Norris Dam has the cleanest water in TN. We love to rent a boat and go around Norris. Swimming,…read moreplaying, water slides, picnicking and my boys love to fish. It can be crowded, but there are all sorts of areas you can pull out and swim without 100 other people, just keep looking!! I just wish that people wouldn't throw trash on the shores. Come on everyone, take care of TN!!

Absolutely a hidden gem! We stayed in cabin 10, which has a sneaky water view, amazing screened in…read moreporch, a porch swing, fireplace, fire pit, chairs, grill, and television with over air channels! It was spacious and rustic, historic yet modernized with ac and heat as well as a small kitchen with all the necessities. The park has a ton to offer, too! Multiple areas to explore, lots of trails, a museum, and the dam, which has a pedestrian path and several cool overlooks! It was very pet friendly, the dog came with me, and near enough to Knoxville and other sites to not feel too out of touch, but still private and woodsy with a view!

A very picturesque State Park located off the Interstate. Great for camping,hiking,fishing and…read moreboating. Paved path along the lake which is great for bird watching. Plenty of parking and public restrooms is available .

Cute little lake. Not too special it's not very clean. But there is a park where you can eat your…read morelunch

Love hanging out here and jumping off the bridge. Great place to people watch and meet others. Oh…read moreand swim around and work on my tan ;)

This is a roadway! It's okay to hang out here on a boat but standing ON the bridge is dangerous as…read morethis is a daily very frequently traveled road for locals who live in the area. When people are congregated on one side of the bridge it causes the traffic on one side or the other to have to wait to cross as you can only use one lane as to avoid possibly hitting someone standing there. That's not even to mention the variety of things that are I the water that you can't see such as old barbed wire.

Exhilarating for newbies like me! We hiked the way up in pitch black with headlamps and the way…read moreback in the morning sun. Be ready to get scratched up by blackberry thorns and have a few falls. Still have bruises. So worth it if you love feeling like you're actually climbing and not just walking pavement.

The Justin P. Wilson Cumberland Trail State Park is the newest Tennessee state park. It is a…read morestraight line from the top border to the bottom, and cuts through 11 counties and two time zones. It encompasses 31,000 acres of land, and 200 miles of hiking at this time. But there are currently another 300 miles of hiking trails planned and in progress. Because of this, there are a lot of places you can fish, hunt, rock climb, or do back country camping. It's named after Justin P. Wilson, who was the deputy governor for a while. We hiked about two mile around the Tennessee Gorge area in Chattanooga that had some stunning overlooks.

Finally, a convenient Stand Up Paddle (SUP) rental on Norris Lake!…read more John is an excellent instructor and is willing to stay late during the week (by appointment) so that I can do an afternoon workout paddle on the glassy lake.

We had a great experience renting a peddleboat! We weren't familiar with the area but the staff…read moreprovided great recommendations for coves to check out on the lake. He even recommended some hiking locations close to where we were staying. Very knowledgeable and definitely a highlight of our trip, would love to come back and try the other watercraft options!

I've hired fishing guides across the country for over 30 years and David Knapp of Trout Zone…read moreAnglers is one of the best. He's a fly fishing expert with both stocked trout in tailwaters and wild fish in the mountains. More importantly, at least to me, he demonstrates ethics and values toward both people and nature. Finally, he has a teaching background that equips him to effectively coach clients in fly fishing skills like casting, line mending and landing big fish. If you want a great day on the water without worrying about how the fishing guide is going to behave around your family, you can't do better than David Knapp of Trout Zone Anglers.

From the owner: Trout Zone Anglers offers guided fly fishing trips for trout in the Great Smoky Mountains and for…read moretrout and smallmouth bass on rivers across middle and eastern Tennessee. In the mountains, we offer walk/wade trips and on the larger rivers we offer both walk/wade trips as well as float trips from half days to full days.

What a beautiful spot right off Melton Hill Lake! We typically go on Sunday mornings and it is not…read morechaotic and there seems to be plenty of parking. Maps available as well as a pump and tools to get bikes ready to rock the trails. We have seen hardcore hikers, people casually walking dogs, mountain bikers, and people fishing. Trail options for any interests, time parameters,and abilities. There is a paved trail as well as many rocky dirt trails that branch off from the main paved. This morning it was a bit muddy off the beaten path, so please expect to get pleasantly dirty. Lake views, a creek, and the sounds of trees in the breeze. Heck yes!

