TN · Southeast
8 forest guides within driving distance
181,000 acres of Alabama's Cumberland Plateau, with the Sipsey Wilderness, one of the Southeast's great sandstone canyon and waterfall landscapes, home to the longest free-flowing river in Alabama.
6 min read
Shawnee National Forest protects 289,000 acres of southern Illinois hill country, featuring dramatic sandstone formations, canyon overlooks, and the only national forest in Illinois.
6 min read
Hoosier National Forest covers 204,000 acres of southern Indiana's hill country, encompassing limestone canyon hikes, lake recreation, and the rugged terrain of the Knobstone Escarpment: the most topographically dramatic landscape in the state.
7 min read
Daniel Boone National Forest spans 708,000 acres of rugged Kentucky hill country, offering sandstone arches, deep gorges, and the largest concentration of natural arches east of the Rockies.
8 min read
Complete guide to Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests in Georgia. Trail recommendations, campgrounds, waterfalls, Appalachian Trail access, and trip planning resources.
15 min read
155,000 acres of hardwood forest in northern Mississippi covering the rolling loess hills of the Tennessee-Tombigbee watershed, with Civil War heritage, quality deer hunting, and quiet nature trails.
5 min read
North Carolina's Nantahala National Forest is the most visited national forest in the Eastern United States. Over 531,000 acres of Southern Appalachian terrain host the Appalachian Trail, old-growth Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest, and some of the highest waterfalls in the East.
7 min read
393,000 acres of Alabama's Appalachian foothills and Cheaha highland, with Cheaha Mountain (the highest point in Alabama), the Cheaha Wilderness, and the Pinhoti National Recreation Trail.
6 min read
A 3-mile loop near Cave-in-Rock in Shawnee National Forest, visiting a large cave used by river pirates in the 1800s and traversing limestone bluffs above the Ohio River.
3 min read
A 3-mile loop in the Shawnee National Forest passing ancient Kaskaskia Indian grinding stone, sandstone cliff overlooks, and dense bottomland hardwood forest near Elizabethtown, Illinois.
3 min read
A 3.5-mile loop around Pounds Hollow Lake in Shawnee National Forest, through oak-hickory forest with lake views and access to one of the few public swim lakes in southern Illinois.
3 min read
A 7.4-mile circuit through the Perry County wilderness unit of Hoosier National Forest, crossing creeks and traversing ridges in some of the most remote and rugged terrain in Indiana.
3 min read
A 5.8-mile loop through the German Ridge Recreation Area in the southern Hoosier National Forest, passing a small lake, mature oak-hickory forest, and the site of a 19th-century German immigrant settlement.
3 min read
A 5-mile out-and-back trail along limestone bluffs above the Ohio River in Shawnee National Forest, with panoramic river views and access to one of the largest rivers in North America.
3 min read
A 3.2-mile loop around Lick Fork Lake in the southern Hoosier National Forest, providing an easy lake circuit with swimming access and picnic facilities popular with families in summer.
3 min read
A 4.0-mile out-and-back along a dry oak-hickory ridge in the southern Hoosier National Forest, with winter views across the Indiana hill country and good wildflower diversity in spring.
3 min read
A 7-mile out-and-back through the most challenging rim-and-canyon terrain in Bankhead National Forest, following Thompson Creek from the plateau edge into a deep canyon with waterfalls and bluffs.
3 min read
A 4.5-mile out-and-back through the Sipsey Wilderness's most dramatic waterfall and bluff canyon, following Bee Branch creek through overhanging sandstone walls in Bankhead National Forest.
3 min read
An easy 2.5-mile out-and-back along the Sipsey Fork from the main picnic area trailhead in Bankhead National Forest, the best family-accessible introduction to the Sipsey Wilderness canyon.
3 min read
A 9-mile loop through the heart of the Sipsey Wilderness in Bankhead National Forest, combining canyon bottom trail along the Sipsey Fork with rim country through old-growth forest and past dramatic bluffs.
4 min read
An easy 3-mile loop near a sandstone natural bridge in Bankhead National Forest, through plateau terrain with botanical diversity and a geological highlight.
3 min read
A 1-mile loop at the Garden of the Gods in Shawnee National Forest, passing ancient sandstone formations and a dramatic overlook with some of the best views in the Midwest.
4 min read
A 5-mile out-and-back through Cumberland Plateau terrain east of the Sipsey Wilderness in Bankhead National Forest, with dry plateau forest, seasonal creek crossings, and wildlife habitat.
3 min read
A short 2-mile out-and-back hike to Camel Rock, a distinctive sandstone formation in the Garden of the Gods area of Shawnee National Forest, with views across Illinois hill country.
3 min read
An easy 3.5-mile loop around Brushy Lake in Bankhead National Forest, a small reservoir in the plateau forest with a swimming area and good birding along the wooded shoreline.
4 min read
A 1.5-mile loop to a sandstone waterfall grotto in Shawnee National Forest, one of the most photogenic natural features in Illinois with excellent swimming in summer.
3 min read
Yahoo Falls Trail combines Kentucky's tallest waterfall with Yahoo Arch and several rock shelters in a 3.5-mile loop through the Big South Fork corridor of Daniel Boone National Forest.
3 min read
A 6-mile out-and-back along Clear Creek in the southern portion of Bankhead National Forest near Smith Lake, through mixed hardwood bottomland with good fishing access.
3 min read
A 2.7-mile loop descending into a sandstone box canyon where a 60-foot seasonal waterfall drops under an overhanging cliff and eastern hemlocks line the walls: the most visited and most scenic trail in Hoosier National Forest.
3 min read
The Clemmer Trail is a 3.8-mile out-and-back ridge hike on Chilhowee Mountain in Cherokee National Forest's southern unit, with lake views over Parksville Lake and easy access from US-64.
3 min read
The Ocoee Section of the Benton MacKaye Trail covers 5.5 miles out and back through the Ocoee River corridor, offering river views and ridge walking in Cherokee National Forest's southern unit.
3 min read