Tennessee Offers Outdoor Fun
Regardless of the location within the state or on the calendar, the diverse beauty of Tennessee is always on display, as it offers a wide variety of outdoor recreation possibilities. Here is a quick look at the four seasons of fun available in all four corners of the state.
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Spring is in Bloom
Tennessee puts on a flowery show each spring, with bountiful blossoms popping up across the state. One of the most popular places to view this display is at the 55-acre Cheekwood Estate & Gardens in Nashville, named one of the country’s 10 Best Botanical Gardens in a 2019 USA Today readers’ poll. There are 12 themed gardens at Cheekwood, along with an arboretum containing 120 species of trees.
After listening to the blues in Memphis, you can see a bunch of other colors at the 96-acre Memphis Botanic Garden, which includes 30 specialty gardens and a 2.5-acre children’s garden. Also in Memphis, Dixon Gallery & Gardens combines a fine art museum with a beautiful flower display.
Fun flower festivals are part of the spring scene, as well. These include the Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage in Great Smoky Mountains National Park (an annual event since 1951 featuring professionally guided walks), the Dogwood Arts Festival in Knoxville (with workshops on how to crochet dogwoods) and the Nashville Cherry Blossom Festival (a celebration of springtime and Japanese culture).
Sun-Drenched Summer Adventures
Be it by river, lake or even waterpark, Tennessee offers numerous ways to cool off during the warm summer months. The adventurous can try whitewater rafting along the Ocoee River in the state’s southeastern part. The Middle Ocoee is filled with river-guide outfitters for casual rafters, while the more technical Upper Ocoee is so challenging it was the site of the kayak events in the 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympics.
On the opposite side of the state, the mighty Mississippi River has been enchanting visitors — and enticing rafters — for centuries as it rolls past Memphis. Rivers run through the heart of Nashville (the Cumberland) and Chattanooga (the Tennessee), as well.
Tennessee also has more than 500,000 acres of lakes and reservoirs, stretching from Reelfoot Lake State Park in the northwest corner (paddle among Cyprus trees) to Percy Priest Lake just outside Nashville (multiple marinas) to Norris Lake near Knoxville (mountain views).
A Blaze of Fall Color
Fall is a colorful time in Tennessee, with autumn leaves, pumpkin patches and apple orchards combining to brighten the landscape. This annual kaleidoscope of nature can be seen from any one of Tennessee’s 59 state parks.
Fall Creek Falls State Park, between Spencer and Pikeville, has long been one of the most visited, thanks to the magnificent scenery throughout the nearly 30,000 acres, highlighted by its namesake 256-foot waterfall. The park added a human-made amenity in 2022 with the opening of a $40.3 million, 85-room lodge.
You don’t have to be a hiker to enjoy Tennessee’s autumn beauty, as there are plenty of scenic drives throughout the state. Great Smoky Mountains National Park contains 384 miles of road, including the popular 11-mile Cades Cove loop near Townsend. Meanwhile, 100 miles of the historic Natchez Trace Parkway — which prohibits billboards and most commercial businesses — can be found in Tennessee, extending southwest from Nashville.
Autumn is also the time to enjoy pumpkins and apples and all manner of fall fruits and vegetables. While there are plenty of places to experience this throughout the state, Robertson County, north of Nashville, has numerous farms and orchards for family fun.
Cozy Winter Escapes and Snowy Delights
It might not be a frozen tundra, but Tennessee still has cool nights and just enough snowfall to keep winter interesting. Ober Mountain in Gatlinburg takes advantage of this by offering skiing, snowboarding and snow tubing, beginning as early as the weekend before Thanksgiving and continuing through March (weather permitting).
After a day of winter outdoor recreation, there is nothing quite like heading back indoors and snuggling in front of the fire in a cozy cabin or lodge. Offerings in Tennessee range from luxurious (the mountain retreat at Bolt Farm Treehouse in Whitwell near Chattanooga) to moderate (glamping at Getaway Dale Hollow in Celina near Nashville) to rustic (Charit Creek Lodge in Oneida north of Knoxville, which has no electricity and requires a nearly 1-mile hike to reach).
Just Add Water
Expeditions across Tennessee bring paddlers into a ‘horizontally grand world.’
Sure, sunsets are beautiful. But for a truly exquisite experience, Matthew Burdine prefers a city-rise. That is one of the many magnificent visuals Burdine provides as the owner and head guide of Mississippi River Expeditions in Memphis.
A native of Greenville, Mississippi, Burdine spent 10 years working as a river guide and ski instructor in the Colorado Rocky Mountains before returning to the South and starting Mississippi River Expeditions in 2021. He takes people on paddling trips that range from three hours to four days, showing a different view of the mighty Mississippi and its surroundings.
“Most river-paddling trips are through canyons, which are vertically grand worlds. The Mississippi River is a horizontally grand world,” Burdine says. “You’re humbled when you’re on it. People think you need rapids to enjoy the river, but when you’re on one of the largest rivers in the world, you can enjoy it without rapids. And there’s nothing like paddling toward Memphis and seeing the city slowly rise up from the horizon.”
Though the river is often called “The Big Muddy,” Burdine says it is more sandy than muddy, creating islands and sandbars that Burdine utilizes for camping during the multiday trips.
“It’s a real rustic experience,” Burdine says. “There is so much river wilderness around here that is different from what most people think. It’s a paradise. This is where everybody can channel their own Huckleberry Finn or Huckleberry Jane. We’re just doing what people have been doing for hundreds of years: paddling the Mississippi.”
Get to Know Tennessee
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