Very clean well organized visitors center. Staffed by very friendly and knowledgeable people. A…read moreroom full of brochures organized by each area of East Tennessee. I live in this part of Tennessee and was able to find some information on places I had not been to or heard of.

Rest area just inside of Kentucky - nicely done landscaping and clean restrooms are the main draw…read morehere. It was nice to get out of the car and walk around a bit.

As a nomad, my family has lived in and visited countless cities and we always check out the…read morevisitors centers to get the lay of the land. The Knoxville Visitors Center is head and shoulders above any other I've been to regarding the service and the offerings. What other center has a working radio station, complete with live music performances (Blue Plate Special)? There are countless maps, bus, trolley, and event schedules, biz flyers, and a fairly comprehensive gift shop. I love that the gift shop is full of local vendor merchandise. This spot is a true celebration of our city. Make sure to check out the outdoor wall mural near the rear parking lot.

Very friendly and informative. Especially food and nightlife suggestions. A movie or kiosks about…read morehistory of city would have enhanced

Clean bathrooms, well stocked gift shop. But the real gem was Logan, who took the time to share the…read moreclosest place to eat, the shortest trail to make you say WOW, and taught us how to pronounce a few local names. (Its pronounced O-nyda not O-needa) Support our National Parks!

I always love going to visitor centers and talking with the park rangers. I like to get a park map,…read moretips and just overall learn about the park. There is a small display of wildlife and a gift shop. The rangers were very friendly and knowledgeable.

Good place to stop before heading into the park for maps, information and restrooms. It does get…read morecrowded with heavy traffic on the weekend

It was clean their and all of the workers were very nice and helpful. We got a couple books and…read moresuch like that from when the new worker loudly announced the closing time. It wasn't a bother for me but the other workers apologized anyway. It's a good place to go before or after a hike.

Land truly worthy of the protection of the National Park system, you get 85 miles of hiking trails…read more 37 square miles of mostly wilderness, and the landscape is awesome. That said, I'm going to complain lightly about a few things anyway. First, the real reason for the park is a story of European conquest -- the great westward expansion of the colonists through the gap and into Virginia and Tennessee territory. While we have more spectacular Appalachian parks in Great Smoky Mountain NP, New River Gorge, and Shenandoah, this one is really here for that historical aspect. (The gap of course was also used by big game as well as trappers and traders, of course.) So for those of us who really just want to enjoy the mountains, this isn't really the top destination, but it will certainly do. Then there is the general problem of understaffing and weak resourcing. We found trails near the town of Cumberland Gap to be well-maintained, but they also clearly have a massive problem of spreading kudzu. I'm not seeing that likely to change if we don't better resource that effort. Support of the parks is a federal line item, and the postwar consensus to do so is a thing of the past. Also worth noting -- lodging options are limited here. We stayed instead at Pine Mountain State Resort Park in Kentucky, which has a very good lodge and some very charming old cabins and cottages. (I didn't look carefully at campground options, but I know those exist too.)

7/26/26 My husband…read moreand I like to take a cave trip every year for our anniversary. This year, we traveled from Ohio to the Bristol area. Gap Cave was a great stop for the way back home. I will admit that we originally did not go in with high expectations. We saw the $8 price tag and thought that meant this cave must be underwhelming with the price being THAT low compared to all other tours that we have been on. Gap Cave was the 29th cave/cavern that we have visited in the US. When I tell you that we were pleasantly surprised, that is the understatement of the century. We loved the experience of getting to use the flashlights to light our own path while in the cave. The hike to the cave itself is super beautiful. Our tour guides(Lucas, Dylan, and Mackenzie) were amazing. You could see all of their enthusiasm for their job which is always great to see! Gap Cavern has an amazing amount of formations. We enjoyed our tour here more than the Domes and Dripstones tour at Mammoth Cave. The visitors center of Cumberland Gap National Park was also super nice! The employees and rangers were so friendly and kind! We highly recommend making this stop!

