East Tennessee
South Cumberland State Park
Route 1, Box 2196
Monteagle, TN 37356
931-924-2980
Stone Door: 931-692-3887
Savage Gulf: 931-779-3532
Located along the southern section of the Cumberland Plateau, the park totals over 16,000 acres and is comprised of ten different areas, including Savage Gulf and Foster Falls.
Recreation:
Picnicking, hiking, camping, swimming, fishing, caving, visiting historic ruins, rock climbing, rappelling.
Links:
Tennessee State Parks – South Cumberland State Park
Friends of South Cumberland State Recreation Area
Savage Gulf /Stone Door
Savage Gulf contains some of the last known stands of virgin timber in the eastern United States and some of the most spectacular natural rock formations in Tennessee. The Great Stone Door, located at the western end of the Salvage Gulf-Stone Door trail system, is a 150-foot deep crevice at the crest of the Plateau.
Links:
Tennessee Natural Areas – Savage Gulf
Friends of South Cumberland State Recreation Area – Savage Gulf
Foster Falls:
Foster Fall is a sixty-foot waterfall that marks the southern end of the Fiery Gizzard Trail.
Links:
Friends of South Cumberland State Recreation Area – Foster Falls
Friends of South Cumberland State Recreation Area - Fiery Gizzard Trail
Fall Creek Falls State Park
2009 Village Camp Road
Rt. 3 Box 300
Pikeville, TN 37367-9803
423-881-5298
Fall Creek Falls is located about 2 hours southeast of Nashville in Bledsoe and Van Buren counties. The 15,000 acre park is home to a 256-foot waterfall, the highest waterfall east of the Rocky Mountains.
Recreation:
Picnicking, hiking, camping, biking, swimming, boating, fishing, golf.
Links:
Tennessee State Parks – Fall Creek Fall State Park
Tennessee Natural Areas – Fall Creek Fall State Park
Friends of Fall Creek Falls State Park
Big South Fork National Recreation Area
Park Headquarters
4564 Leatherwood Road
Oneida, Tennessee 37841
865-569-9778
423-569-9778
Located in north central Tennessee and southeastern Kentucky, Big South Fork encompasses 125,000 acres and contains some of the most rugged terrain of the Cumberland Plateau. The Cumberland River and its tributaries flow freely through the area and years of erosion have created impressive cliffs and arches.
Recreation:
Hiking, camping, biking, boating, whitewater rafting, fishing, hunting, horseback riding.
Links:
National Park Service – Big South Fork
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
107 Park Headquarters Road
Gatlinburg, TN 37738 (mailing address)
(865) 436-1200
The Great Smoky Mountains, the western segment of the high Appalachians, are a part of the oldest mountain range in the United States. The park covers 520,000 acres and contains one billion year-old rocks, 10,000 varieties of plant and animal life and remnants of Southern Appalachian mountain culture.
Recreation:
Scenic drives, picnicking, hiking (more than 800 trails), camping, fishing, horseback riding.
Links:
National Park Service – Great Smoky Mountains
Friends of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Appalachian Trail Links:
National Park Service – Appalachian
Cherokee National Forest
2800 Ocoee St N
Cleveland, TN 37312
(423) 476-9700
The Cherokee National Forest lies in the heart of the southern Appalachian mountain range. Stretching from Chattanooga to Bristol, the 640,000 acre forest is the largest tract of public land in Tennessee and the state’s only national forest.
Recreation:
Scenic drives (HWY 77), picnicking, hiking, camping, biking, swimming, boating, whitewater rafting, fishing, hunting, horseback riding, off-highway vehicle area.
Links:
USDA Forest Service – Cherokee National Forest
Hiwassee/Ocoee Scenic River State Park
Spring Creek Road
Delano, TN 37325
423-263-0050
Ocoee-Hiwassee Ranger Station
3171 Highway 64 E
Benton, TN 37307
423-338-3300
Recreation:;
Scenic drives, picnicking, hiking, camping, biking, swimming, boating, whitewater rafting, fishing, hunting, horseback riding, off-highway vehicle area.
Links:
USDA Forest Service – Cherokee National Forest Ocoee River
USDA Forest Service Ocoee Whitewater Center
USDA Forest Service – Cherokee National Forest – Hiwassee River
Tennessee State Parks - Hiwassee/Ocoee Scenic River State Park