40 Best Stops Between Charlotte and Nashville (2024)

The top stops along the way from Charlotte to Nashville (with short detours) are Andrew Jackson’s Hermitage, Cades Cove, and Smoky Mountain Outdoors (SMO) Rafting. Other popular stops include Harrah's Cherokee Casino Resort, Market Square, and The Biltmore Inn.

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Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden

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Botanical garden

Sights & Landmarks

Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden is a 110-acre public garden located in Mecklenburg County, just outside of Charlotte. The gardens feature a variety of themed gardens and offer a range of events, including opportunities to enjoy peace and quiet or get lost among lush gardens. There are also several ornamental fountains and pavilions available for private events.

A great place to visit for their holiday lights display. It was a very calm atmosphere and the gardens were decorated beautifully. It truly felt magical and my children were very excited walking around. There were also benches all along the gardens where some people sat down to take in the views and enjoy conversation. Overall it was an amazing experience and I would highly recommend for anyone.

Ms. R — Google review

This was my second annual Christmas Lights event at Daniel Stowe. It felt like a whole new experience this year. The lights seemed brighter and more spectacular. The water fountains had beautiful displays. The greenhouse was stunning!We really enjoyed the 22 Street Kitchen food truck for the second year in a row. The Strawberry Cheesecake funnel cake at S&K Funnel Cakes was amazing. Even the hot chocolate at the drink bar by the food trucks was top notch! We will definitely be back next year!

Brielle Mills — Google review

I love botanical garden and this it was a worth visit even it no has much shadows, but it’s full of amazing flowers and fun things to do like the fountain’s and the little space with butterflies. I got there in July of 2023.

Kary Bolanos — Google review

One of our favorite nearby gardens! We had been a few times on prior years and last year finally got the annual family membership. It’s definitely worth it to get the annual pass if you plan to come more than once and have a couple children. It pays for itself after the second visit. (Sometimes even the first with more children!) loved the perk of getting to see the holiday lights for free on members day last year! It was beautiful! Our favorites are the conservatory and the butterfly garden when they open from Memorial Day. We also got to participate in the butterfly release in October and that was pretty amazing. Definitely in the top 10 places to see in the Charlotte area.

Alona Lit — Google review

Lovely Christmas lights, a pretty easy walk. Lots of great photo opportunities, hot drinks, fireplaces, s'mores kits for sale, and food trucks on site.Staff was kind and helpful, facilities were clean.Only complaint was the need for walk way lighting, when making our way to the food truck and drink area the walking path was not very well lit at all creating a potential trip hazard, I'm young and had to pull out my phone flashlight to feel comfortable.Other wise it was a beautiful experience!

Victoria Owens — Google review

It's a big garden with different types of trees and flowers. They had a few different fountains, a pound, shelter, and a lot of benches where you could sit and enjoy this beauty. I love orchid orangery. It's a different building where you can see different types of orchids and waterfall there. It's a nice place to visit with family or with your partner. And also you can have a wedding ceremony there.I wish they could work longer than till 4 pm, cause in the evening it might be wonderful to be there and enjoy the nature

Elena Makoviy — Google review

They have a butterfly bungalow and I invited my sister to visit together. It was a very soothing/calming experience. Go any day to need a mental break from the hustle and bustles of life and it’ll take you right down in all the right ways! The first stop had a tropical vibe to it and made us nostalgic regarding country life in st. Mary Jamaica. It smells like our grandmother’s yard with some similar tree/ plant. The venue itself is beautiful. My sister and I took a long relaxing walk together talking and enjoying the view. There was also a wedding to be held later that day.

Keneva Foster — Google review

It was our last night in Belmont and the gardens were only 1.5 miles from the house we rented. When researching the area I read in the month of July & August on weekends they opened the gardens up at night for Summer Lights. It was a great night being able to see the beauty of the flowers and plants before the sun went down but in cooler weather. Once the sun was down, the lights were pretty and a great way to end our vacation.

Kathleen McDonough — Google review

I visited the Botanical Gardens while visiting the area. We went to check out the lights. It was something fun to do. While we did enjoy it I will say it was a bit confusing. No map is provided and you aren't given any direction as to where to go. It's also quite dark and hard to see the walkways at times. Everything looks great and the staff we did encounter were very nice. But it would have been nice if there were dim lights along the path to see where you're going. Beautiful lights and plenty to look at. There's also a stand with hot chocolate and other drinks towards the back and you can sit by a fire pit to warm up. Another issue we had is getting to the main entrance. Our GPS brought us to the back entrance for deliveries only and we had to figure out how to get to the front. There is no signage pointing the way and from the road the main entrance is a ways away. If you go to the back enteance, go back out go the road and tien right, you'll get there down the road. Other than that we did enjoy.

Tara Wilbur — Google review

Beautiful Garden with lots of nicely arranged flower beds. There are many species of exotic plants and shrubs. Visiting Daniel garden one gets feeling of tranquility and peace. Very well maintained garden indeed !My son love the water weal and the flower. We enjoyed walking around the garden. I want to go back again if I have time.

Myo Z. Oo — Google review

This was a very lovely facility. The entrance was beautiful and it looked like there were classes one could sign up for (people were doing a painting class when we showed up). The orchids were gorgeous and the butterfly exhibit was a lot of fun. We were expecting larger gardens and variety for the price, however. Still, very beautiful and it was nice to walk around for an hour or so.

Ari D — Google review

We have been wanting to come here for some time. I would say I’m a little underwhelmed with the visit. Honestly, the gardens that are free at the UNC is actually better. However that being said, it was a nice garden. We did feel that many places seemed to be lacking care which is not what I would expect for the price tag of admission. I would like to return some time and see if perhaps we just came at the wrong time.

Steven deSteuben — Google review

Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens is SUCH a gem of a wedding venue. As a wedding photographer, I always appreciate when venues have BOTH amazing indoor and outdoor locations for couples. Whoever you have your wedding at Daniel Stowe, you get just that! The conservatory, surrounding gardens, and ceremony space are all unbelievably stunning. I cannot say enough good things!

Brianna Messer — Google review

Visiting Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens yesterday, March 26 2024, from Central Florida, I was really excited to see the gardens. Listed as number 8 of things to do in Charlotte, posted by travel us news, I couldn’t wait to visit. What a shock! Instead of seeing beautiful orchids, flowers, plants, etc. I saw a lot of dead, overgrown, under watered and unkempt gardens! Unfortunately, the weeds have taken over everywhere! Dead branches were hanging loosely in trees. The Wings Exhibit was closed and didn’t show any signs of opening anytime soon. A mound of mulch waiting to be spread. There were a couple of employees, one riding on a tractor and the other riding on a cart. However, I never saw anyone tending to the gardens. The employee at the front door, who was working the cash register, was nice.Not sure if it’s a lack of employees. However, I would think management would do something about these unloved gardens! At this time, I’m sorry that I wasted my money and time to visit DSBG!

Kristi Morris — Google review

I attended a private event held by my employer, so I cannot comment on purchasing tickets in advance or wait times. The gardens were beautifully lit at night, and the light show set to music was nice.

Susan Pittman — Google review

Great botanical garden with friendly staff. Multiple areas were quite enjoyable. There were some areas undergoing maintenance so we missed a few sections. Would recommend a few hours here. The gift shop had plenty of goodies for everyone.

Jeremey Jamieson — Google review

Absolutely fantastic! Went for the summer lights show for my wife and I's 2 year anniversary. It was absolutely breathtaking. We spent almost the full 2 hours exploring. We made sure we to not miss anything! The music and animated lights were an amazing touch. Can't wait to return for more fun events. Next up is the summer concert!

Amanda Marrano — Google review

Going to the botanical garden was a lovely experience not what we were expecting. It was beautiful, my kids enjoyed doing the Easter scavenger hunt.

Maddie Damron — Google review

A wonderful garden west of Charlotte with a wide variety of plants, it’s sprawling and needs some time to roam through. The butterfly enclosure was amazing with different kinds of butterflies and information about them.It can get pretty hot here on a hot day. Parking is available, and the staff is polite and kind. Overall, it’s a great place to visit if you’re a plant nerd. They’re closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.

Akshat Kumar — Google review

4.5

(2310)40 Best Stops Between Charlotte and Nashville (6)

4.5

(558)40 Best Stops Between Charlotte and Nashville (7)

6500 S New Hope Rd, Belmont, NC 28012, USA

(704) 825-4490

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Linville Caverns, Inc

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Nature & Parks

Caverns & Caves

Guided tours of a subterranean cave network in a mountainside discovered in the early 19th century.

Took my mom and kids for first time, they very much enjoyed it! This is probably my 4 time coming to this place! Seeing this place with changes, your lady was amazing took us about 45 mins, was able to see the 3 baby bats that the cave have only😯 very amazing, adventure!

Elizabeth Perez — Google review

We had a great time. You can always see the outside of the mountain but rarely do we get to see inside. Our tour guide was amazing! He knew what he was talking about. I recommend booking early in the day..meaning before 11am. Groups fill quickly and you will have to wait until your scheduled tour time. There is a lovely sitting area to wait, waterfall and all!

MJ Dove — Google review

Neat to experience, but there were some downsides. The tour feels very rushed, like they are just trying to get people in and out as quickly as possible. I went with a group of 3 and you are placed in a tour group of about 14 people. We were at the end of the group as we walked, so when we went to the area to see the endless pool, we didn’t even get to see it because the whole group could not fit in the area. But we had to keep on moving since other groups were behind us. We had to stop multiple times to allow other groups to pass since some areas were very narrow. Our tour guide was funny, but again, very rushed and no time for questions. I felt like I couldn’t stop to really look at anything and the areas she was pointing out during the tour were too difficult to see from the back of the group. Seeing the caves themselves were interesting and worth going at least one time. I recommend you try to be towards the front of the group if you want to be able to take photos and take it in without the guide telling you to stay with the group. We went on a weekday and didn’t have to wait too long, maybe about 30 minutes. There was lots of parking and an outdoor area to hang out at while waiting. I could see it being very crowded on weekends though.

Savannah L — Google review

We had a great time exploring the cave and falls here today. We visited on a Friday around noon & only had to wait about 45 minutes for our tour. The area is beautiful so we checked out the creek & gift shop in the meantime. Our tour was about 40 minutes long & the guide was very knowledgeable. It’s first come first serve with tours leaving every few minutes so come early!

Kate Narrigan — Google review

Good place to spend couple of hrs. We went there on a weekday and still had almost 2 hr wait. I am guessing because of spring break off for schools. Parking lot is big but fills up quickly. Cavern is not that big. It’s a guided tour so it takes about 35 mins. Crew there is knowledgeable and explained everything really well. We didn’t see any bats but did see lot of trout in the water. Water drips from the ceiling so expect to get few drops on you. There is a store where you can buy some souvenirs and candies. Restrooms near parking lot. Totally worth the price of admission.

Deepak Patil — Google review

March 2022. Get there early, tours are only about 12 people at a time so they fill up quick. One site said $8 per adult but it was $12 per adult. Masks are required

cassie briggs — Google review

This is an great experience!Do not missed the opportunity to visit this cavern, it is very impressive. The experience is like traveling to the center of hearth, it’s very enlightening to see how mother nature develop and redesign these wonderful rocks thorough out through out the years. There is also live animals inside… a small river (with fishes) that runs through the caverns and even bats that are hanging in the roof 👍It’s a great place to learn and have fun 💪

Antonio Perez Coss — Google review

We really enjoyed our cavern tour and our kids enjoyed climbing on the rocks in the nearby stream. The guide was friendly and knowledgeable. Our kids are 6 and 9, and the tour was enjoyable to them as well as to the adults.

Amy Bauer — Google review

We had an amazing tour guide was was incredibly knowledgeable and very fun. It took about 45 minutes to get through the tour. It was busier than expected on a Friday afternoon but we only had to wait about 15 minutes. There were a lot of people. Not sure if this is typical but the bathrooms were in pretty bad shape. Overall it was a pretty cool experience.

Lae — Google review

If you love caves and natural beauty you'll LOVE this place ! We all had a great time! They have a rock shop with low prices and also jewelry and souvenirs. The best part is the caverns though. I have been twice and you learn something by going through the tour. Totally worth the price of admission and it wasn't expensive at all!

ChupakabraKing — Google review

I have lived in North Carolina almost 60 years, but had never visited these caverns until today. Absolutely amazing! Tour guides are full of great facts about what you are seeing. If you are in the area, visit the caverns and Linville Falls. Both are worth it!

