Townsend, Tennessee

This trail is located at the Ijams Nature Center. Ijams Nature Center is only 10 minutes from downtown Knoxville and is a great place to escape city life and enjoy the outdoors. The parking lot here is quite large and in the busy season it has an overflow lot too. Ijams Nature Center has many hik...

This is an amazing gem in south Knoxville only 7 minutes away from Gay Street. This is one of the newest parks in Knoxville but it has been a part of Knoxville for centuries. The quarry is a gorgeous place for swimming and kayaking. This park offers numerous outdoor activities all in a great plac...

The Alum Cave trailhead is on Newfound Gap Road, 8 miles from the Sugarlands Visitor Center. Mt. LeConte is the third highest peak in the Smokies, and this is an extremely popular hike, so arrive early to get a parking spot and beat the crowds. Starting from the parking lot the trail gently wind...

At the summit of Mt. LeConte in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the lodge sits at a elevation of 6400 feet. It is the only "accommodations" inside the park boundaries. It is the highest lodge in the eastern United States.   Accessible only by hiking one of the five trails to the summit,...

There are many trailheads leading into the wilderness on either the Tennessee or North Carolina side. My favorite is the Big Fat Gap trail on the North Carolina side at an elevation of 3,060'. To see the best of what this area has to offer take the Hangover Lead South Trail to the 5,180' Hangover...

This greenway starts at the Island Home Park and goes through Ijams Nature Center and the Forks of the River Wildlife Management Area. The trail is almost 4 miles one way so it makes for a great half day trip. From start to finish it is 8 miles long. The trail is mostly paved with only a small bi...

This is a great and easy hike through the Seven Islands Birding State Park. This park is located in east Knoxville and is one only 20 minutes from downtown Knoxville. The trail starts at the Seven Islands Birding Park parking lot that has a beautiful garden with lots of wildflowers. The trail is ...

This trail is located in the Seven Islands Birding State Park. This park is east of Knoxville only about 20 minutes from downtown Knoxville. The park is small but there is plenty of beauty and lots of hiking trails in the area. At the beginning of the trail there is a gorgeous flower garden and a...

The Cheoah River is a dam controlled section of whitewater that has become one of the "bucket runs" for Western, North Carolina. Located near Robbinsville, NC, the Cheoah is a non-stop class IV+ classic of constant gradient that delivers a Southeastern whitewater experience like no other. There ...

Appalachian Trail: Charlie's Bunion and Kephart Loop is a loop trail that takes you by a waterfall located near Cherokee, North Carolina.

This is a strenuous (though not technical) hike that really showcases the forests, creeks, and (eventually) the highest point of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. As this is a point-to-point route, you will want to have two vehicles - one that you can leave at Clingman's Dome and one that you ...

This hike can be started at the Alum Cave trailhead or the Boulevard Trailhead. For this particular adventure, the starting point is Alum Cave. If you're lucky enough to stay the night at the backcountry shelter on top of Mt. LeConte, (add 0.2 miles if coming from the Lodge), head east on the Bou...

From the Sugarlands Visitor Center near Gatlinburg, drive approximately 13 miles south on Newfound Gap Road to reach the Newfound Gap Parking Area (it'll be on your left). The parking area is free and there are bathrooms. Follow the Appalachian Trail towards Katahdin, Maine (1972 miles away, woah...

This trail starts at the Newfound Gap parking lot. Newfound Gap is situated on the border of Tennessee and North Carolina. The views from Newfound Gap overlook North Carolina and are worth the trip in their own right. The restroom facilities are clean and have flushing toilets. Follow the crowds ...

Newfound Gap is a mountain pass in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Newfound Gap is accessible via U.S. Route 441 from Gatlinburg, TN or Cherokee, NC. You can watch the sunrise from the parking lot at Newfound Gap or the viewing platform adjacent to the parking lot.At sunrise, layers of pink ...

This route to Clingmans Dome is available throughout the year. But during the winter months from December 1 through March 31, the 7-mile Clingman’s Dome Road that branches off Highway 441 at Newfound Gap, stays closed. This means the usual drive to the parking area located just a half mile below ...