There’s no shortage of outdoor excitement in Tennessee. The only challenge may be deciding where to start. Whether you’re planning a getaway to enjoy the state’s rich natural beauty, a whirlwind zoo and aquarium road trip, or a day in the sun at an iconic attraction or inviting urban park, you’re sure to find fun — and make great memories — during your visit to Tennessee.
Lookout Mountain
Located just minutes from downtown Chattanooga, Lookout Mountain provides the perfect getaway destination, with three iconic Tennessee attractions to explore. Start with a descent of nearly 300 feet below ground to view Ruby Falls, the tallest underground waterfall open to the public in the country. Specialty tours focusing on the history and geology of the site are available.
Afterward, grab lunch in Ruby Falls’ historic limestone castle, built in 1929. Next, head to Rock City for a self-guided tour of its trails and gardens, many offering breathtaking, seven-state views. Cap off the day with a ride on the Incline Railway, one of the steepest rail journeys in the world. Designated as both a National Historic Site and a National Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmark, the one-mile trek up the mountain has wowed visitors since 1895.
While in the area, make time for a visit to the Chattanooga Choo Choo Terminal Station, a historic train station turned entertainment complex and hotel. Named after the famous 1940s-era Big Band song, the Choo Choo features a mix of restaurants, bars and boutique shops, making it an ideal spot to cap off an evening.
Great Smoky Mountains
Each year, more than 12 million visitors flock to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, making it the most visited national park in the country. Spend a day there, and it’s easy to see why: It’s a place with its own kind of magic, where misty mountain skylines, lush, tree-covered hills and meandering creek bed waterfalls combine to make time feel just a little slower.
Groups can surround themselves in the area’s mountain beauty on one of the park’s many hiking or driving trails. One of the most popular driving itineraries, the 11-mile, one-way, Cades Cove Loop near Townsend, offers a chance to view wildlife and visit historic homesteads within a scenic mountain valley.
Just outside the park, there’s plenty to explore as well. Along its historic strip, Gatlinburg has shopping, dining and attractions for every taste. To view the city from above, take the iconic Gatlinburg tram to the top of Ober Mountain. There, enjoy ice skating, rock climbing, zip lining and zooming down a mountain coaster or go skiing, tubing and snowboarding during winter months. Not far away, Gatlinburg’s Anakeesta adventure park offers more mountaintop fun, with access to zip lines, a treetop skywalk, an alpine coaster and the soaring AnaVista observation tower, offering picture-perfect panoramic views of the Smokies.
In nearby Pigeon Forge, Dollywood includes a range of attractions, from world-class roller coasters to live musical entertainment and artisan demonstrations of glassblowing, metalsmithing and other crafts. The park’s many seasonal festivals — like the spring Flower & Food Festival or fall Harvest Festival — add extra flair to its always beautiful grounds. Pigeon Forge is also home to a brand-new attraction: Wildside, opened by the owners of Anakeesta, is an adventure park offering biking trails, off-roading and zip lining. It’s also home to the country’s longest zip line.
Urban Parks
Tennessee’s urban centers feature so much to explore, from museums, performing arts centers and fine dining to thrilling professional sports and entertainment venues. While enjoying top city attractions, don’t dismiss the allure of urban parks. These serene, sometimes overlooked spaces promise an unfiltered snapshot of a city’s authentic character. They’re also simply fun spaces to spend an hour or two.
In Memphis, Mud Island River Park presents sweeping views of the Mississippi River and the city skyline. It also delivers a perfect selfie backdrop courtesy of its 50-foot Memphis sign. Groups can access the park via a half-mile pedestrian walking bridge from Front Street in downtown. Paid parking on the island is also available. While there, plan to dine at the park’s Mahogany River Terrace restaurant, where dishes heavy on Southern-Creole fusion are served alongside stunning river views.
River vistas also abound at Coolidge Park in Chattanooga, which sits at the city’s North Shore waterfront along the Tennessee River. Home to an interactive water feature, rock climbing facilities, picnic areas and a beautifully restored 1894 Dentzel carousel, the park serves as a family-friendly getaway in the middle of Chattanooga’s urban center. Nearby, the North Shore neighborhood offers an ideal area to stroll and explore the city, thanks to an array of local restaurants, cafes, galleries and boutiques.
In Nashville, the 132-acre Centennial Park operates not only as the city’s main central green space, but also as home to an exact, full-size replica of the Parthenon in Athens. Originally built as part of the 1897 Tennessee Centennial and International Exposition — in a nod to Nashville’s nickname as the “Athens of the South” — the replica Parthenon includes a stunning, 42-foot statue of Athena and a fine art museum, the James M. Cowan Collection of American Art. Groups can access a free, web-based audio tour highlighting the architectural history of the Parthenon. Guided group tours of the museum’s art collections are also available.
Zoos and Aquariums
Tennessee’s many zoos and aquariums specialize in animal fun for all ages while delivering valuable lessons about the importance of species protection and ecosystem conservation. The Nashville Zoo at Grassmere features more than 350 species of animals, including colobus monkeys, Masai giraffes and endangered Amur leopards, part of the zoo’s new, immersive Leopard Forest exhibit.
The Chattanooga Zoo’s recent Cape of Africa expansion — the largest in the zoo’s history — adds exhibits of Cape porcupines, servals, caracals and Aldabra giant tortoises to the zoo’s already broad repertoire. At the Memphis Zoo, guests can explore exhibits of polar bears, hippos and beyond, or upgrade to special, one-on-one animal encounters with the likes of an aardvark, capybara, red panda or sea lion.
Adding to the fun, the state’s two major aquariums, the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga and Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies in Gatlinburg, specialize in up-close access to many of the world’s most unique aquatic creatures, from fish of all sizes to sharks, sea turtles, otters and penguins.
Groups can elevate their visits with a fun add-on experience. The Tennessee Aquarium features a rotating lineup of immersive Imax movies, while the overnight, adults-only Sips and Sharks Sleepover at Ripley’s comes complete with appetizers, drinks and a behind-the-scenes tour.