Lambros Balatsias — Google review

Kids (6,9,14,16 yrs old) loved it as never seen anything like and never been underneath. Too me it’s a one time to see experience. For them was better than any science lesson. Even though it was rainy and cold day outside, tour was good. Inside the caverns cold too, all year round 52F/ 11C.I loved how waiting time was organized, you didn’t have to spend time waiting for an hour in the line and freezing outside in a waiting area. You get your time when buy a ticket and you can plan and do whatever. It’s very convenient especially during winter season. I was reading reviews about lines and waiting time and that was scary in a cold season especially when you travel from Florida - an hour, hour and a half.In fact we bought a ticket and got our exact time. It was scheduled an hour from the time of purchase. We went to a tavern to warm up and get some snacks. So when we got back little earlier, we spent 5 min in the line waiting for the tour to start. Groups was small - 14 people.All tours are guided. Tours are scheduled every 15 min, last 30-40 min as I read, our was 35 min long.Overall was a very pleasant experience. Hiking was too cold for us but being in the mountains enjoying nice views, breathing fresh air was charging experience. I can assume that mountains are very beautiful in spring or summer when trees are green. Parking and entrance to the are is free. Pay for cavern tickets only. Small stone gifts and stuff available in the gift store where you buy tickets. Tickets are not sold online.Little tip - when you buy a ticket and get your time, you can reschedule it for later if you have plans to eat around in order not to get late. If you are late they may not be always able to fit you in another group.

Yuliana Demid — Google review

It was nice and a great experience. However, our guide was not the worse, but she could've done better. She was informative but I felt she wanted to talk over us. We were a party of 9 and I was the only adult that spoke English. I needed to translate and my family didn't feel like she wanted to stop for me to translate. My son is handicap and there was only 1 area he couldn't go. It is great, accessible. So worth the money. Also, my mom qualified for the senior citizen discount and no one cared to inform that. One of the kids noticed after we left. The attention at the shop was not very welcoming. It smells funny and the attendants were also not very happy. There was one blonde guide that was amazing, unfortunately we didn't get her. I give a high rating because the attraction itself is amazing. Highly recommend.

Sheila Fernos — Google review

Our tour guide, Alex, is the absolute best!! He was so knowledgeable about the cave and had jokes and puns, which made it enjoyable. The tour is fun for all ages. Wear a jacket with a hood as it is 52° in the cave, and water does drip in places because, well...it's a CAVE. It is absolutely beautiful and fun and decently priced also. A must-see experience for sure. The gift shop is amazing with all types of stones, jewelry etc and it's not as expensive as you would think and I was quite surprised by that. Overall, it is a great experience. Make sure you purchase tickets in advance. We got there at 12:00 and because they filled up fast we weren't able to tour till 3:20. So we left and went on a hike to Linville Falls and came back in time for the tour. It's not really a big deal as this whole place is filled with fun things to see and do. But seriously, Alex is awesome, so give him a raise.

Dawn Skipper — Google review

Nice, small cavern in North Carolina. This is the oldest living cavern in the United States.Our guide was knowledgeable. The tour was a little quick. I wish we would have had another minute or two at each so to take pictures.

Stefan Kowalewski — Google review

We went here for my birthday it was wonderful. Dalton our guide was knowledgeable and friendly. I heard some of the other guides I think we had the best ones lol. The caves are a must see. Our family had a great time.

casey Allen — Google review

Our tour guide was very friendly and knowledgeable, and the tour itself was very interesting. There was a bit of a wait, but it was nice outside and there's a gift shop to browse, so we didn't mind. Cool little trip for both adults and kids!

Amber Greene Lail — Google review

These caverns are very good. They are maintained very well. The guided tours are well-spaced and the explanation is good. Even though the cavern is not very big, the explanation makes it worthwhile.The spider eggs were awesome. The water was continuously flowing on the sides. During the world war, some soldiers tried to escape it by hiding in the caverns. But the smoke they generated, escaped through the cracks and people found them.They even turned off all the lights and let us know how dark it could be.The attached gift shop has a lot of items to explore.The restroom has water supply from the streams and it's very cold.It's best to explore in warmer weather as the outer ground is also beautiful.

Archie — Google review

This was an amazing experience for our entire family of five. The tour guides are knowledgeable and entertaining. They are passionate about preserving the caverns and make it a cause you want to support as well!

Diana Oliver — Google review

Very cool cave system. $13 for an ~30min tour. The guide was very informative and the caverns were beautiful! When we got there the sign said that the tours were sold out. After speaking with the gentleman working the ticket counter we learned that that was not the case. He had 2 tickets left but they were for different times. So we had 4:15pm and 4:20pm tickets, which is odd because their website says that tours run every 10 minutes but I digress. When the 4:15pm tour was called to gather up I presented the guide with both tickets. She noted the time difference but said that she would count the number of people and see if she could safely include both of us on the same tour. We lucked out and we’re both able to go together! My thanks to the staff for being so accommodating!

Haynes Gibbs — Google review

Was very fun and entertaining for me and my kids. We learned a lot about caverns and the ecosystem that entails. Our guide was very pleasant and informative about any questions anyone in our group had. It was about 10-15 people in our tour which seemed very reasonable for everyone to fit in some of the tighter sections of the caverns. Would highly recommend for all ages!!

Charles Walsh — Google review

Small, but beautiful and rich with history. Silas, our tour guide was great, humorous, easy-going, informative, and able to control the tour group. Great stop and incredible opportunity to stand under a fault line that has been dormant for 200 years, and is checked every 4 for any activity. There are many other great stories shared as well, but I do not want to spoil them for you.

Denese Edwards — Google review

Pretty darn incredible. Few notes: adult tickets are $13, kids $11. No online reservations. We got there and had tickets for a tour within 30 mins of arrival. Tours roll every 15 mins and last about 35 mins. I suggest wearing a rain jacket or waterproof coat as it's dripping water in most places. Don't touch the rocks and when we went there were no bats; which I'm fine with ;)Gift shop needs some love, but staff is nice. Super cool areas outside by the river to wait for your tour.Highly recommend.

Dannielle Rice — Google review

4.5

(3923)40 Best Stops Between Charlotte and Nashville (12)

4.0

(799)40 Best Stops Between Charlotte and Nashville (13)

19929 US-221, Marion, NC 28752, USA

(828) 756-4171

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40 Best Stops Between Charlotte and Nashville (14)

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Chimney Rock State Park

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State park

Outdoor Activities

This iconic rock offers wide-reaching panoramic views over the surrounding parkland.

It is a bit on the pricey side to get into the park but the views are really good. The road going up is pretty narrow so beware when you drive in and out of the park. Be extra careful if you have a large vehicle. There is an elevator to go almost all the way up to the main Chimney Rock portion. We did the hike up and rode the elevator down. The views from Pulpit Rock, Chimney Rock, the Opera Box, and Hickory Nut Falls were all beautiful. Overall it’s a great park to visit and do some moderate hiking. None of the trails that we were on were super strenuous but there are a lot of stairs in several places.

Jon H — Google review

Chimney Rock State Park was a wonderful experience. There were areas marked appropriately on trails and warning signs to prevent injury like ice patches. My husband and I walked 5 trails and enjoyed our visit. Areas that we would recommend some improvements on are that some road guard rails need repair, the gift shop would've been nice to be open even if it was a Sunday. There were enough visitors during our visit to justify having it open. Despite that the eatery was open, there were rangers directing traffic and at the gate. All staff were, pleasant and helpful. Even though there was a wait - about 30 minutes or so, the traffic kept moving along. I would recommend this visiting.

Maria Georgiou — Google review

So much to do here! I suggest going early in the morning to the top of chimney rock and then doing the sky trail before it gets too hot. Then take a break for lunch and don’t skip the waterfall trail. We loved this park! Our dogs couldn’t do all the stairs so we did the waterfall trail with them and dropped them off at the cabin. Your ticket allows you to leave the park and come back all day.

Ashley M — Google review

Beautiful place! We hiked for 4-5 hours and completed all trails here . We took the shuttle both ways to get all things done in time as we had only one day here . Well maintained park, clean restrooms, drinking water fountains , nice staffs , everything good .

Anu MahapatraGupta — Google review

Breathtaking views of the lake lure and its surrounding parklands from the Chimney rock and Devil’s head. Worth visiting and hiking all trails. You can park at the ground parking near ticket plaza ($17 each) and take a shuttle, it’s few minutes ride. To reach at the top, one can use tunnel to elevator (26 stories in 32 secs)or stairs (approx 20 mins), through stairs you can see Vista view, Subway, Grotto, Pulpit Rock, Crevice Pass. It was amazing to visit Opera Box, Devil’s Head, Exclamation trail, Skyline trail, Hickory nut falls trail, waterfall and the four season trail. All trails are intermediate, not long but has stairs. This park has outdoor classrooms, kids friendly trails, sky lounge, shelters, benches, restrooms, nice parking, gift shop etc. Staff is great and friendly. Exploring this park was really fun and stunning.

Chanchal — Google review

This was a beautiful place with easy to follow directions and maps. Workers were all very friendly and knowledgeable. There are AMAZING views, and the gifts shops and cafe is great. There is elevator access to those who may struggle with stairs. A lot of railings to make the walks feel safe. The waterfall was very pretty and easy to get to. Seems to be a good place for families as well, I don’t have kids myself but heard of a lot of activities and programs for smaller ones. I would definitely recommend.

Lane Hall — Google review

So proud of myself to have survived this walk. Although, you can use the elevator to go up the chimney rock but since we also brought the puppies, we opt to climb the stairs from the bottom all the way up to the falls view. The view is breathtaking. This would prob look much more beautiful if all the trees turned green. Overall, we recommend this place.

1Skash — Google review

Me and husband decided that we were not going to take the elevator and just hike all the way up. It was a fun experience but next time we will take the elevator so we can see the rest of the park. Once you make it to where the flag pole is your not going to want to hike up the rest of the way if you didn't take the elevator. There is also a bat cave but did hear or see any bats. There is also two views of a water fall but we only did the bottom view. We look forward to going back one day.

Papa's little Angel — Google review

Chimney Rock was so beautiful. The walking paths were clearly marked and wide enough in all the spots that I hiked. The park staff were all very kind and helpful. The animal exhibit was great for people of all ages, perfect for Boy Scouts or a Girl Scout Troop. I learned a lot! The bat cave was closed due to increased bat activity, but I would definitely come again to walk through the cave! Some of the outdoor animals near the animal discovery den were also removed so we didn’t get to see those. Otherwise a 10/10 experience!

Lily Tunstall — Google review

If you enjoy hiking and seeing the Mountain View’s then you will not want to miss chimney rock. There is plenty of parking , there is a fee to enter the park . There are waterfalls and also a elevator for anyone that might need assistance. There is a store at the top with plenty of seating, And restrooms that are very clean . It is a little strenuous on the legs walking up the stairs and there are a lot of stairs lol. But the views are well with the hike. There are also other trails you can walk after you finish the chimney.If you are in the area don’t miss this stop .

EDWARD QUINN — Google review

Beautiful park and very well-organized! There is an option to hike 28 floors up to the top which we did. If you choose to take the grotto road, then you will pass through a little cave which is fun! There is an elevator almost fully to the top of the Chimney rock and it is convinient if you travel with older folks or kids! Nice store with souvenirs too!!

Olga Barry — Google review

It’s been 20 years since I’ve stepped foot on Chimney Rock. The excitement and nostalgia returned immediately. What a beautiful planet we live on. My Fiance and son adored the park. We will definitely be returning again in the near future to do some more exploring. Highly recommend visiting if you’re in the area.

Damon Watford — Google review

Beautiful place!Make sure you arrive early so you can take plenty of pictures without many people because it does get crowded (9am)It has a souvenir store where they also have some snacks and ice cream.Tickets are around 17$ per adult.Pet friendly as well.Hiking to the waterfall is an easy one, even little kids can do that hike (of course with an adult supervision)

Laura Nj — Google review

Nice drive in. The road is very narrow so you have to be careful. There are some parts that only fit one car so you have to let the other car pass. We visited in December 23. It was very windy and cold. There's a gift shop where you park the car. There you can buy snacks, drinks, extra shirts and jackets if you needs it. The hike to the waterfall was 0.7 miles, took about 35 minutes. The waterfall was nice. The hike back was harder since we have to go upstairs while carrying a 35 lbs toddler.There's a elevator in the parking lot that takes you to up the mountain, that was nice. Right when you get off the elevator, there is a another gift shop. There they sell more souvenirs and food. The view was beautiful. Very windy so you have to watch your step. There also a flight of stairs if you wants to hike to the peak of the mountain. I love the views. There are a few others trail you can hike. You can also take your pet on the trails.It definitely worth the trip here.

