Outdoor Recreation

Let your journey begin in a place where you’ll discover new adventure on every horizon and create new memories every step of the way. Take a hike to an awe-inspiring mountain overlook, camp out under the stars to the sound of crickets lulling you to sleep or pass the day fishing or boating on one of our breathtaking, serene freshwater streams and lakes. There’s something for every outdoor thrill seeker of all skill levels. In every season, you’ll see a spectacular display of beauty, leaving you renewed and refreshed and ready to tackle your next challenge.

Check out some of the most popular places to visit here in East Tennessee below:

• Great Smoky Mountains National Park: The most visited national park in the country, with over 500,000 acres of rugged mountains, waterfalls, lush valleys, and breath-taking vistas, just minutes from downtown Knoxville.

• Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area: 90 miles of scenic gorges and valleys

• Obed Wild and Scenic River: Part of the National Park System

• Knoxville Urban Wilderness: 1,000-acre outdoor adventure area connects ten parks, over 50 miles of recreational trails, three civil war forts, historic settlement sites, and diverse ecological features and recreational amenities

• Ijams Nature Center: 315-acre wildlife sanctuary where people can hike, bike, paddle, climb, learn, explore, or simply enjoy outdoors

• Windrock Park: 73,000 acres of off road adventures and offers a variety of amenities including more than 300 miles of trail riding and hiking and camping

• Two national forests, nine state parks, numerous hiking trails, and three whitewater rafting rivers

• Seven Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) managed lakes covering 266 square miles and nearly 3,500 miles of shoreline

• Over 100 miles of greenway trails in the Knoxville area

• Numerous golf courses throughout the region