I visited the Stearns entrance to see the Blue Heron area, and was extremely impressed! The mine…read morecommunity exhibits were excellent, with loads of information, artifacts, and even walled up mine entrances! The tipple bridge is closed pending repairs due to flood damage, but it's still really cool to see! The trail was much more interesting than I anticipated and the overlook area was gorgeous with sweeping views of the river. There's even a scenic railroad with dog friendly accommodations that take you from Stearns into the Blue Heron station, which I'll definitely come back to do, as my dog partner in crime is terrified of trains.

Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area is a wonderful location for getting away for the…read moreweekend, or linger. They have individual campsites and group campsites with a pavilion and restrooms with showers, and a group campfire area. It is a beautiful area and perfect for people traveling with horses that line to camp and ride. Follow me on Yelp for more things to see and do in East Tennessee.

The World's Fair Park in downtown Knoxville is a historic and active public space built for the…read more1982 World's Fair. It is home to iconic landmarks like the Sunsphere, a 266-foot gold-domed observation tower, and the Tennessee Amphitheater. Today, the park serves as a hub for major festivals, community gatherings, and recreation. Very welcoming space, lots to enjoy, always busy! The sphere is a focal point, when you go through Knoxville on I-40.

The historic World's Fair Park in Knoxville is lovely in the Spring. Dogwoods and other flowering…read moretrees were in bloom during my visit. The Park was at the center of the 1982 World's Fair. Today, the park is a beautiful green space for residents and visitors. The Sunsphere and the Amphitheater are the only remaining structures from the World's Fair in the park. The Sunsphere is opened to visitors. The Amphitheater was shuttered for the winter and in need of a facelift. Several interesting architectural features (posts and statue) are located throughout the park. A colorful bridge passes over the park and waterway. The Park is filled with accessible walkways, a water feature/fountain. A rail trail passes through the park for walkers and runners. We found free parking at the south side of the park. I did not see restroom facilities. Dogs on leases are allowed everywhere except in the fountain area.

Right next to the interstate and with a large parking lot, this visitor's center has tons of info…read moreabout local attractions and lodging arrangements. There is a large parking lot with room for pull-through sized vehicles if it's not too busy. Inside, restrooms that are clean. I did not check for wifi. This is not a Commonwealth of Kentucky https://www.yelp.com/biz/kentucky-transportation-cabinet-frankfort?hrid=4sOw6iQy3Cz6w7k3V3wv-g rest area but instead is operated by the local city and county to help draw tourists. There is a Tesla Supercharger station adjacent. [Review 17209 overall - 151 in Kentucky - 726 of 2022.]

I came to River Sports looking for a coat for the winter, and while I found one, the service I was…read moregiven was incredibly bad. An employee, not sure of his name, kept trying to recommend me more and more items and then made a joke about me taking too long to decide on a coat. I should've just walked out the, but I ended up buying a pretty nice coat, which was not cheap whatsoever. I was happy with the quality. It looked perfect on the outside, but once I got back home I realized that there were multiple zippers in one of the pockets (which a production error, they're only meant to have 1 zipper) and they chafe against my hands whenever I try to put my hands in my pockets. What kind of business do you have to be to sell a defective coat at full price?

The bike mechanic is never in at the right time, and less then a month after getting a new tube its…read morecompletely deflated and losing air without the tire even getting punctured

We just crossed from Tennessee into Kentucky and made our traditional stop at the Kentucky Welcome…read moreCenter on I-75 northbound. For us, this has become one of those familiar road trip traditions. It's a great place to stretch your legs, take a quick break from the highway, pick up travel information, and prepare for the next leg of the journey. The Welcome Center is clean, well-maintained, and always seems to be a popular stop for travelers heading north. I'm curious... How many of you make this same stop when traveling northbound on I-75? Has the Kentucky Welcome Center become a traditional stop for your family over the years, or do you usually keep rolling down the interstate? I'd love to hear how many of us have made this a regular part of our trips north.

Nice and clean…read more Both sides of the lobby have restrooms. If one side has a line, walk across to the other side.