Trini Dang — Google review

Cost is not bad for the adventure and views you get to see. They do offer a military discount (just show ID at entrance). Lots of stairs, HIGHLY suggest taking water for everyone to drink on the way up and down. They do offer an elevator as well, however today it was down. There’s even a bar cave and waterfall. Take your time going up and enjoy the view for a bit once you reach the top. I suggest going early as it’s less crowded. They open at 8:30am, we arrived around 9:30am and it wasn’t bad. It is HARD but there are plenty of resting spots when walking up. We spent about 2 hours there and as we left the parking lot was pretty full and there were tons of people. Don’t forget to check out the souvenir shop (one at the bottom and one at the top). Bottom store had more to look at I feel like. A MIST VISIT IF YOUR IN THE AREA!

Constance Jenkins — Google review

The admission fee for adults is $15, while children aged 5 to 15 can enter for $8. There are several trails to explore, some of which can be quite strenuous, so it’s important to assess your physical condition before attempting them. The area around Chimney Rock offers a variety of scenic spots with stunning and relaxing views. It’s an ideal destination for a family outing. On busy days, such as weekends and holidays, visitors will be directed to park and then take a shuttle to the elevator, which leads to the gift shop. From there, it’s just a short walk up the stairs to the top of Chimney Rock. On less busy days, visitors can drive directly to the parking lot near the elevator entrance. However, please note that to fully appreciate the view of Chimney Rock, you’ll need to climb many more stairs along the trails. Another must-see attraction is Hickory Nut Falls, which can be reached via a 1.4-mile round-trip hike of intermediate difficulty.

E Y — Google review

This is really a nice place and I would say it’s a must visit place. Once you will enter from bridge. You need to drive up about 2 miles until the park entrance. There is a ticket per person and not per car. Entry fees per Adult is $17 and $8 for the kids 5-12 years. There is no ticket required for the kids below 5. You can go on the top by elevator or by stairs. You should try both. Elevator is in the middle of the rock, you need to go in the tunnel to get the elevator. Whereas the view from stairs is amazing.

Andy D — Google review

Beautiful views of the surrounding area once you get to the top.I suggest going when they open to get the full experience without all the people about.The hike to the lower water fall was an easy one at just about 1.5 miles out and back.Be prepared for steps if you journey around the chimney rock park, there are many many of them.

Jonathan Wyatt (Jon) — Google review

Great place and an iconic landmark, well worth a visit.The hikes are accessible to every level of trekking experience, the view from top of Chimney Rock is stunning.Hickory Nuts Forest Falls deserve a visit, especially when the sun starts to light the falls with some awesome light effects.Enjoyed it very much!

SIMONE PIETRO SARAGOSA — Google review

An incredible place to visit! We went during Christmas break, there were a lot of people there, all ages from babies to elderly. The park was running a shuttle (busses) which is included in your admission (don't have to pay extra) to bring people up to the upper parking lot. From there you can choose to take an elevator to the top or take the stairs, which are a relatively easy climb. The stairs are almost a feature in and of themselves because the construction is so sturdy and well done, it's an impressive structure. You could spe d all day here hiking and climbing or you could make a quick trip to the top and be in and out of the park in an hour. There's a couple of cute gift shops with water and food if you are hungry. Also the entrance is conveniently located in downtown Lake Lure. Drive onto the state park's property and take the road up to the entrance parking lots. Views are spectacular.

Jennifer Bennett — Google review

The views here are breathtaking. The trail to chimney rock is relatively steep the map estimates roughly 500 steps you will climb. Thankfully for those who can’t make it up but still want to enjoy the view, they have an elevator! Hiking to the waterfall was very easy, almost completely flat and well maintained. The waterfall was beautiful!Keep in mind some parts of trails can be closed to weather such as ice and wind. Overall I’d say it was worth the cost to visit at least once! (Kids will love it here!)

Polariss Star — Google review

Great hike. The elevator was not working so had a even longer hike. Whole lot of stairs and exercise but worth it for the views. Has a nice place near top for food and gift shop with a few tables

jeff gorelli — Google review

Good place to bring the family for some outdoor adventures. We did a lot of hiking prior to go up to Chimney Rock, so the elevator was awesome for little tired legs. Parking can be rough, guides do the best they can. Be kind, be patient!

Dirty Mike & The Boys — Google review

The park is beautiful. Wear comfortable clothes, good hiking shoes and bring plenty of water. We visited during Labor Day weekend and there were record numbers of visitors that day. The wait in line for the elevator to the top was almost an hour but you can also climb the stairs to the top. Definitely worth the visit.

Melanie Nichols — Google review

I really loved this place. The drive up was nice. There is an elevator for people who don't want to take the stairs. There are A LOT of stairs but it's a good workout. The view from the flag was beautiful but you can keep going up and there is a pretty trail on top of the mountain that goes for a mile at least to a waterfall.

Christian holland — Google review

Amazing experience to see the beauty of the NC mountains! Make sure you go on a beautiful day! Nice easy elevator if need to get up quick!!

Evan Kaltschmidt — Google review

4.8

(8612)40 Best Stops Between Charlotte and Nashville (19)

4.5

(2629)40 Best Stops Between Charlotte and Nashville (20)

431 Main St, Chimney Rock, NC 28720, USA

(828) 625-9611

4

Paris Mountain State Park

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State park

Nature & Parks

Park

Paris Mountain State Park is a tranquil and picturesque destination located on a mountaintop. The park offers extensive hiking and biking trails, as well as canoe and kayak rentals. It features numerous campsites for visitors to enjoy the natural beauty of the area. Additionally, there is a swimming area with a small beach, rental paddle boats, and plenty of picnic tables equipped with BBQ grills. The park boasts clean bathroom facilities along with an adorable gift shop and free little library for visitors' convenience.

Great experience, accessible trails, pretty scenery.Everything was well maintained, and they even had fishing poles and tackle in the visitor's center you can use for free.We took the trail around the lake, and it was very easy to walk, with lots to see. I really loved the dam and the bridges. There is so much to do here I will definitely be coming back.

Abigail Korfmann — Google review

What a wonderful park! I stayed in the campground for 5 days, didn't have a chance to do much exploring as I was visiting family, but I will def be back. There are numerous trails for pedestrians and cyclists. A gorgeous lake for swimming and boating. There is a designated swimming area that is quite small and not very deep, but still refreshing and plenty of fun. The beach is not accessible, there are a bunch of stairs and no ramp, although it's possible I missed it. The lake had free lifejackets folks could use and pedal boat and kayaks for rent.

N Zen — Google review

Absolute amazing state park! Wonderful walking trails, swimming, kayaking, fishing, and paddle boating. Loved the tree canopy trail around the lake and loved being able to get an up close look at the dam. Downloaded the Agent of Discovery app and did the challenge for the park. Lots of picnic areas and a playground

Kelly Dale — Google review

We had a lot of fun at this State Park. The park staff was very accommodating. The other visitors were friendly and generally in good spirits. There were many hiking trail options and other activities to partake in, such as swimming, paddle boating or watching the free concert at the outdoor amphitheater. They also offer at least one location in which an electric vehicle can be charged for free. Would recommend!

Michael Burggraf — Google review

Great #StatePark located in Greenville, SC. It’s 6.1 miles from downtown Greenville. Very nice park but the drive to the park is not warm, fuzzy, scenic or relaxing (lol). It was a beautiful, glorious day and Park was very busy. Lake Placid is picturesque— and there’s a small beach 🏖️ for swimming. Hiked a few trails and meandered around the place. Wonderful old shade trees and beautiful foliage everywhere. Met a lot of nice people, too. Paris Mountain is a very beautiful, family oriented clean and well maintained state park.#SCStateParks#NeverStopExploring🥾#SupportStateParks#HappyPlaces❤️

Debbie Anderson — Google review

This park is absolutely gorgeous. It's near the top of the mountain. It's $6 a person. They are open from 8am-8pm. We went at 7:30pm. We spent 90% of our time at Lake Placid because it was just beautiful. The water fall was fantastic. There is a horse ranch just outside the property line which is visible from the lake. The house is amazing. There is a nice gift shop at the park as well. This a great park for taking a relaxing walk or reading.I very seriously recommend this park.

Robert Mueller — Google review

Well maintained park with more than 15 miles of hiking/running/bike trails. Good mix of difficulty levels. Great views and mountain lakes. Bathrooms throughout the park. Don't forget to visit the park center for some history on the park and souvenirs.

Chris Berube — Google review

I visited Paris Mountain State Park because my son was running a trail race there. Just a few minutes from downtown Greenville, Paris Mountain State Park is a peaceful escape from city life in a beautiful natural environment. There is much to do here: hiking, swimming, trail biking, picnicking, camping, and boating. There are also playgrounds for children. The bathrooms were clean and stocked. Paris Mountain is a great place to get away and enjoy the great outdoors!

Greg Squyres — Google review

This is a wonderful spot to hike and get some fresh air. Sever hiking options including a short one around the lake. Very easy trail. They have others that are longer and more intense. Overall this is an awesome park.

Wade Williams — Google review

The park is really great, very calming and quiet to walk through! If you have a bike, the trails are awesome. And if you are worried about hiking with bikes on the trails, bikes aren't allowed on Saturdays, and there are hiker-specific trails. Lots of places for picnics as well! Restrooms were clean and well maintained.

Caleb Ellis — Google review

Quiet and serene beautiful park. Swimming area with a little beach, rental paddle boats, plenty of picnic tables and bbq grills. Clean bathrooms, cute little gift shop and free little library.

Christa La Capra — Google review

Beautiful park. It has many different trails. You can challenge yourself. Some of the paths are for only people walking. Other treks you share with mountain bikers. Personally, the trails were too busy for me. I constantly had to stop to let bikers pass me. Overall an excellent adventure.

Maritza Magallanes — Google review

I got married here back in 2018 at The Lodge at Camp Buckhorn and it was absolutely beautiful. I was one of the first people to get married here. It was so cheap too!! You get the wedding venue, and the 10 cabins for the entire weekend. There’s also a big fire pit everyone can sit around and enjoy. If you are looking to save money but have the wedding of your dreams this is definitely the place to have it! There are bathrooms and showers for anyone that stays overnight. This venue is about 10 minutes from the main entrance of Paris Mountain so you can be as loud as you want to lol They do provide chairs and tables if you want to use what they have. This place has a lot to offer and the possibilities are endless when it comes to decorating etc. I tell everyone to get married here. It was so nice to be able to enjoy the wedding and spend time with everyone for the entire weekend and not feel rushed. We had a big wedding so whether you are having a big wedding or a small wedding you can make this place work. We had plenty of room for everyone inside and the DJ. Most wedding venues this size are about $5,000 or more for just a day or a few hours. This was half the cost and you got it for the entire weekend. Anytime I had a question or concern the park staff were always eager to help in any way. The money that they get for the wedding venue also goes towards the park for renovations etc which I saw first hand. You can’t beat the price or the experience that comes with this place! Everyone loved this venue!!!

Laura Simmerson — Google review

So even if you are just starting to get your health in line, this is the perfect place to start. They have flat east hikes, some that require some hills and ones that made me think I needed to call Sky Med for a lift. 😂. It is beautiful, lots of trees and shade, plenty of parking. Make sure to bring snacks and water. I see bikers but frankly the roads are too tight for me to be on a bike. Even w a full size truck, you have to pull off a bit when there is a vehicle coming the other direction. It is definitely worth getting an annual pass.

Susu Pitkin — Google review

Great place for the family! We completed the blue trail. My 13, 8, and 6 year old kids made it with ease under that 1.5 hr timeline. Please leave it better than you found it. We bring bags and pick up trash to pay it forward to those not as considerate. Thank you for taking the time to read my review.

Troy Powell — Google review

Short visit to check out the environs. It is a lovely park with nice warm-season amenities.The park office/gift ship has a few exhibits focused on the creation of the park by the CCC and the nature found in the area.A good selection of short trails of varying degrees of difficulty but longer hikes can be accomplished by linking a few together.Mountain biking is popular here, but some trails are designed for hikers only. Pay attention to the trail map if biking.The camp grounds looked more than adequate for those with tents or small camper rigs. Larger rigs are not really suited for this park.The picnic grounds are very nice with shelters, bathrooms, etc. Reservations may be needed in high season to ensure a space for groups.Its proximity to Greenville makes it a very easy day trip for residents.

