The Volunteer State
Tennessee
Smokies watershed, Cumberland Plateau canyon country, and the most biological diversity in any national forest east of the Mississippi.
Tennessee at a Glance
Big South Fork
Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area protects the most rugged section of the Cumberland Plateau, with 150 miles of horse trails and canyon rim hiking
Cherokee National Forest
Cherokee National Forest flanks the Great Smoky Mountains on both its north and south borders, adding over 625,000 acres to the protected landscape
Ocoee River
The Ocoee River through Cherokee National Forest hosted the 1996 Olympic whitewater slalom events and remains a top paddling destination
Smokies Adjunct
Cherokee National Forest surrounds Great Smoky Mountains National Park on two sides, creating a nearly unbroken 1-million-acre protected landscape
Appalachian Trail
The AT passes 75 miles through Tennessee via Cherokee National Forest, including the crossing of Roan Mountain's world-famous rhododendron gardens
Fireflies
Great Smoky Mountains adjacent areas in Cherokee National Forest support synchronous firefly populations, whose light shows draw lottery-selected visitors each June
When to Visit
Year-round. Spring (April through May) brings wildflower season in the Cumberland Plateau. Summer is warm but manageable at elevation. Fall color peaks in mid-October. Winter is mild below 4,000 ft.
Top Activities
Gateway Cities
Chattanooga
Southern Tennessee hub near Cherokee National Forest's Ocoee and Hiwassee river corridors, with the Prentice Cooper Wildlife Management Area immediately north.
Johnson City
Northeast Tennessee gateway to the Appalachian Trail's Roan Mountain section, Watauga Lake, and Cherokee National Forest's Nolichucky corridor.
Did You Know?
Roan Mountain's 600-acre rhododendron gardens are among the largest natural rhododendron gardens in the world, blooming in mid-June.
The Hiwassee River in Cherokee National Forest was the site of the first canoe/kayak world championships held in the United States in 1974.
Tennessee's Citico Creek Wilderness contains one of the best-preserved high-elevation brook trout fisheries in the southern Appalachians.
The Benton MacKaye Trail connects Cherokee National Forest to the AT, offering a less-crowded alternative to the main trail through the Smokies.
Cherokee National Forest was established in 1920 and named after the Cherokee Nation whose ancestral lands the forest now occupies.