Cool 90' waterfall near the TN end of Cherohala Skyway. After a 2 year long closure, BRF just…read moreopened 3 weeks ago (May 30,2025). It had a great setting with strong cascades after much rain in the Cherokee National Forest. Since August, 2023 much of the roads, parking and the original 1933 Bridge were updated and new observation decks from the Bridge make it enjoyable even for the mobility challenged. The base of the falls and swimming holes can be accessed. I dipped my toes in and the water was warmer than expected on a hot humid (80s) day. There are 2 access roads along the Cherohala Skyway and are easy to miss. River Road is easier and seems to show up on GPS. Turkey run is NOT marked, newly paved but had a big fallen tree blocking much of the road. Parking is limited, about 15 parking spots and a steady stream of cars waiting on a weekDay afternoon. It's worth a stop but be prepared for the crowds and limited parking. No restrooms nor anything else. Leave No Trace!

Definitely put this on your list of places to see! It's a fairly short but scenic drive from…read moreTellico Plains, albeit on a very narrow road for two way traffic. Once you get there, you can park right beside the falls and see it from the bridge or hike down the rocks to the bottom and get even closer. There's also a nice short 1/8 mile hike to get to the top which offers an excellent view as well.

The attraction of this downtown is a network of trails and boardwalks which offer views of the…read moreriver. It's a quiet mountainous area, and while the aesthetics aren't what you'd get at some of the really primo tourist attractions, it is a pleasant and relaxing piece of nature. The upkeep of the infrastructure varied dramatically; some boardwalks looked quite new, while another platform was falling apart. I was on parts of the trails for the better part of an hour but I'm sure there was plenty more that I didn't get to. It is an area that has something to offer regardless of the season, and while I'd rather hit one of the big parks nearby, it was a nice place to spend a little time when I did.

For all you people driving purposefully through the NC mountains, as you drop into Murphy, don't…read moremiss the Murphy River Walk. Easy parking near downtown (I guess it's downtown at least it's town), take a sea-level stroll beside the river while breathing in the surroundings. An extra star for those black walnut trees dropping their wares on the path because we all need more walnuts in our lives. Add in some nice level paths for strolling and it's a fun trip. Allow 30 mins at least, take much longer if you want to enjoy the many twists and turns under the trees. Venture across the walking bridge to the other side of you date challenge the seasoned pros to a pickle match. We didn't dare on this trip since we'd already braved the Sasquatch. I hope to return for another stroll when in the big city again.

The views from the top of Bell Mountain are spectacular! The drive up the mountain is not for the…read moreweak either. My husband and I took some great photos, but at the very top deck I could barely stand still due to all of the gnats flying around!! (Nov 1)

Definitely worth checking out! It's a great view, and it's super convenient that you can drive to…read moreit. We had a rental minivan that made it alright (although we stopped in the parking lot right before the really big danger sign and hiked the last little bit). If you had an SUV you could be completely confident driving all the way. The roadway seemed to be well maintained and the signage was clear!

Murphy is a small, quaint mountain town. This park and recreational area is a great option for…read morefamilies. There is a large, fenced in playground with plenty of equipment for kids to climb on and play. They even have small slides for Littles and a swing for wheelchairs, which is a wonderful new addition. There are bathroom facilities, a covered picnic area, tennis courts, a basketball court, and it is right next to a recreational center/pool/fitness center. It's right on the water and there is a series of trails, with the option of listening to information via an audio tour along the trails. Great area for people of all ages.

We ate here after they moved from the original location. We…read moreeach had the fried fish with beer batter. It was excellent.

This place is awesome. We discovered this driving from Chattanooga to Asheville along highway 74…read more This is located at the Ocoee Whitewater rafting center. There are bathrooms and a large parking lot. It cost $3 a day to park at this park. There is a long trail along the side of the river that leads you to many opportunities to swim in this stunning "blue holes" we walked along the trail for about 20 minutes and got in the water at several locations. The further back you go the less people to share the swimming holes with. We found a private area and enjoyed. We brought bathing suits, a dry bag, water, sun block and water shoes. The rocks are slippery even with water shows so be careful! An amazing natural wonder worth visiting. Great for couples or couples with children. I highly recommend a visit if you are within an hour or two of this area.

