Hiking in Tennessee
By Garry Luttrell, TEHCC
Last Revised: March 08, 2007
In Middle Tennessee, the Cumberland Plateau offers some of the
better hiking choices, covering a large area from Chattanooga to Kentucky. Big South Fork
National River and Recreation Area is near Oneida, Tennessee, and extends into Kentucky.
It covers 125,000 acres and has 400 miles of trails, including the John Muir Trail. The
scenery is superb with canyons, waterfalls, natural arches, etc. They can send you maps,
hiking guides and books. Contact them at:
Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area
Route 3, Box 401
Oneida, Tennessee 37841
(423) 879-3625
Another area on the southern end of the Plateau is Savage Gulf State Natural Area. It's not as big as Big South Fork, but you can put together several days of hiking. Write:
Savage Gulf State Natural Area
Box 158, Palmer, Tennessee 37365
Some other nice state parks on the plateau: Cumberland Mountain,
Fall Creek Falls, Fiery Gizzard, South Cumberland and Burgess Falls - to mention a few of
the better ones with trails. In East Tennessee: Frozen Head, Hiawassee Scenic River, Roan
Mountain, and Warrior's Path. To find out more, call Tennessee State Parks:
1-800-421-6633
Bowaters Southern Division has set aside some of their previous timber harvest areas as pocket wilderness areas to preserve their natural states and provide some very nice, scenic hiking trails. Most of these are located near Highway 27 between Chattanooga and Oneida, Tennessee, and some of them are: Honey Creek, Virgin Falls, Piney River, Laurel Snow, and Twin Rocks. For information, booklets, and maps:
Bowaters Southern Division
Public Relations Department
U. S. Highway 11
Calhoun, Tennessee 37309-0188
(423) 336-7301
West of Nashville there's a national recreation area known as
Land Between the Lakes, and it has 170,000 acres and 400 miles of trails:
TVA - Land Between the Lakes
100 Van Morgan Drive
Golden Pond, KY 42211
(502) 924-1243
Great Smoky Mountain National Park has over 800 miles of trails,
including 70 miles of the Appalachian Trail, and something for everyone:
Great Smoky Mountain National Park
Superintendent's Office
Gatlinburg, Tennessee 37738
(423) 436-1200
Detailed maps and guidebooks:
Great Smoky Mountain Natural History Association
115 Park Headquarters Road
Gatlinburg, Tennessee 37738
(423) 436-7318
Permits are required for all backcountry campsites and shelters:
Backcountry Ranger Office
(423) 436-1231
Gatlinburg Chamber of Commerce:
800-822-1998
South of the Smokies, along the Tenn.-N.C. line, the Cherokee National Forest offers many outstanding hikes. The opening of the new Cherohala Skyway between Tellico Plains, Tenn. and Robbinsville, N.C., has extended easy access to many beautiful spots such as the Naked Ground campsite, at an elevation of 4900 ft. Nearby, with a short hike, is one of the premier views of the southern Smokies at a spot known as Hangover. For information and maps, contact:
Forest Supervisor's Office
Cherokee National Forest
2800 N. Ocoee Street
Box 2010
Cleveland, Tennessee 37320
(423) 476-9700
The Appalachian Trail extends from the Great Smoky Mountains, generally along the Tennessee/North Carolina state line to Damascus, Virginia. Excellent hiking opportunities abound! Contact ATC (Appalachian Trail Conservancy) Headquarters in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, for guidebooks and maps. You can phone in an order, give them a charge card number, and they can mail you items within a few days:
See more information on our Links page.
Also, there's a Sierra Club Book, Tennessee Hiking Guide, that
describes trails and protected areas throughout the State:
Sierra Club
Tennessee Chapter
Box 2721
Nashville, Tennessee 37219
Some other information sources:
Tennessee Department of Tourism Development - (615) 741-2158
Northeast Tennessee Tourist Association - 1-800-468-6882
Middle East Tennessee Tourism Council - (423) 584-8553
Southeast Tennessee Tourism Association - (423) 756-8687