Follow
Tennessee may be known for music and whiskey, but there’s so much more to the Volunteer State. If you’re planning on heading to Tennessee, take some time to leave the cities and head into the forest, where these five National Parks await.
Image CCO via Commons.Wikimedia.Org
Tennessee is home to country music, history season, and great bourbon, but perhaps one of the more popular reasons to make a trip to the Volunteer State is to see one of the many national parks and designated lands in the regions.
Tennessee finds itself mostly within the dense and formidable Appalachian Mountain range. These mountains, unlike the cragged Rocky Mountains or the Cascade Range in the West Coast, provide scenic vistas of dense forests and have their unique charm to them. Because of this, much of the Appalachians, and therefore much of Tennessee, is protected federally.
The National Parks system has designated large swaths of Tennessee and other states to be protected from commercial development and allowed to continue and grow as they may. There are dozens of places in Tennessee protected either by the state or by the federal government and provide Americans with a place to escape from the normal chaos of life.
That’s why we’ve taken a look at the federal land protected in Tennessee to come up with our top five national parks in the state. We’ll also be talking about how the national parks in Tennessee provide different ways for visitors to enjoy all of what the southeast has to offer and giving travelers a few tips and tricks to maximize their experience in the region.
What to Look For In Tennessee National Parks
Image CCO via Goodfreephotos
Tennessee National Parks are legally no different than other federally-preserved lands. However, some of our picks aren’t considered National Parks in the technical sense of the word, so we’d like to take a moment to explain how and why the National Parks system chooses to designate land.
The National Parks system often sanctions large tracts of lands with the following suffixes:
- National Park
- National Military Park
- National Battlefield Site
- National River
- National Scenic Trail
- And Many More!
These names are designed to convey to the American public the specific findings that may be located within the park bounds. However, all of them are equally important and protected by the National Parks service, which makes them prime picks for some of the best national parks in Tennessee.
As far as what you will be able to find in Tennessee, it’s important to keep in mind the type of land that the state sits on. And due to the horizontal length of the state, it’s far easier to discuss Tennessee as three specific geographical regions.
West Tennessee, for example, is a part of what is known as the Gulf Coastal Plain, which extends from Texas all the way over to Tampa. This part of the state is far flatter than what public perceptions of the state may lead you to believe, and the westernmost edge of the state is designated by the Mississippi River.
Moving eastward to Central Tennessee, where Nashville and other major cities can be found. Much of this region consists of the Nashville Basin, which initially made passage westward possible in the 18th century and before.
Finally, moving into East Tennessee, the type of land associated with the state takes center stage. The Blue Ridge Mountains, Great Smoky Mountains, and other ranges can be found littering this part of the state with balds, rough terrain, and of course, scenic beauty.
Knowing what part of the state each national park is located within will make it easier to plan a trip, although if you need more information, be sure to stick around for our Traveler’s Guide for a complete list of considerations.
How We’ve Chosen The Parks
We’ve sorted through many of the scenic passages, parks, and ranges that encompass Tennessee to come up with our list of top five parks.
You’ll notice that these parks are not listed in any particular order—which is for a very intentional reason. Between vast forests, tall peaks, and dense valleys, it is simply too subjective to try to come up with a definitive ranking for these parks. However, we hope that you can account for your personal preferences, as well as location, to try to see as many of the parks as possible.
To put it bluntly—as an American citizen, part of your hard-earned money has gone into the preservation and proliferation of these majestic natural wonders. Seeing as many as you can is not only fiscally valuable but personally as well.
Top 5 Tennessee National Parks
Let’s take a closer look to the national parks in Tennessee and see what Volunteer State has to offer in the east, near the center, and out west:
GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK
Image CCO via Freegoodphotos
Cradling the border of Tennessee with the nearby North Carolina, Great Smoky Mountain National Park is the most visited park not only in the state but the entire nation.
While some of this may have to do with the proximity of the park to central population hubs, the truth is that the scenic vistas here provide far more to see and do then what can be done in a way or even a week.
Visitors to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park will be able to see Cades Cove—which is filled with riverside encounters with deer, bear, and coyotes. Or they can travel to the very precipice of the Tennessee portion of the park to stand on peaks like Gregory Bald, which will take a visitors through the densest portion of the parks famous trees.
And for fall visitors, the brilliant array of colors that can be seen throughout the massive park are nothing short of indescribable. We highly recommend Great Smoky Mountains National Park for those who only have time to see one park and want to envelop themselves in the nature surrounding them.