Highly recommended for outdoor multi use adventures (Biking, Hiking, Running, Fishing, Kayaking)…read more Absolutely gem of an outdoor experience in East TN

This place is a hidden gem. I highly recommend stopping by at the very least to do the Lily Bluff…read moreOverlook. It's not strenous and the rewards of the views after a short walk are well worth it. I visited when it was raining and so it wasn't the best view, but it was still gorgeous. I also went on the Obed River Point Trail (3.6-mile out-and-back). You have to cross some streams using rocks, and there's also a wood bridge. The trail has a hidden arch rock to your right as you approach the end of the trail, but it's small and there's a reason why they don't mark it as it's not dramatic haha. Towards the end of the trail there's a lot of small social off shoot trails, but the main trail is wider than the others. Near the end of the trail there's a marker and then an end point marker. Neat trail!

An absolutely stunning nature space with a great many wild features to look forward to. They have…read moretrails and adventures for everyone so that everyone is able to enjoy the splendor that is Obed. Lily Bluff Overlook itself has multiple access trails. For those needing a mostly flat path with maintained gravel surface, try the upper parking lot trailhead. It is easily recognized by the huge Obed sign at the parking lot entrance. For a more uphill and challenging experience, take one of the trailheads from either of the bridge parking areas below the bluff. Pictures: 1) Lily Bluff Overlook platform -- an extensive platform to make access safe and manageable for everyone while also protecting the natural elements of the bluff. 2) The view from Lily Bluff Overlook 3) The hike up -- this picture shows the start of the trail up to Lily Bluff from the bridge parking area. The hike is all uphill with stone and wooden stairs, and roots. It is a beautiful, fun, and enjoyable hike.

Was more than I thought. Great experience. Small parking area. A little hard to get out of but…read moreworth it.

I never met a waterfall that I didn't like. We did a driving tour along Little River in Great Smoky…read moreMountains National Park to see if we could spot some wildlife. The Sinks is a lovely waterfall along the river. There is a small parking lot with about a dozen spaces where we found parking. An observation area is a short walk from parking. A sign describes the area and that the falls were manmade. During the late 1800's the river was used to transport logs/timber to the nearby town of Elkmont. After a storm, flood waters caused a jam in the river. Dynamite was used to restore water flow. The blast resulted in a twist in the river and creation of the waterfall. A set of stone steps leads up a hill, offering lovey views of the falls. There are dozens of waterfalls in the Park. Sinks is one of the few that is drivable, which is great for people that cannot hike. I picked up a Waterfalls map at the visitor center that I found interesting and informative. Parking passes are required to park in the lot. There are no amenities at the falls. Plan 15-30 minutes for a stop and photos.

Let me start off by saying this campground is difficult at best to find any information about…read moreonline. I tried to go to their website off several searches and nothing came up that was valid. I had been told about this site when passing through the area because of their water views and fair pricing. I was fortunate that the phone number on the site at least worked so I could find them. If you follow GPS, I wish you luck, if yours does what mine did it took me in circles and then kept saying rerouting. I opted to call the campground and their directions were so much more simplistic. With all that being said, once I arrived the tent camping here was nice. My site was level and on one of the many roads of camping. I was no where near the water, but that was ok because my site seemed to be far enough away from louder traffic which was going in and out of the marina area so that made my stay a bit more pleasant. I decided to talk a walk around camp and it seemed like there had been some upgrades around the campsite, still other areas looked like they still needed a bit of work. Specifically in the way of the long term campers area which looked a bit junky in some areas. I noticed that some of the RV paths had long hoses reaching across to access water, I am not sure if that was because their water wasn't working or if there were not enough spigots available. It looked like there were many using piggy backs. The playground looked fairly new, the restaurant which floats on the water smelled delicious from a distance and the restrooms were very clean. The staff was so friendly on my stay, someone drove past on a golf cart to welcome me when I had settled in and we had a great chat to which they told me there is a continued effort to make improvements to better accommodate campers including a project to potentially widen the roads on the RV loops. This place has some great potential but isn't quite there yet. I am interested in keeping up with this place to see how it changes over time. TIPS: * When you are in this area you are near 2 state parks which have a lot of hiking and water options as well. Both of these can be traveled to via boat from the marina. * In Rocky Top there is a very interesting historical exhibit to visit about the miners and the war which took place with these miners.

For 2025 season best restaurant food on the lake. Yes. It offers little something for everyone and…read morea couple nice non-fried offerings such as amazing roasted brussels sprouts. The staff is friendly and ample shade for hot summer days. Only regret is a limited beer offering and no mixed drinks and only a cider if you're lucky. So if you want an adult beverage with your meal and aren't a beer drinker you might want to try some other place