There’s a specific combination of nostalgia, awe, and reverence associated with the mountains of Tennessee. Dolly Parton wrote about it in her song, “My Tennessee Mountain Home,” where she sings of her beloved honeysuckle vines, crickets, and porch swings. You can feel it in any rendition of “Rocky Top,” whether you’re cheering on the Vols in Knoxville or listening to a bit of bluegrass from across state lines. It’s especially prevalent in the Blue Ridge region — home to several subranges of the eponymous mountain formation, including the Great Smokies — and into the Cumberland Mountains. Here, tucked between the peaks, valleys, and dense forests, sit a variety of mountain towns, each as charming as the next.
Several of these mountain towns act as base camps for outdoor adventures; others are gateways to some of the country’s greatest national parks. A few of the larger towns are destinations themselves, filled with all sorts of amazing sights, unforgettable activities, and a whole host of reasons to visit.
To help you plan your next trip to the Volunteer State, we asked a couple of local experts to give us the rundown on the top ones — below, read their picks for the best mountain towns in Tennessee.
These are the best mountain towns in Tennessee
Whitwell
“Once a booming coal-mining town before the mines abruptly shut down in the early ‘90s, Whitwell is known for its rich history and stunning rock faces,” says Seth Bolt, founder and CEO of Bolt Farm Treehouse. Today, you can learn about some of that history at the Coal Miners Museum on Main Street, which is run by retired miners from the area. Whitwell is also home to the Children’s Holocaust Memorial at Whitwell Middle School and Bolt Farm Treehouse, one of the best tree house hotels in the world. “Less than a mile up the road from Bolt Farm Treehouse is one of the nation’s most coveted paragliding spots, thanks to the unique shape of the rift valley,” Bolt adds. If that kind of adventure is up your alley, book a flight with Flying Camp Paragliding.
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Gatlinburg
“Gatlinburg is a busy little town and a gateway to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. In fact, (it) offers three entrances to the park,” says Clayton LaPrees, owner and guide at Smoky Mountain Guides. For groups containing travellers of all ages, he recommends adding Ober Mountain to your itinerary: “It’s a family-friendly adventure park that offers mountain biking, a mountain coaster, an alpine slide, indoor ice skating, and will soon have a four-person canopy zip line adventure.” If you’re interested in an “authentic Gatlinburg” trip, LaPrees suggests staying at The Historic Gatlinburg Inn, and then filling up at The Greenbrier Restaurant, The Park Grill, and Pancake Pantry, known as “Tennessee’s first pancake specialty restaurant.”
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Lookout Mountain
Bolt calls Lookout Mountain (population just over 2,000) a “rock climber’s paradise,” as there are several popular climbing destinations, crags, and cliffs within a short drive – most notably, Sunset Rock. Even if you’re not into scaling rock formations, you can still check out some of the town’s most famous attractions: Rock City Gardens, Ruby Falls, the Lookout Mountain Incline Railway, and Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park. You may notice, however, that much of Lookout Mountain, including Rock City, is actually located in Georgia; Lookout Mountain, Tennessee and Lookout Mountain, Georgia are neighbouring communities, and both are just a short drive from Chattanooga.
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Sewanee
Best known for the University of the South, Sewanee is one of Bolt’s selects due to its “breathtaking views, miles of hiking trails, and a serene academic village atmosphere.” The college town is located in the Cumberland…
Read More: 10 Best Mountain Towns In Tennessee