BIG SOUTH FORK NATIONAL RIVER AND RECREATION AREA
Image CCO via Commons.Wikimedia.Org
Centrally located and just a short drive from Nashville away, the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area is shared with nearby Kentucky and provides a less mountainous experience for those who may be more bothered by altitude sickness than others.
Marking the edge of the Gulf Coastal Plain and filled with bluffs and gorges alike, visitors can enjoy this quieter park on their day off from work in Knoxville or Nashville, and possibly visit historic settlements, churches, and other buildings within the Recreation Area’s borders.
This park may not be as notorious as the Great Smoky Mountains or some others, but we still appreciate a little bit of sanctity in North Central Tennessee.
FORT DONELSON NATIONAL BATTLEFIELD
Image CCO via Commons.Wikimedia.Org
Due to its location in the center of our country, Tennessee was intimately involved in the tragic affairs surrounding the Civil War. Tennessee, aligned with the Confederacy, fought and ultimately lost Fort Donelson at the hands of the Union Army and Ulysses S. Grant—a general at the time.
Fort Donelson today remains a somber picture of the horrors of war within an otherwise beautiful part of the country. Visitors can pay their respects to the dead at the Fort Donelson National Cemetery, which contains veterans both from this war and others, as well as enter the building that the historic surrender took place within.
We recommend visiting Fort Donelson National Battlefield for a more educational look at the history of the country, as well as the history of Tennessee itself.
SHILOH NATIONAL MILITARY PARK
Image CCO via Commons.Wikimedia.Org
Moving into western Tennessee, another major skirmish within the Civil War can be seen today as a National Military Park that holds lots of interesting history and a tragic past.
On this spot, more than one hundred thousand soldiers fought and died in a war that would determine the future of the United States. While that future is evident to us today, to stand in the place where that history was made can be a humbling experience.
This National Military Park also contains portions which are located in Mississippi, which had a similar story in this war. Tours of the park and surrounding areas are always offered, both guided and self-guided, to help Americans better understand these events.
Likewise, Living History Events are also hosted, so be sure to contact the park to see if an event will be occurring while you are in the area.
Much like with Fort Donelson National Battlefield, we recommend Shiloh National Military Park for those who want to gain an appreciation for formative experiences within our national history.
CHICKAMAUGA & CHATTANOOGA NATIONAL MILITARY PARK
Image CCO via Commons.Wikimedia.Org
Our final park pick is also shared with a neighboring state—this time Georgia—and offers a way to balance the historical significance of the state with true scenic beauty.
Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park preserves the fall of the last major natural route to Atlanta—which would serve to provide the foundational point to Sherman’s March to the Sea.
Likewise, Chattanooga is surrounded by grand mountains that extend from the city to the Great Smoky Mountains, so if you’re hoping to see more than one national park in the area, we would recommend starting here and heading eastward.
Visitors to Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park can take ranger-led tours though cliffside and bluffs, and take riverside hikes that are self-led. As with all parks in the area, park rangers take pride in passing along the information needed to better appreciate the land.
We recommend Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park as a place to spend the day heading either towards the Great Smoky mountains or North Georgia mountains—whicher is preferable.
TRAVELER’S GUIDE
Now that we’ve covered our top five picks for Tennessee National Parks, we’d like to cover a few details that are necessary before you book your plane tickets and make your way over to them.
The first is to consider the season. While Tennessee may technically be in the American South, the truth is, Tennessee winters can be cold and dark. However, visitors to Tennessee National Parks tend to decrease in number in the winter months. Be sure to plan and dress accordingly, and remember that higher elevations may be colder than you were expecting.
The second consideration is that of the wildlife. While the federal government works hard to preserve these lands, it also means that the wildlife within them are, of course, wild. And in Tennessee, this could mean a bear spotting or two.
Always remember to take bear spray with you when entering portions of the parks that have been designated as bear country. Likewise, always be careful to leave no trace of your visit and never interact with wildlife should you see it.
Finally, we think that the best traveler is the most educated traveler. At each of our five national park picks, rangers are ready and willing to help you come to an appreciation as to what you’re seeing and hearing. Especially within the Civil War sights, we recommend getting to a ranger and asking them about the history of the location. By talking to rangers, you may see other trails that are less popular and crowded, learn new and interesting information about the region, and come to a better appreciation of the park than you would have otherwise.
Each of these three tips will help guide you towards not only the right park for you but the best experience possible at each park. No matter if you choose to spend your time in the mountains or the valley, we hope that you take the trip outside of Tennessee’s cities to see what the rugged countryside has to offer.
As always, be mindful of the natural surroundings as you travel and be sure to respect the rules set in place by the National Parks Service. By taking the time to visit these parks, we hope that you learn that there’s so much more to this state than country music and whiskey.
Leave a Reply