about/south-cumberland
Excellent
86%
Good
14%
Satisfactory
0%
Poor
0%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

5.0 based on 21 reviews

Fiery Gizzard Trail

Reviewed By tommym201

The scenery is stunning & picture postcard perfect. The trails are well marked (follow the small orange signs on trees), can be very rugged. Watch for large rocks & tree trunks hidden under fallen leaves. It's a fabulous full day workout.

5. Newfound Gap Road

Between Sugarlands and Oconoluftee 13.2 MIles from Sugarlands Visitor Center is the state line marker overlook, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, TN +1 407-242-3654 http://www.gsmnp.com/newfound-gap-road/
Excellent
80%
Good
17%
Satisfactory
2%
Poor
1%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

5.0 based on 744 reviews

Newfound Gap Road

Reviewed By MaryKop - Colorado Springs, United States

Being from the west, we miss all the deciduous trees turning green in the spring..such a beautiful drive, winding road with pull outs to enjoy all the creeks and waterfalls, etc...worth it--we spent hours wandering along this road.

6. Charlies Bunion

Great Smoky Mountains National Park, TN http://www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/chimneys-alternative-charlies-bunion.htm
Excellent
89%
Good
9%
Satisfactory
1%
Poor
0%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

5.0 based on 123 reviews

Charlies Bunion

Reviewed By Susie1028 - San Diego, United States

This is a great hike in the heart of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The trailhead is on the North Carolina/Tennessee border. There is plenty of parking a restrooms. From Newfound Gap, you will take the Appalachian Trail through the mountain's knobby divide to the stone outcrop called Charlie's Bunion. The rocky, treeless summit affords wonderful panoramic views of the Great Smoky Mountains. The hike is 8.1 miles roundtrip. In November when we hiked, there were many sections of snow and ice.

7. Foothills Parkway

between Chilhowee Lake and Wears Valley, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, TN +1 865-436-1200 https://www.nps.gov/articles/foothills-parkway-next-steps.htm
Excellent
82%
Good
15%
Satisfactory
2%
Poor
0%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

5.0 based on 577 reviews

Foothills Parkway

Reviewed By CountryChick94 - Velpen, United States

Did a June motorcycle trip in the Smokies, and the Foothills Parkway was great. The "missing link" was our favorite stretch. The missing link has enough curves and hills to give you the joy of a mountain ride without the challenges of the Tail of the Dragon. The road is very well cared for, not much traffic, and a lot of pull-offs for site seeing. Ask the locals if you need to know how to get to the missing link. They're happy to tell you why it's called that and how to get there!

8. Natchez Trace Parkway Bridge

Franklin, TN 37064 http://www.nps.gov/natr/index.htm
Excellent
80%
Good
16%
Satisfactory
4%
Poor
0%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

5.0 based on 89 reviews

Natchez Trace Parkway Bridge

Reviewed By Coastal06249658362 - Kansas City, United States

We drove it today with Spring in the air...such a gorgeous drive with amazing views! We turned around and drove over it again! Makes you feel like you’re really experiencing the beautiful views in this area.

9. Crockett Park

1500 Volunteer Pkwy, Brentwood, TN 37027-8458
Excellent
84%
Good
16%
Satisfactory
0%
Poor
0%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

5.0 based on 44 reviews

Crockett Park

Reviewed By SteveSedberry - Brentwood, United States

Walking/jogging/ bike paths galore! Plenty of soccer/football fields. The amphitheater is simply fabulous; the City hosts a number of concerts, fireworks, and special events. All kinds of playgrounds for the little ones. Thank-you Brentwood and Williamson County for this amazing place!

10. Newfound Gap

Newfound Gap Road, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, TN 37738 +1 865-436-1200 https://www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/nfg.htm
Excellent
83%
Good
15%
Satisfactory
2%
Poor
0%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

5.0 based on 225 reviews

Newfound Gap

Newfound Gap in Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the lowest drivable pass through the Great Smoky Mountains. Standing at an elevation of 5,048 feet. Newfound Gap captures the essence of the Smokies: like the Park, it lies half in Tennessee and half in North Carolina. Newfound Gap provides wonderful mountain views atop this high ridge. Clothed in a mixture of spruce-fir and northern hardwood forests it supports a wide variety of plant and animal life. Millions of people drive through Newfound Gap annually. Also at Newfound Gap is the Rockefeller Memorial. A two-tiered stone structure, this monument is a thank you to the Rockefeller family's $5 million donation to complete the Park's land acquisition. Without this generous gift, the dream of a Great Smoky Mountains National Park would remain unfulfilled. It was at this spot in 1934 that President Roosevelt dedicated the National Park.

Reviewed By California_momofsix

Great place to stop when driving through SMNP on the main road. Beautiful views, plenty of parking in a paved lot, indoor bathrooms. There are two fun photo opportunities here, a sign marking the state border and a sign marking the Appalachian trail which crosses the road here. You can see the distance to walk to Maryland, and you can say you have walked on the Appalachian trail. For most of us, that may be as close as we will ever get to walking the Appalachian trail. Seems to be busy at all hours, but in our experience people didn't crowd us and it was easy to maintain social distancing. Felt very safe.

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