Insight Services — Google review

Beautiful park with many hiking trails that are well suited for a 1 to 3 hour walk. Saw lots of happy dogs on the trails; they were required to be on a leash. A few of the trails were compatible with mountain bikes.

Mike Pullon — Google review

Trails are easy to follow. Multiple shelter locations spaced far apart. Bathrooms are very clean (low season, visited in mid March). Will visit again if in the area.

L B — Google review

Paris Mountain SP is a hiker and mountain biker dream. There are many trails of varying difficulty covering over 15 miles. The park itself is one of the smaller parks in the state system but has lots to offer.The campground area is tight to maneuver with narrow roads and some sharp turns. The camp sites are well spaced out so you have plenty of room without being on top of your neighbor but there is limited parking space. It was hard for us to park our tow vehicle and second vehicle in the space. The parking pads were well maintained and the hookups were in good condition with no problems. Water pressure was average. Despite the website stating the campsites are level, there is a decent amount of grade so bring plenty of leveling blocks, especially for your front jack, mine was extended to it's maximum in order to detach from the truck with a 4x4 block under it. The camp area is VERY wooded with a full canopy. It's amazing how full the canopy and when we left the park it seemed 50% brighter!The roads in the park are narrow, barely wide enough for two cars and with the many twists and turns it can be challenging for long campers to navigate. The shoulder is at least 4-6 drop off the paved road if you get too close when trying to get over for oncoming traffic.The restrooms were clean and well maintained. The shower facilities were setup well with a solid wooded swing door on the outside with a chain lock. The shower had its own curtain. Although tight, it was typical and functional. Water pressure was decent and water was warm (not hot).The campground is a short .5 mile hike, either by road or trail, to the park store/ranger station which is right on Lake Placid. The store has limited supplies and gifts but is well maintained and has an interpretive area with lots of information about the history of the park. Along the lake is a nice beach area with various wooden loungers. There is a roped off swimming area. The water was very clear. There is a rental shop for kayaks and pedal boats that rent for $5/30 minutes. The rental includes the life jacket. There is also a stand of free loaner jackets for the swim area. At the opposite side of the lake is a dam/spillway that is picturesque and peaceful to listen to and observe. Across the street from the store is a large parking area with a huge open field with a volleyball net and playground.The trails are in great condition and are well marked and well traveled. Bring good hiking boots and you'll be set! Trails are Easy, Moderate, and Strenuous difficulties. One of the trails leads to an outdoor amphitheater. There was a live band playing while we were there with more planned for the month. There were also several bike repair stations located throughout the park. There is a lot of natural beauty on the trails with various wildlife and interesting rock formations.While I'm not sure I'd go camp for camping due to the tight roads and smallish campsite, I would definitely go back for a day visit to hike more trails and enjoy the beauty of the park.

Kent Meyer — Google review

This is a beautiful park! The trails are awesome! Take your pick on terrain, easy to intermediate! You can walk around the lake too!

Nicole Couch — Google review

A great little place not far from Greenville, South Carolina. The hike around the lake was nice and relaxing. It looks like they have plenty of activities in warmer months with a beach, kayaks, and more. It makes me a but jealous that we don't have it more where we live. Also, we hear a strange howl (definitely not a dog or coyote) that responded to the distant train. I'm not sure what it was, but the nature center and gift shop might have had the answer.

Kenyon Henry — Google review

4.7

(3399)40 Best Stops Between Charlotte and Nashville (25)

4.5

(427)40 Best Stops Between Charlotte and Nashville (26)

2401 State Park Rd, Greenville, SC 29609, USA

(864) 244-5565

5

Navitat Canopy Adventures

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Adventure sports

Tours

Attraction offering guided zipline tours through the forested terrain of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Kole and Paxton were responsible, chill, quirky, and knowledgeable. Any questions we asked they had a thoughtful answer for us. We felt very safe and free. The hiking portion was enjoyable because they would stop to show us things in nature giving us a breather and knowledge to take home with us! I highly recommend doing the mountain top tour!

Emma Choplin — Google review

My family and I had a wonderful time doing the Treetop Tour. Kat and Tate we fantastic tour guides. They showed us edible leaves, shared stories from the property’s history, but it didn’t feel like they were performing. It felt like just a conversation with friends while doing a really cool activity on tree platforms where woodland elves live. The views were stunning. We will be back to do the Mountaintop Tour.

kasey hayes — Google review

We had an amazing experience with the mountaintop zip line adventure.You walk to three different platforms, the guides give plenty of time to rest as you hike to increased elevations, and they give history of the land and plants along the way.We had River and Spice as our guides and highly recommend them. They were engaging, funny and very professional at the same time as they adhered to all safety standards and made sure each of us was clipped in and secure at each launch point.We had a wonderful time and would do it again!Highly recommend

Marla Darius — Google review

River and Willy were our guides for my wife and I anniversary celebration and let’s just say they definitely earned a great review. They were friendly and personable and made our special day all the more enjoyable. They even spared us from being attacked by a copperhead. Willy was being extremely cautious as he pushed the little feller off the beaten path. Needless to say they were awesome Tour guides!!! Will definitely go back again!!!

Charles Simpson — Google review

We had a fantastic time on our zipline tour! Even with wind gusts and rain we had a blast! John and River were excellent guides and were very personable. If we are ever back in the area we would definitely come again!

Emily Palus — Google review

Sydney and Nathan provided us with a great experience. I've never been zip lining and had no plans to ever do it because of my fear of heights but decided to join my kids. They made me feel at ease with their professionalism and their chill personalities. Zip lining here was amazing. The views are breath taking. I would do it again.

Christine Cam — Google review

We couldn’t have asked for a better experience for the treetop tour. . Antonio and Alex were amazing guides. They helped my son to take on his fear when he got to the first zip line . Alex and Antonio were so mindful of everyone in the group. They were obviously very knowledgeable and skilled at taking people through the zip lines . My kids can’t wait to go back and do the mountaintop tour. I would recommend the tour to anyone looking to have a great zip line experience.

Tracey Cavey — Google review

We did not the tree top canopy tour -- six zips of varying lengths through the tree tunnels and crisscrossing across the gorge. Beautiful scenery. Well worth pushing the comfort boundaries high up the hillside. Our guides, Alex and Greg were wonderful -- patient and expert, with knowledge of the foliage and the terrain. The body harnesses make for super-safe zipping -- anyone over 70 lbs, and even great for adventurous grandparents. No climbing involved, just a short hike at the end.

Laura Doto — Google review

I visited Navitat this October and it was an incredibly fun experience. Our guides, Willy and Leap, made us all feel safe and excited to try the ziplines. Their knowledge of the flora of the area and property's history enriched the experience and made us feel connected to our surroundings. Overall it was an extremely well ran operation with breathtaking views and exhilarating rides! I am looking forward to bringing my family back to visit in the future.

Parker Vidmar — Google review

Amazing experience! The views are amazing! The hike up is worth it. Our guides were Alex and Ilze and they were fantastic! So many great dad jokes and nature facts along the way. Would highly recommend. My parents did the atv tour so they could watch us and they had a great time with their guide, Willy.

Monica Cox — Google review

We had an absolute blast!! My wife was a bit anxious before and our guides John and Alex were phenomenal with talking her through the process and calming her! They were both fun and engaging throughout the entire process from check in to exiting the experience. Would give them 10 stars if I could!

Nathan Darko — Google review

Awesome experience! Blue and Victoria were great. We went with a group of 6 and everyone had a blast! We will definitely be going back to do the treetop zip.With they had a food truck for afterwards but fantastic experience overall and already looking forward to our next adventure!

Justin Chew — Google review

12/10 recommend! Absolutely awesome experience and felt completely safe the entire time! Our guides, Leap and Willy-D were super knowledgeable and fun to hang around too! The drive up the mountain side was so relaxing too! Our driver, Alex, took great care to cruise gently along the well maintained, beautiful trail. Couldn’t have had better guides! If you’re here for a day, or a week, this place is a MUST!

Steven Davis — Google review

We went on a Saturday around 1:10 and did the mountain top tour with JD and Tate - they were such great guides and had some pretty good dad jokes along the way. Definitely felt very safe and the views were very pretty! I’ve done a few zip lines before above the smokies and I do wish there was a little bit more thrill or maybe a few more zip lines, there was only 3, but the guides and the pictures definitely made the experience! Thank you! :)

Cheyenne Raker — Google review

Our guides Greg and Victoria were nothing but amazing, and It's always great to see people who are passionate about their job and obviously love what they do! We had a fantastic time ziplining with them and learning about the local area. My group still talks about the bus ride up the mountain that I can best describe as a wild mystery machine experience. Sadly I didn't get the drivers name but 11/10 would ride again. We had a great time and are looking forward to coming back :)

Lauren Koerner — Google review

Amazing mountaintop ziplining during peak leaf changing! Although there were only three zips, they were all super long, fast, high up, and fun. Spectacular views of the Blue Ridge Mountains during the autumn leaves gorgeousness. It was also nice to ride simultaneously, as they have two side by side zips. Our guides were great, and Navitat was very well organized and had a clean indoor area with restrooms, and hammock chairs outside while we waited for our tour. The only part I wasn't a fan of was the van ride up - extremely bumpy and the driver was blasting rock music. Some might enjoy this though as part of the adventure.

Tara Clapper — Google review

This couldn’t have been any better! Everyone did a great job and we loved it! My wife and I are going but I have a bad ankle and my wife has a bad back, we had no problems zip lining!!! It was a nice little hike but not too hard or intense. Our guides were Naomi, Gus, and McKenzie and they were all fantastic! They were funny and made sure we felt safe and had fun. I will do this every time we come to Asheville from now on.If you are on the fence about it, just do it! You will not regret it. My wife was a little nervous but after the first zip line, we were good and almost running up the mountain to the next one!

Austin Marcus — Google review

Awesome time!! Don’t think twice, just book it and go. Greg & Alex were our guides and they were the best! We felt like pros at the end of the day thanks to how informative and friendly they were. Beautiful and well set up place. Our next trip to Asheville will include another visit from the Farmer family. Thank you guys to a memorable trip!

Kazie Farmer — Google review

My friends and I were visiting Asheville for spring break and zip lining was on our bucket list and needless to say this place blew us away. Absolutely beautiful location and the most welcoming and friendly and fun staff. It was $125 each which I think was totally worth it. There were three of us in total including me and we did the mountaintop tour. We were luckily that it was just us three on the tour so we were able to get to know the tour guides, John and Victoria, a lot better. Shout out to them because they made us laugh the entire time and gave us great suggestions for restaurants and other places to visit during our stay in Asheville. I had so much fun bantering with them that I forgot to be afraid of heights lol. They did all the harness and securing stuff for us during the tour which made me feel a lot safer and they made sure to get really great photos with of our group together which we bought for around $30 for 26 pictures I believe. The views were extraordinary and breathtaking and the speeds of the zip line left our group speechless. I will say it was freezing cold so dress warm in March but the little bit of hiking warmed us up. Thank you to John and Victoria again!! Y’all were awesome.

Nicole Zani — Google review

Emerson and Jules were amazing guides! They were funny, but informative and very nice to hang out with! The views were amazing and I felt very safe the whole time! I also love the games/hammocks where you can hangout before your tour! We enjoyed celebrating my mom’s birthday here!

MaKenna Lewis — Google review

Our group had the best time! The entire staff were outstanding and helpful. Our guides were Riah and Cat. Highly recommend requesting these two for a fun and safe trip!! The views and experience were well worth it and great for all ages. If you’re looking for an amazing adventure this is the place for you!

Jenny Woods — Google review

We had a fantastic experience, our family including teenagers loved zipping with Navitat! We did the mountaintop tour. The courses were well designed, with what I feel the right amount of thrill still allowing for enough relaxation to admire the beautiful mountain views. Their equipment appeared to be very well maintained. The tour was organized well. Staff was professional, polite and helpful - they maintained an atmosphere of safety, provided great information during the hike and added some good humor to make the tour even more fun.

Christina K — Google review

5.0

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5.0

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242 Poverty Branch Rd, Barnardsville, NC 28709, USA

(828) 626-3700

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6

Southern Highland Craft Guild, Folk Art Center

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Art center

Museums

The Folk Art Center and Southern Highland Craft Guild is a place where you can see art from local and regional craft artists, as well as purchase unique gifts. It's located off the Blue Ridge Parkway in Asheville, North Carolina.