I never met a waterfall that I didn't like. We did a driving tour along Little River in Great Smoky…read moreMountains National Park to see if we could spot some wildlife. The Sinks is a lovely waterfall along the river. There is a small parking lot with about a dozen spaces where we found parking. An observation area is a short walk from parking. A sign describes the area and that the falls were manmade. During the late 1800's the river was used to transport logs/timber to the nearby town of Elkmont. After a storm, flood waters caused a jam in the river. Dynamite was used to restore water flow. The blast resulted in a twist in the river and creation of the waterfall. A set of stone steps leads up a hill, offering lovey views of the falls. There are dozens of waterfalls in the Park. Sinks is one of the few that is drivable, which is great for people that cannot hike. I picked up a Waterfalls map at the visitor center that I found interesting and informative. Parking passes are required to park in the lot. There are no amenities at the falls. Plan 15-30 minutes for a stop and photos.

We found a prime parking spot at The Sinks and looked at the area from above the bridge. People…read morewere cliff jumping from the cliffs using ropes, and just free jumping into the water below. Saw the waterfall, but we did not venture into the water. Very small parking lot, but worth a quick stop if you can find a spot to park the car.

Beautiful park to walk, run, hold events or go to their events. They have a fitness trail type…read moresetup. Lots of gorgeous scenery to take photos of. Parking was easy. No charge to visit. Seems like a popular place, which I can understand after visiting. There is a really cool old historical water wheel. Sometimes it's running. Sometimes not. Apparently people hide painted rocks here on occasion as well. No pets allowed though sadly.

Found a few good shots of flowers and mushrooms at Meeks Park that I had previously taken.read more

Went with a friend who had been recently and loved it. So crowded. Parking was already up and down…read morethe two roads coming in. Makes them one-way. Roads not sedan friendly. We had to back out to let others get out and backed into ditch. Not a big issue because so many people stopped to help immediately. We were finally able to get up to the trailhead, but unable to park until way way past it. We decided to just go on a scenic trip all the way back out, the opposite way. It was beautiful and peaceful. We met a couple, stopped on the road, checking out the largest rattlesnake I have ever seen. We have found, in the last few years, that you have to arrive at any trailhead super early to be able to get in and out. We'll go back to hike it for sure.

This is my GOTO for any season ... doing this hike in summer is just extraordinary. We did this…read morehike with our dog , it's medium with lil elevations . I love the swimming hole here , not so deep for you n ur fur babies . Mine is a 78 pound lab mix who loves water . Most of the trail is covered with trees so even on a hot summer day you can totally attempt this .

Great place to go for a picnic. Also the kids will enjoy the beach. beautiful lake viewread more

Great place to visit,kids can have fun play grounds for ur lil ones .it's the place where u and the…read morekids enjoy.nothing like wearing the kids out they'll sleep so well plus u have the Georgia mountain fair grounds directly across the street we'd take kids there first then to the beach it's a full day of enjoyment

Great Smokey Mountains National Park is bigger than we expected! So much to take in and we only had…read moreso much time. We did go to the visitor center and get a map. It was a good visitor center and had some cool merch and friendly rangers with good advice. We hiked a bit, saw many mushrooms, squirrels, birds and snakes. We did not see bears but we heard there are there. Highly recommend and can't hardly wait to check it out again with more time.

So incredibly beautiful. So many dang bears…read more Or so I've been told. Fortunately for me, a person who is very much afraid of bears and wants nothing to do with them, I did not see any bears during my visit to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. But they're there! Lurking ... somewhere ... in the forest, I'm sure. I visited during the spring, when the bears were waking up from their long slumber, and I'm sure they were just waiting, with growling tummies, to eat someone. Because of the bears, I didn't travel too far away from the visitor center area of Newfound Gap. But there are trails and other things to see that are beautiful if you like hiking and whatnot. As for me, I was satisfied staying close to where there was more concrete and cars than nature. (I know! I'm kind of dumb sometimes.) Newfound Gap straddles both Tennessee and North Carolina, so you can be in two states at once -- literally, you can have one foot in Tennessee and the other in North Carolina! There's also a cool rock structure that you can climb to the top of called the Laura Spelman Rockefeller Memorial, where you'll get great views of the mountains. They really do look smoky! They ain't lyin'. The Newfound Gap area of the Smoky Mountains also has a trailhead for the Appalachian Trail, plus restrooms. I saw backpackers who definitely looked like they had been on the the Appalachian Trail for a while. I've since learned that although this is not the largest national park, it's the most visited, and I believe it! There were quite a lot of people at the Newfound Gap area. That said, I visited a few other places around the park where there were zero people, so you might have to change locations, depending on how many people you want to share your park experience with.