We stop here every single time we are in Asheville. Throughout the years we’ve bought platters, clocks, lamps. It’s a treasure. There is always an artist in house doing their craft/art. Lovely museum, store, and art gallery

RobertsMom NC — Google review

Excellent craft and gift store. Over 400 artist show and sell their work at the Guild. Special events like glass blowing. Call or check website for times. This is also the oldest craft store in the U.S. Take a ride on the Blue Ridge Parkway afterwards!

Athena Reel — Google review

This place was beautifully maintained with a lot to see. The gift shop was huge and stocked with art from all kinds of mediums from local artists and craftspeople. The prices were so fair too. I loved seeing the quilts and the pottery. Such a great stop!

Julie Zerk — Google review

My first stop while driving on the Blue Ridge Parkway.First impression: very pretty stop with lots of trees (it's Asheville, duh) and lots of parking. You can even have stop here to have lunch (prepare a quick meal in advance) - they have some picnic tables in the parking lot.If you want a map of the Blue Ridge Parkway, you can ask the cashier for a free map.The store has many interesting crafts like bugs made out of beer bottle caps and pins, tiny little vases, handmade christmas ornaments, etc. You can find all sort of things here and they are good quality stuff. However, they are on the pricey end. One of the ornaments I saw was $115 and a (handmade, one of a kind, pretty) jacket was $900 (it's really nine hundred, I didn't add a 0 by accident).I didn't walk the whole museum because I didn't know there was more. Will do next time.

Ngan Nguyen — Google review

I loved walking through the craft market! They have their displays on the second floor, and the bottom floor is where you can purchase crafts from various artists. Many of the pieces were well out of my price range, but it was still nice to look at everything. The store on the bottom floor has cheaper souvenirs like stickers, CDs, and postcards.

Tawni Lamb — Google review

A nice break from the heat with beautiful artwork to look at and to purchase, although expensive and for good reason.There were neat displays and even a local artist demonstration. A gift shop as well. My 13 year old even enjoyed it.It’s easy to get to right off the parkway. Signs are easy to follow. I’m terrible with directions and I was able to find it easily without maps.

Katie Alexander — Google review

Pulled in to just use the bathroom, ended up spending a good hour plus here (outside of the bathroom). So many cool things to look at! My wife and I do some woodworking and we took lots of pictures for inspiration for future projects to make. Really great spot to stop and look around. We’ll definitely stop again on our next trip and will give ourselves enough time to really explore and enjoy.

Brady Howe — Google review

Amazing art works from all types of craftsmanship. Great to see with the eyes as every piece is very valuable. Everything is displayed well and o much to see. Be careful if u have a touchy toddler, lol. Came here for a stamp cancelation. Lots of people came with their dogs to hike in the area. Parking is great.

GiGi Fuentes — Google review

So amazing. It smelled good and I felt so comfortable in there. The museum was quiet and the gift shop items were so beautifully made. I love how the museum exhibit items had booklets near most of them explaining the process or showing us more detail. All I want in a museum! Next is let me live here.

Katrina Ostrom — Google review

It's a hopping place on a Saturday! I happened upon "clay day" with potters of all different kinds, plus a glass blower out front that looks like he's more permanent. There's all manner of potter, fabric, quilts, clothes, jewelry and tons more for sale and to look at. Upstairs is a fancier gallery and some of that is for sale as well. It's a really interesting stop.

Sara Beth Wade — Google review

We always love to hike around the folk art center when in the Asheville area.The art/craft center is a gem, with amazing local art and beautiful furniture/home good pieces.

Kaitlin Talbot — Google review

Enjoyed seeing the art and the historical information. Beautiful place and beautiful work.

M. Mills — Google review

4.7

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4.5

(1429)40 Best Stops Between Charlotte and Nashville (47)

382 Blue Rdg Pkwy, Asheville, NC 28805, USA

(828) 298-7928

7

USA Raft Adventure Resort

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Adventure sports center

Tours

USA Raft Adventure Resort offers a thrilling experience on the Nolichucky Gorge with expert guides like Walker and Loren. The Lower Nolichucky trip provides a different but fun adventure, with a beautiful primitive campground at Red Banks take out. The friendly and helpful staff, including Dale and Riff, make for an enjoyable stay in accommodations like the Love Shack. While Take Out and One Love were closed during this visit, guests can bring their own supplies for next time.

We love this place. We try to visit 2-3x a year. Bathrooms/showers are clean. The Take out bar and grill was a great additive. We’ve camped in regular tents and the Bell tent.

Ashley Price — Google review

My wife and I were in town for our anniversary and looking for something exciting to do. The spelunking adventure into Worley's Cave was AWESOME! Andy and Miranda (our guides) were knowledgeable, personable, funny, and so patient during our excursion. We were with another group who had smaller kids and they took their time to pause to point out cave-dwelling wildlife, rock formations, and were mindful of what crystalline formations were still growing to look at but not touch! Fantastic experience - highly recommend!

Matt Anthony — Google review

Our group had a blast on the half day rafting trip through the gorge. It was SO beautiful, and exciting to navigate the class 3 and 4 rapids. Elliott was our guide and he was the master of the water and the dad jokes - very knowledgeable and entertaining. The location is perfect - convenient to the highway etc. We loved the resort too - so much that we came back the following weekend for the Dog Days festival. This will be at the top of our list to refer to our friends. Thank you!

Brooke Melendi — Google review

I was charged with criminal trespassing for showing up on their property after getting my property back from my ex-boyfriend at the Nolichucky River Gorge Campground. Avoid going here. They just want your money and do not care about relationships or the truth. I am not a thief.

Cat Walsh — Google review

We stayed at the resort for two nights. Dale, Riff and the rest of the staff that we interacted with were friendly and helpful. We loved staying in the Love Shack. We were there on Monday and Tuesday night, so the Take Out and One Love were not open. We brought our own and will check that the next time we are there.We went rafting on the Nolichucky Gorge with USA Raft during our stay. Our guide, Walker, was fantastic. He is a real pro on the river. He and trip leader Loren made the trip exciting and fun. We will definitely go again.We also floated the Lower Nolichucky a couple of times while there. That is a different but fun trip. The Red Banks take out has a nice beach and is a beautiful primative campground.

Benjamin Smith — Google review

Had the best time rafting down the river with USA Rafting! Will was a great guide and got along great with our group! Absolutely loved all the corny jokes he told and how much history he knew of the River. 10/10 would recommend USA rafting! Hope to come back soon!

Brooklyn Newman — Google review

Was a great time. My sister had never gone rafting before so we decided on the half day. Had a great time and the scenery was gorgeous. Great for all skill levels and the staff was extremely nice and friendly! Definitely would recommend.

Jennifer Behl — Google review

We had an amazing time with USA Raft..A group of us stayed in the Crockett Cabin. The cabin was HUGE..it was great for covid..we all had our separate places and one main area. We spent most of our time outside enjoying the river, fishing, swimming, and tubing…we missed out on the rafting but that’s just an excuse to come back. The communal bathrooms were cleaned and stocked from tampons to hand towels, soap and more…Everything was always fully stocked and clean. We went during SOL Jam…so it was pretty packed. They made everyone comfortable with all things covid. It really was more than I expected in every way. The food was great, the people were great and the music was great. A truly wonderful experience for us all.. We love the Band Sol Driven Train and we hope to come back and see them and USA Raft again next year. Thank you, for sharing your little piece of heaven with us and all your accommodations, recommendations and making us all feel so welcomed.

Kelly Stahulak — Google review

We took a wrong turn coming off the AT trail after hiking 18 miles (the sign with showers and several amnenities got us overly-excited!) and ended up at the USA Rafting Adventure Resort. We were confused and asked for directions and guidance of how to get to Uncle Johnny's Hostel in the main store. They misled us by saying it was far away and telling us there was no real downtown area in Erwin (which we knew was false information) presumably to encourage us to stay there (their cabin rates started at $165). An off-duty staff member offered us a lift (all of 1 mile) for $10 and left us waiting for 20 minutes for him to return and he never showed up. We ended up just hiking the extra mile to Uncle Johnny's. It was confirmed that this facility often mislead and attempt to appeal to the hiking community but doing so by spreading false information is really dishonest and dissapointing.

Virginia Isaharov — Google review

Great location, great people. Horrible management.The manager, Tiffany, was rude and condescending. When I finally asked her to stop interrupting me, she yelled “OH, YOU’RE CUTE talking to me like that…” And it only got worse from there.It only takes one person to make the entire establishment look bad. Which is awful considering everyone else was really friendly, accommodating and seemed like very nice people.The Tiny House was fine as long as you can use the patio and deck area. For $285 I would have expected a few things to be nicer. For example: the cob webs along the AC unit, bleach stained shower curtain covering up a rusty water heater. The tent had 3 of its feet screwed in but one came loose and in the wind was slamming down and quite noisy!The interior was not made for lounging. The amazing view was blocked by a full sized refrigerator and countertop grille backed by a trellis. The end of the bed and corner of the room were the only places to sit and see the River from inside unless we were standing and as it was too cold to stay outside for long, that’s all we got! During great weather I bet this spot is great but great weather it was not!We never found the wifi, not in the in-room notebook which would be logical. Finally upon checking out, we saw a plaque in front of the office.Note to staff:-When cold weather is coming, don’t make the client have to call for another space heater or extra blankets. Have it in the unit for them.-Let people speak and if they want $15 worth of tubing passes for the summertime so you might redeem yourselves as a location worth peoples money and time, listen to them instead of manipulating and condescending!

Jenn Criss — Google review

My partner and I have done the Nolichucky half-day trip twice now. This isn't a technical raft, but there are plenty of fun, splashy rapids. The aspect that keeps us coming back--and we'll be back again--is the scenery. For all of the 8.5 mi downriver, you're surrounded by verdant Appalachian mountainsides. A little-used train track traces a line along the south riverbank. Two-thirds of the way through, you are rewarded with a beautiful stretch of rocky cliffs on the north riverbank. Overall, very fun and tough to beat as a tour to this pretty portion of the Appalachians.Our last guide, Ashley, was outstanding.

Ian Mc Dowell — Google review

First time out with USA Raft and was very impressed. Had a fantastic trip down the Nolichucky with Trip Leader Loren (sp?). He was very knowledgeable about the area, and had amazing control of our raft, such that we actually had to do very little paddling relative to other trips we've been on. His safety briefing was serious but also humorous. We will definitely be going back and requesting Loren as our guide.

Jim Applegate — Google review

We went white water rafting last Friday just before heading back home to FL. Walker was our guide and he was outstanding! Great personality and a Super Guide. We all had an amazing time. This river is now in the top of our favorites. Great white water rapids! The only downside was no pics....y'all need to get those back.

Heather DeBolt — Google review

Stayed in cabin for the weekend. Clean and comfortable. Bar/grill was awesome so we didn't have to leave the resort for food, staff was extra nice. The music (both live and recorded) was great. The overall atmosphere of the resort was so relaxing and of course beautiful being next to the river. We hope to do it again in the future.

Margaret Hauser — Google review

USA Raft is truly an amazing place. I can’t express in words how beautiful the Nolichuky Gorge is. You must float the river and experience it yourself. Danny was our guide, his knowledge on the history of the area, the flora & fauna made the trip that much more special. His paddling skills were amazing, he could certainly pick a line!The campground at USA Raft is awesome as well, the Take Out Bar has a great beer selection and good bar food. You might get lucky with good music on the small or large stage!I can’t say enough about this Mountain Gem!Thanks for a wonderful weekend!Rhys

Rhys Chittick — Google review

Wow! Such an amazing experience staying and rafting with my family! We were able to take our 5 and 6 year old kids on the Nolichucky river and Bobby was an incredible guide. Able to give us a taste of adventure without being too scary for the kids. Cannot wait to come back and go again! The Loft cabin was such a perfect and refreshing place to crash after a day of hiking, rafting, and playing in the river. Highly recommend.

Amber Featherston — Google review

This is my second opportunity to stay here, and I love all the changes (additions) that have been made to include Red Banks, the bar, disc golf and more. Matt Moses and his team are amazing, friendly, and create that “family” vibe. You won’t be disappointed with a stay here, even if you just enjoy the outdoors and sound of the River.

Shawn Schwantes — Google review

4.8

(312)40 Best Stops Between Charlotte and Nashville (52)

5.0

(887)40 Best Stops Between Charlotte and Nashville (53)

2 Jones Branch Rd, Erwin, TN 37650, USA

(800) 872-7238

8

DuPont State Recreational Forest

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National forest

Nature & Parks

Massive nature preserve featuring mountains, waterfalls, lakes, seasonal hunting & hiking trails.

Wanted to hike while staying in Fletcher when I came across this recommendation. Totally loved it!! Very nice trails. Beautiful waterfalls. Everything well marked. Not too long of trails plus, they all connect. I would definitely 1000% come back here next time I'm in the area.

Bethzaida Cohen — Google review

Extremely easy trail, at least for me. Definitely go early in the morning. We arrived there at 8 am and we had lots of parking available but once 9am to 10 am starts, the space definitely gets filled in. I recommend coming around 7:30 am to 8 am. The roads are mostly gravel and parts of the trails are very wide which is nice for groups of people. Our sheltie was pretty good, not too tired so definitely pet friendly! The most beautiful waterfall for us was high falls. Highly recommend this trail!

Peter Miral — Google review

Beautiful state forest with gorgeous waterfalls! Most of the hikes are pretty quick and easy. The hike to Triple Falls was a little steep towards the end but nothing too bad. I saw lots of elderly people doing this hike so you absolutely can do it, just take little breaks😊

Crystal Temple — Google review

What a beautiful place to spend a weekend, and gorgeous falls all around to visit and take pictures! The trails allowed for our pack llamas, and hosted our pack trials this year. We were able to see horses, and the trails were perfect for all levels of hikers and bikers. The roads were easily accessed, and well-maintained, the welcome center was helpful, and the rangers were courteous and attentive. I would 100% refer anyone to visit here who enjoys the outdoors!

Jessica Hudler — Google review

Such a beautiful place! Saw three different waterfalls all in one hike. We also went back early morning the next day just so we could catch the sunrise and have this place all to ourselves. There are unmarked access trails that will get you up close to each waterfall. Definitely a must see if you are near this area.

Ryan Costello — Google review

This is a beautiful area with lots of outdoor activities...hiking, biking, driving those unpaved state roads and admiring those gorgeous waterfalls. Be careful this time of year because the snakes are out! They blend so well into the leaves.

Melinda King — Google review

This is such a great place, took 3 of my kids ages 8, 12 and 15. They loved the view. When pulling in off the main road the parking lot will be on your left. It is a one way circle. The area to the trail is not marked well. If you head straight back if your looking at the information sign and then turn left when you hit the dirt road/ large open trail. It’s down hill to the falls. Easy grade. It’s a little bit of a walk, if you go in the summer please bring water as it will be humid. When the trail came to a end you can go right to see the lower part of the falls or left to see the upper part. We stayed in the left and it was so worth it!! The falls are gorgeous and you can see the top of the lower falls from this point too.Please watch your kids and don’t let them wade in the water as it would be easy to slip and it could be too late to catch them. Unfortunately there were some people who were letting their kids swim despite signs that say not to.I suggest getting there early in the morning as when we were leaving around 10/1030 the parking lot was full.If you need restrooms: before you turn right out of the parking lot to head back on the main road you will want to turn left. Head down the road until you see a log cabin on the left and the restrooms are behind that. No one was there and it was such a pretty place.Oh! As always wear good shoes, don’t have a careless accident over wearing flip flops. I’m an avid hiker and every time I visit a place like this there is always some one hurt or about to get hurt because of not being prepared.Nearby there is a couple cute stores, restaurant and a cave.

Alisha T — Google review

Beautiful waterfalls. Saw the triple and high falls with our kiddos ages 0-9. At some point carried each of them, but they were able to traverse the hills and loop. Stopped to enjoy the river along the way at multiple points. Lush rhododendrons along most of the trail, which means we’re going to come back in June!

Kevin Williams — Google review

Great place for a nice hike. It rained on the day we had planned to hike, but we decided to hike any way. The hiking paths were not slippery at all. We were able to see all the three falls on the falls loop. It was a happy hike in December. Waterfalls are awesome.

Sun Dora — Google review

So many breathtaking views in a short distance! Trails are well maintained with plenty of places to stop. They also have public restrooms, visitor center and picnic areas. What a great day to hike!

Sherman Norton — Google review

Went to Asheville, North Carolina for a family gathering and we decided to go hiking here at Dupont state recreational park the Hike was fairly easy not many hills, and it had several waterfalls. I believe it took about two hours in and out round-trip, and was well worth it.

EDWARD QUINN — Google review

This trail system offers so much variety. Even on a beautiful fall day with a packed parking lot + street, had no problems riding the trails or climbing ridgeline! Love this place

Austin Darcy — Google review

God's beauty and creation! The falls were breathtaking, trails very well maintained. What a great place to unwind. Need better parking though. Had to park a mile away due to parking lot at capacity

Jeff Huffman — Google review

Great place for hiking Waterfalls. The flow of the river is awesome. From the parking lot its pretty easy access, one fairly steep ascent

Troy Miller — Google review

Such a beautiful area with amazing hiking opportunities. Many of the waterfalls are near each other and easy to visit multiple in one day. I can’t wait to go back and explore more!

Stephanie Krauss — Google review

Absolutely beautiful park. Lots of people even for a Thursday at lunch. The first parking lot we went to was the triple falls trail and was full so we parked at the high falls trail and lucked out with a great spot. Much more parking available there. Beautiful swimming spots, plenty or hiking trails, no camping allowed, and dog friendly as long as they’re leashed. Perfect for a day hike or picnic.

Madison Taylor — Google review

Great waterfalls to see and a manageable hike to get to them, however just know it is VERY steep hills at times. Not something u want to do with elderly, or with strollers.

Greg Johnson — Google review

Spent the day there in early Oct. Weather was great. Trails well maintained. Wasn't crowded but I'd bet it gets pretty busy on weekends. It's a pretty good hike. You don't have to do any scrambling but you should be in decent shape if you plan on being there all day.

Dave Isaac — Google review

Such beautiful scenery. Pete at the visitor center was very kind and gave great directions for the directionally challenged. Would love to visit again in the spring.

Jennifer Lopez — Google review

4.8

(3793)40 Best Stops Between Charlotte and Nashville (58)

5.0

(788)40 Best Stops Between Charlotte and Nashville (59)

Staton Rd, Cedar Mountain, NC 28718, USA

(828) 877-6527

9

The Biltmore Inn

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Mentioned on

2 lists

Hotel

Nature & Parks

The Biltmore Inn is a beautiful, historic hotel located outside of Asheville in South Asheville. It has a wide variety of rooms and suites to choose from, as well as several great restaurants and lounges within the property. The atmosphere is romantic and inviting, perfect for any special occasion.

I didn't expect to enjoy this as much as I did! We took the self guided tour with listening devices and were able to enjoy this with no rush.So beautiful!There were multiple families touring at the same time and the kids did well although I don't think it's somewhere I would've taken my own kids.We enjoyed the drive through the estate to the wine tasting. John was great at guiding us through each option.Shopping was very pleasant and Carl helped us decide on our favorites as well as the best way to save to get the most bang for our buck.The gift shops were great too! We each purchased an ornament for a souvenir.

Ehsan Golzar — Google review

Love the Biltmore Inn. The views are spectacular. Food is delicious....breakfast especially. Rooms are comfy with nice little extras. Staff is very helpful.

Elizabeth Kelly — Google review

My husband and I decided on a whim, to pack a bag and head to The Biltmore House. Neither of us had been, and we were bored. We stayed at The Biltmore Inn. From the moment we arrived... to the moment we left, everything was amazing. We will absolutely be back when we can stay longer than a night. I absolutely love the view from the deluxe terrace rooms. So beautiful and dreamy. And dinner at the on-site restaurant downstairs was superb.

Samantha Hill — Google review

Absolutely wonderful place to stay. Great restaurants, great lounge with big fireplace as well as nice outside firepits

Richy Wittmer — Google review

Enjoyed an amazing First Class Afternoon Tea in the Dining Room. The staff were top notch in thier attention and kindness. The tea was simply the best I have had of tea services I have experieced all over the world. The view was breathtaking. Splendid Holiday decor. Topped off with delicious food and tea.

Cynthia Thompson — Google review

A great experience, tours were so informative, professional and friendly.

John Zarogoza — Google review

We went there for our honeymoon for a week. The valet were excellent and very nice. The front desk, not so much. We were not fans of the front desk. Every person we encountered working there while on our stay was snobby and rude.The rooms are pretty basic to me. I live about 30 minutes from the West Baden in Indiana and I was just expecting more from the Inn, I suppose. I would rate the Inn a 3/5 on service and friendliness compared to the West Baden. The view is a 10/10. That is perfect and I'm assuming that's why you pay so much to stay there.Also the "Library" lounge is not a library. It's the "common area" essentially. The drinks are outrageous. We paid $63 for two drinks. Bloody Mary's are $20.. for one shot of vodka lol. Those are like $5 where I live. It was a jump scare. Don't get food delivered to your room either. We wanted a quick lunch while we were getting ready one day. So we ordered one sandwich to split and a Tito's and cranberry... $65 dollars. It's just extortion really. The food was good but not worth $45.If we come back to Asheville, we would probably stay in a cabin & getting a day pass or at the hotel on the Biltmore. The house tour, the kayaking, the trails, the E-Bikes were all really fun. We just didn't like the Inn and our experience. Also, eat at the Bistro and Cedric's! Both very good and very friendly service and staff.Also we were told the pool was heated and would be open on our stay, it wasn't. But the hotels was. So all around, I would just stay at the hotel. It's essentially the same thing but friendlier.

Taylor Fischer — Google review

The inn was very welcoming. Complimentary wine every day in the lobby was a nice touch. The turn-down service was one of the best of all my hotel stays! They even tied up the phone charging plugs with a silky red ribbon that has the Vanderbilt insignia. One major disappointment is the room felt damp at all times!

Ashley Biddle — Google review

Staying at Builtmore Inn comes with the great perk of shuttle service on the estate.Food and service as expected for for its ratings.

Corey Leonhard — Google review

We have had passes to Biltmore for years. Our daughter got married there. We're so grateful for one of N.C.'s greatest treasures. Sometimes, though, their reach for profit exceeds their mission and value proposition. We had not eaten at Biltmore Inn for perhaps a year or so. So we pulled up to Inn to valet park (raining hard). The valet informed us we would have a $20 parking fee for this lunch! Didn't make me very happy. This was NEW. Then we went downstairs for lunch and they informed us that they had transformed downstairs dining room into the "tea room" for afternoon tea and that upstairs in the library where high tea had been held, they were serving lunch. So we go back upstairs and were seated after long wait. They brought menu..... it was not lunch ... it was snacks and appetizers to be taken with drinks! Ugh! So at the Biltmore Inn, now, one cannot have a lunch!!!!! The Inn guests have to leave the hotel if they want to take lunch. The demand for (and profitability of) afternoon tea was large enough to move it downstairs to more capacity and lunch was eliminated, but we were inaccurately guided to library for snacks and appetizers ...... at one time there they even served hamburgers etc. NOT NOW.I expect more from the Biltmore Inn.

Roger Jenkins — Google review

We spent $450 for tickets, gas and food for 1 day - 2 people. NOT worth the money; gardens and art exhibit were a big disappointment. When we purchased the tickets they told us the spring flowers would be planted, dogwoods and wisteria would be in bloom. Minimal annuals were planted, in fact they were just in the process of digging up dead tulips, so that is what we paid to see. We had to seek out the dogwoods and didn't see 1 wisteria in bloom. Art exhibit was a joke. A projection of renaissance art on the walls, no actual prints to view.

Jacqueline Oshier — Google review

Our experience at the Inn was nearly perfect from beginning to end.We stayed in the Inn @ Room 259. I was disappointed that we didn’t have a mountain view, but the room was perfect, and we did have a terrace that offered substantial privacy when sitting outside. [I assumed a terrace would come with a mountain view, and I was wrong.]The valet & bellhop were outstanding, as was the front desk, the concierge, and all of the wait staff. We were treated with the utmost respect and never got bad vibes.We took the early morning tour of the Biltmore Mansion and it is HIGHLY recommended.We ate one night @ the Inn and the experience was fantastic! The service was perfect and the meal was delicious. We started with the crab cake, and both ordered filets, then finished with the creme brulee…………like seriously - how can you complain?The $30 +/- co*cktails were pricey, but then you take in the priceless views and suddenly the drinks seemed like a fair value!CONS:The website is very confusing. The difference between the Hotel, the Inn, & the Home is not clear at all, and the room descriptions could use some work.I ordered the embroidered robe for my wife, and it was probably 4 sizes too big. I contacted guest services and they said they only offer one size fits all. It was really only meant to be a keepsake, but perhaps one of my boys will grow up to be a 2x or 3x!Great job Biltmore – we have told several friends how much we enjoyed our stay and we are proud to have been your guests.

Reed Strunk — Google review

This is much more than a place to stay while visiting Biltmore: it's an experience in and of itself. We stayed here for two nights while celebrating our anniversary last week. Everything was pleasantly over-the-top - just as a stay at the Biltmore must have been. The property, the location, the staff, the accommodations, the view, the shopping, the food. All exceeded our expectations. Definitely worth the stay.

Phil Miller — Google review

4.5

(73)40 Best Stops Between Charlotte and Nashville (64)

5.0

(2287)40 Best Stops Between Charlotte and Nashville (65)

One Lodge St, Asheville, NC 28803, USA

(800) 411-3812

10

French Broad Adventures

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Raft trip outfitter

Tours

Adventure sports center

Tour operator

River Rafting & Tubing

Zipline & Aerial Adventure Parks

We had such a great time on our white water rafting adventure. All of the raft guides were great, and you could tell that everyone loved what they were doing. J was a great raft guide, and was super knowledgeable of the area. We loved all of the rapids, and had such a great time on the river. I would definitely do this tour again, and would recommend French Broad Adventures to anyone looking to add a little bit of adrenaline to your trip.

Sutton Holobyn — Google review

This was our first time white water rafting & had the best time! So much so that we want to plan more trips just for rafting! Jim was a great guide, calm, gave great instruction & encouragement, & good advice for other places to visit in the country for rafting. The weather & water was perfect, we stopped off for a snack & also let us jump off a rock right into the water which felt great! We got an opportunity to get off the raft and float down one small rapid which was also great & felt safe. Highly recommend this company to anyone in the area! Everyone was just so nice & knowledge. Felt very safe with them.

Amber S — Google review

We had to choose the kid calm white water rafting adventure because my daughter is 5. To charge us $250 for a family of 4 plus tip is ROBBERY for what we rafted ...seriously it was a lake and completely flat (see picture). There were 3 tiny/short/easy rapids for the entire 2 hour boat ride. They mentioned people tube down it to give you an idea of how gentle it is. Don't waste your money! We had a much better time tubing in Cherokee (and experienced much larger rapids in a tube)!

Melissa Wade — Google review

Went for a calm water tour and it was a great relaxing way to spend the afternoon. They provided splash gear which is essentially high end rain gear and way exceeded expectations. Probably the best gear I've ever been provided rafting. For once I would say weather would not shy me away from running with this crew. Rain or shine you're going to have a great time. It was only 50 deg today and we had smaller children and they even stayed warm. If you forget something they have a great store with everything from clothes to water shoes, to water socks and it's all quality items that aren't throw away when you're done. Very impressed!

Manfred Schreyer — Google review

We had the best time with our rafting trip. Everyone was so nice and professional, they spoke very highly of the owners and how well they were treated. Richard was our comic/host, and Evan was our guide. We could not have asked for a better time. The trip was so much fun, they made a great lunch, and kept everyone safe. We will go again!

Alan Lipscomb — Google review

We made the right choice going with French Broad Adventures. Did the half day w/ lunch with our family (girls 15&12 and son 8). It was plenty for them to introduce them to whitewater rafting. They are ready to go again. The entire staff was friendly and helpful and our guide (Tim) was the best! Of course expect to pay $25-50 if you want a photo(s) (they have a photographer stationed below one of the class three rapids). Our photos turned out great - can’t wait to hang it on the wall!

Gretchen Highfield — Google review

We had an awesome time!! We did the 1/2 day with lunch and it was a blast. We had the opportunity to rock jump and swim before lunch. The experience isn’t just about the rafting it’s also the guides. Glen was so knowledgeable and made us feel very comfortable. Pete..so many jokes!! I laughed so hard (bring a joke with you to share). And Amy, our bus driver, amazing skills.

Andrea — Google review

Never went white water rafting before but decided to go with family. It went very nice. Our guide was name Ellie and she was amazing! She was very humorous, informative, patient and guided us all the way, safety. Very fun adventure went on the half day tour (3-4hrs). The course was great for beginner thrill-seekers or anyone interested in trying something new. It was affordable and fun. I would recommend it to people of all ages. Will be back to try out the other courses :D

I Simon — Google review

The most amazing time of my life, this was by far the best experience of zip lining. Jason and Anya for fun, informative and a blast to be around. We hade a great group. Thank you sooooo much for an unforgettable adventure.

A ?AE Kryptonite? E — Google review

French Broad Adventures was great. The staff was extraordinarily helpful and professional. They really took the time to make sure the trip was special for each person.The river guides are very knowledgeable and friendly.We did a half day trip with class 2 & 3 rapids. The river itself was fun. My 10 year old daughter now lists it as best experience of her life.I would highly encourage anyone looking to raft the French Broad to start with French Broad Adventures.

Neil Kennedy — Google review

We have been going back to French Broad Adventures for 11 years now with our high school youth group, while down for Montreat Youth Conference: and we love it every time! Very friendly staff, knowledgeable guides, and great service. Our kids love rafting down the French Broad with these guides who obviously love what they do! Looking forward to seeing y'all next summer! Ask for Shawn!

Robert Phillips — Google review

We took advantage of both the white water rafing and the zip line your. The location was well marked, the store area was clean and organized, there were changing stalls and bags for wet clothes at the ready. The guides were very personable and knowledgeable of the area. Highly recommended this company !

Stephanie Richards — Google review

An enjoyable whitewater rafting trip. It was quite chilly in the morning considering it was late October and their final week of the season running the trips. Up to class 3 rapids made for a pretty easy going ride. I sat up front though, and was soaked the whole time. Guides were great.

Tara Clapper — Google review

This place is so much fun, The staff was amazing and very helpful with all of our booking needs. The bus ride to the river to get on the rafts was the best safety talk i ever had on top of all the absolutely hilarious dad jokes told by Richard, he really could have a second career as a comedian. Once we got to the boat launch Richard gave us a safety brief then told us which guide we were going to be with for this trip. We were in J’s group, between the awesome history and jokes, we had a great time! Would definitely recommend and would definitely come back. We felt safe and like dare devils at the same time, I personally recommend jumping off the rock it was very fun, and when they tell you you can get out and swim i recommend that too. if you don’t like getting splashed a lot then don’t go in the front you will definitely get splashed. anywhere in the boat you will get splashed but especially in the front. Thanks to all the great staff! can’t wait to come back sometime

mia — Google review

Booked the whitewater rafting and zip lining. Had the best time ever. Shawn was the best river guide ever!!!! If we ever come back again we’re def booking with Shawn. He was very knowledgeable, funny, and made the experience great.Paris and Vivian the zip lining guides were also great and good at keeping the group engaged.

Nerys Turcios — Google review

My family and I did white water rafting. What a fun time! I can't say enough great things about this company. While we waited we looked around the gift shop which had cute shirts, sweatshirts, hats, coozies, snacks, drinks, ice cream, etc. There were tables outside to enjoy the views while waiting and to listen to the safety meeting prior to departing. I felt well prepared and in good hands. There is a short bus ride to get to the river and the trip lead was funny, full of jokes. Our guide was Losty and she was absolutely wonderful! We were in great hands. The river was beautiful and the cool water felt great. There was the perfect amount of rapids and then parts of calm to enjoy the views and relax. There was a spot where we stopped and we could jump off a rock in the water for a swim. We stopped another time for a snack and a drink of water or lemonade. All in all it was the perfect day and our family can't wait to do it again. I would recommend French Broad Adventures for white water rafting to anyone and everyone!The next day we did the zip lining with guides Olivia and Avani. I was a little nervous as it was my first time. Our guides were great at alleviating my fears and I loved zip lining! The guides were both funny and they kept us entertained as we went through the course. We really enjoyed our trip through the trees. I would recommend this course to anyone who has never zip lined before. I have spoken to others that have zip lined and this course has a great braking system that seems easier than other courses that I've heard of. It was a lot of fun!French Broad Adventures has a lot of other activities that I can't wait to try out. Truly a great place for a wonderful adventure.

Christy K — Google review

My family had a great time rafting down the French Broad River with Calvin as our raft guide. He had a lot of rafting experience, was very knowledgable of the river and made the trip extra fun. We booked the half day trip and had time to stop at a jumping ledge, float around in the river and enjoy a snack.

Teresa cody — Google review

Best water experience ever! We booked ziplining and rafting. Rafting was amazing; we had a superb guide, Jim. The weather was chilly with river and low water level. Still a wonderful experience overall.

L8dy Just1ce — Google review

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11

Wheels Through Time Motorcycle Museum

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Museum

History museum

Specialty Museums

38,000-sq.-ft. museum housing 300+ rare motorcycles, with related exhibits, photos & memorabilia.

How anyone can consider anything less than 5 stars is beyond me. This is an incredible ode to American motoring history.Not only is this one of the finest curated motorcycle museums, the staff are just as excited to be there as you are. We visited on a Sunday and even got to chat with the owner, Matt. What an incredible experience that was chatting with him about the collection and watching him fire up one the bikes.If you care about American history, be sure to consider becoming a lifetime donor before leaving. It's exactly what I did and will never regret that decision. I know the money will only go to preserving history for us all to enjoy!Your memory and legacy lives on, Dale. May you forever rest in peace.

Ryan Richmond — Google review

We visited the museum for Father's Day. I was very impressed with both the quality and quantity of motorcycles on display. They started one of the car's on display and two of the motorcycles on display while we were there. It seems almost everything on display is in running order! And they will start anything on display if you want to see and hear it run. We had a great time and I hope to visit again. Despite spending a couple of hours, I think I missed some of the displays. There is so much to see that it is difficult not to get distracted and miss something. All in all, a great museum if you like motorcycles.

m w — Google review

So I’m not a motorcycle person in the least bit but this was cool. Especially if you like history! They have so many bikes in here. Most of them run and they will start them for you. So many knowledgeable people walking about that will tell you the best stories. Andy was the best to hear stories from. I could have listened to him all day. If you’re near and the weather is crappy outside I suggest giving it a shot. I highly suggest if you’re a motorcycle fan or gear head.

bmille88 — Google review

I knew it would be awesome, but WOW!!If you are a motorcycle enthusiast, you absolutely have to visit.You could honestly spend a full day, if not more, exploring everything.So many irreplaceable treasures of motorcycle history.The staff is very knowledgeable and will start many of the bikes for you as they explain all their incritracies. We will return for sure!

Steve Wealing — Google review

This place is absolutely incredible! Whether you're a motorcycle enthusiast or not, you can't help but to be amazed by the walk through motorbike history. So many beautiful pieces, a wonderful staff full of knowledge and a passion for the motorcycles they work with, I honestly can't say enough good things about our experience here. We can't wait to come back!If you are lucky enough to meet Andy, be grateful, we had such a great time talking with him, learning about the bikes and about his incredible life story. He truly completed the experience for us 💛

Nainsi McK — Google review

I love this place, the Mecca of vintage motorcycles. This place is huge and you can spend hours just walking around. They had a couple tour guys that would walk around talking about what made bikes special and manufactures. They even started a couple of the bikes up. One tour guide name was Andy and extremely knowledgeable on the technical aspects of the bikes. He told me I gave him the stink eye when he said something about Harley Davidson haha.

Rick Brown — Google review

This place was really an incredible place to experience. They had multiple bikes from every single era from the very first one to present. If u like motorcycles then I highly recommend u paying them a visit. Heck pay a visit if motorcycles are not ur thing..the history and seeing how they've evolved since the first build is incredible and there's so much rich history!

bridget meyer — Google review

Absolutely a piece of Americana and a must see for anyone whether a motorcycle fan or not. What a rich history of innovation and human achievement that lead us to the Industrial powerhouse that we are.For those who are fans of American Pickers, there is an episode filmed at this location because of Mike Wolfe's relationship with the location.

Jeremy Finney — Google review

An amazing find. Took us about 4 hours to look round. Staff are welcoming, knowledgeable and at hand if you have any questions. All bikes run, some are started throughout the day. My favourite was the motorcycle found in a wall !! It’s in a beautiful setting with well kept grounds and plenty of seating.

Alison Lavis — Google review

It's a 5 star collection that just needs a little more organized curating to warrant 5stars. I went with my husband who follows the you tube channel and the associations he has with other you tubers. I am not a motorcycle enthusiast but found this museum to be so unique and truly peaked my curiosity regarding all things motorcycle! From bikes with motors to the present day. Carrier pigeon motorcycle. Especially interesting are so many one-of-a-kind motorcycles. So many stories with each one. The other thing beyond amazing is the museum guides starting up 107 year old motorcycles and telling you all about them. I loved visiting the museum and highly recommend the trip.

Susan — Google review

Very clean and nice museum. Very friendly staff also. This is probably the nicest motorcycle museum that I have seen. Two levels full of motorcycles and “Money” Doug will happily crank you one up. If you love motorcycles then you need to stop and go through this place. You will be amazed at what you can see.

Doreen Vaughn — Google review

Awesome experience. Seeing the evolution of the American made motorcycle. Displays show what the motorcycle lifestyle was like through history. Most of bikes run and they will start one if you ask. Don't know if they still do the burnouts like when the owner was still alive.I enjoyed reading the owners history and his love of all things with a engine. His museum was a labor of love.Thanks to those that are keeping his dream alive.

Annette Nichols — Google review

Absolutely great place to see and experience the history of motorcycles. Very well set up with lots of reading to go with the displays. Everything runs they will even start some up while you're there. One supported this place for years but this was my first actual visit. I was so happy to see all of the history.

James Overdorff — Google review

If you are ever in Maggie Valley or even the Gatlinburg area and you love motorcycles and the history of motorcycles, be sure to take the time to visit Wheels through time. I’ve been wanting to go for many years and finally had the opportunity and what a great experience. Once I entered the museum the “ace” immediately caught my attention since I’m a big fan of early motorcycles and this is one beautiful piece of work. While looking at every detail I was approached by an employee whom I later found to be (Andy) and he asked if I new the history to which I replied no I have only heard about them and before you know it he began to tell me how this bike began and within minutes through his story telling he captivated the attention of nearly 20 or so people. I had only walked in the museum moments earlier and after my first 20 minutes I knew it would be a great experience. All the staff were very friendly and helpful. I’m looking forward to my next visit and trying to coordinate efforts to have some friends from Florida meet us here next time around. Thank you for your hospitality and the museum is amazing, so much history.

Keith Lincoln — Google review

We are members of the museum and have been for years. Proud to support. We were there this time to see the Motorcycle Cannonball come thru. It never disappoints, and neither does the museum.

Melinda Franklin — Google review

This is by far the best museum I've ever been to! I lost count on how many bikes I saw and heard starting and running! So cool! I met the owner, Matt, who was so personable and knowledgeable. Made me feel like I've known him forever. He was just making his was around saying hi starting bikes and sharing his what seemed to be unlimited knowledge. Will definitely return many more times in the future.

nick oetker — Google review

Best Motorcycle Museum in North America.This really is the coolest place to go if you love all things motorcycle. The displays are absolutely amazing. The way they put the bike out fantastic. If you like motorcycles you must visit this museum.

Andy Commons in Canada — Google review

An absolute gem. Everyone is super helpful and incredibly knowledgeable. Vintage, mostly running motorcycles organized by type and Era. The largest selection of WWII service bikes I've ever heard of, let alone seen! Literally every Era and type of racing is covered. If you have any interest in motorcycles or history coming here is a must!

Russell Montgomery — Google review

My best friends father always talked about this place and always told me to go here, after losing him to a motorcycle accident last November i made it a goal to visit as soon as possible. I have to say this place is a must stop for anyone remotely into motorcycles or cars or anything with an engine for that matter. Museum is amazing. Not far from gatlingburg / pigeon-forge area and the drive from there to the museum is beautiful. I will definitely be visiting again in the near future.

Shane Best — Google review

Have always loved this place... So sad the man who started this museum is gone now but his son is doing a bang up job in his place... Highly recommend when anywhere near Maggie Valley... Well worth the the visit ...

William Dean — Google review

The museum was well laid out. Matt was very friendly and took time to answer questions . You didn’t feel like he didn’t want to talk. It made the whole trip worth it. The wife and I also got to experience the wall of death. What a show.

Steve Burker — Google review

If you have a passion for motorcycles this is a place to go !! Their staff is very very knowledgeable. If you have any questions they will answer them! Beautiful bikes all through the place !! A lot of history in one place!!

James Carroll — Google review

4.9

(3756)40 Best Stops Between Charlotte and Nashville (83)

5.0

(1448)40 Best Stops Between Charlotte and Nashville (84)

62 Vintage Ln, Maggie Valley, NC 28751, USA

(828) 926-6266

12

Rafting In the Smokies

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Raft trip outfitter

Tours

Experience the thrill of whitewater rafting with "Rafting In the Smokies" on the Pigeon River, just a short drive from Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, and Maggie Valley. Choose between the upper tour for adventurous rapids or the lower tour for a more family-friendly experience. The guides are praised for their great communication and informative yet fun approach. After your exhilarating ride, take advantage of on-site showers to freshen up.

We had the best time. Our rafting guide Jabels and Aaron were awesome and had a great sense of humor. If we ever come back to the area I would definitely go back again!

Natasha Dornbush — Google review

We did the “upper” rafting tour. Which consists of level 3 & 4 rapids. The upper is for those who like adventure/challenge/adrenaline dumps.The “lower” rafting tour is more suited for families with small children and/or elderly people who are not usually physically active. The lower consists of level 1 & 2 rapids, with more “flat” water.Our rafting guide was Heather and she was great! Just listen to your rafting guide and you will have a fun and safe time! And yes, you will have to row a paddle but they will teach you how.

Alia Acala — Google review

Everyone there was super nice, friendly, and welcoming. The rope course had different levels for each person’s comfortability. The guides for the rope course made sure to explain the rules and that they could assist throughout the whole course. There is a chance for rope blisters, but the staff had first aid prepared. To avoid blisters, one could ask for some gloves. The guides for the zip lining were very experienced and could show off their tricks on the line. It was cool to see and a great experience!

Terri Tesch — Google review

Amazing experience credit to our guid Patrick. He gave us a tailored experience with more excitement than the others. Hands down a great guy. Everything was organized, safe and fun. Will definitely return!

Laura Richardson — Google review

So much fun for our family! Our youngest is 12 and didn't have a problem with the rapids at all. All of the staff is super friendly and the guides playfully banter with each other as the groups go down the river. Our guide Elias was awesome! HIGHLY recommend you go with this rafting group!

Kara — Google review

We've gone rafting in the Pigeon River for several years and this year was the best, it was also our first time with 'Rafting in the Smokies'. All the guides get along great, good communication and an informative fun time. Isabella was 10/10 and deserves a raise. 👏 Overall I feel like it was more efficiently ran and a smooth process for checking in/getting back with this company. Bring your water shoes, and a change of clothes. There are also showers here for afterwards!

Crystal Comfort — Google review

Lexi was our Rafting Guide and she was amazing. Lock your feet in and follow all instructions from your guide. Zip lining was John and Eric, and they were a blast! Highly recommended!

Scotty Q — Google review

This was our second time to go white water rafting as a family and everyone had a wonderful time.Our guide was great and answered am off our questions. The rapids were mostly class 2 but we did guy a couple class 4's along the way.We also went Ziplining as part of a combo deal we bought. The Ziplining was good, not great. The family felt rushed through the course.I am still giving the entire experience 5 stars because we enjoyed ourselves that much overall.

Brandon Pratt — Google review

It's my first time doing it with my family and it was awesome. Went there 08/09/23 rafting time 1:00pm-2:30pm, our guide was Brad, he is fun and knowledgeable about the waters. He even gave some useful tips to my son as his co-captain for the boat. A definitely must do when you visit Tennessee.

Pia Rivera — Google review

Great experience. We had our kids out for their first time. Stanley and Lars explained safety and put them at ease. Super friendly and patient. Great experience and beautiful river views. Food nearby or picnic tables for packed lunches.

Wortham Boyle — Google review

Had a great time in our rafting trip. Our guide B was awesome and made the trip even more fun. She asked if we wanted the wild ride, or the regular. My teens opted for the wild ride and it was a blast. Splashed everywhere, bumping up and down , and even taking a swim in the (very cold) river.

Nicole Yull — Google review

Amazing experience! My fiancé and I had never been whitewater rafting until yesterday. Koda was our guide. He was very friendly, funny and knowledgeable about the area and whitewater rafting. He was easy to talk to as well and recommended tasty pizza at a restaurant in Gatlinburg after we asked what restaurants in the surrounding areas had gluten free food. The experience surpassed our expectations and was such a blast! Highly recommend to anyone that’s considering the adventure. It’s worth it! And from hearing conversations from other groups, it appears that everyone is in great hands regardless of the guide they get! They all seem very experienced which makes a difference if you feel a little nervous/anxious trying something new.

Ashley Jackson — Google review

TRENT was the most incredible guide!! Our entire group (kids were 5, 10, and 13!) had an absolute blast. He was fun, funny, knowledgeable and overall just a great person. You’d be so lucky to have him! All the other staff was patient and helpful. This is definitely the company you want to raft with! Hope to see you in GR Trent! You rock!

Jennifer Linski — Google review

Fantastic experience! Our guide was Hobbit and he was highly skilled and entertaining. The rapids ranged from 1-4 and were lots of fun. Definitely would recommend this company! All of the raft groups were having a great time.

Shelby Dillon — Google review

We had an amazing time with Doug! He was super friendly and informative. Felt like he made it his mission to show us the best time possible. Everyone there was great and took care of us. 100% recommend Rafting In The Smokies!!

Scott Heath — Google review

4.8

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5.0

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3595 Hartford Rd, Hartford, TN 37753, USA

(800) 776-7238

13

Smoky Mountain Outdoors (SMO) Rafting

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Rafting

Tours

SMO is a well-renowned rafting company that offers some of the best white water rafting in the area. With options including level 3 and 4 rapids, as well as beautiful scenery and perfect weather, this is an experience not to be missed.

Amazing experience! Our guide was Miami and he was great the whole way. He clearly had done the route many times before and easily guided us through the level 3 and 4 rapids without anybody going overboard. The weather was perfect and the scenery was beautiful. The run was a total of about 2 hours and was a ton of fun. Highly recommend!

Taylor Murphy — Google review

We’re from Ukraine and lot of our friends from USA recommended us this company. Smokey mountain outdoors rafting was the best place I got unforgettable emotions for whole my life. We were so pleased with my husband with all services from booking to trip. We had an Upper trip and it was funny. Especially when we pass the falls. Our guide was very polite, explained all the nuances and we got an amazing rafting experience. Everything was safely and comfortable. I truly recommend this place for visiting for everyone. You'll be happy with the whole process, promise you!

BUBLIKMUA makeup artist — Google review

SO AMAZING!!! ❤️..I booked our group here. I'm so glad I did. We had 32 people, and everyone had an amazing time. It went smoothly. Even the little ones had a blast. We did the upper, and I was nervous for my 11 yr old grandkids. They loved it so much! Our guide was amazing, California girl (Ace). Thank you so much for showing the kids a great time. They talked about it for 2 days.. I wanna thank all the guides.. Everyone loved them.. we're booking our next trip and we've decided to come here again!!!

Debbie Frickey — Google review

Decided to take our boys rafting for the first time. This is the perfect river for someone who has never been white water rafting. It has good rapids but nothing that will scare the pants off newbies.

Christopher Guilford — Google review

Amazing!! So worth the price. It was cold out and very windy but it was such a great experience. I suggest to not take lazy family members as It’s a good amount of physical work (6 miles worth of rafting). My family got stuck with a family who did not participate and we ended up doing all the work & the instructor was not too fond of them either. Overall, it was very fun and we are definitely doing it again next time we visit TN!

Bee M — Google review

An extremely well organized and disciplined company. The kindness shown by the Security Staff as i got down from our car and he saw me limping was commendable. He immediately asked me to get in and allowed us to park closest possible to the Office. This speaks volumes about their commitment. Even the time slots allotted were followed perfectly. Our guide Ms. Tia was phenomenal. She looked after us and our grandchildren with dedication and tenderness. It’s much appreciated. Overall an unforgettable experience. To those visiting this area make this spot as the number one place for your River Rafting experience.

Bharat Bhandare — Google review

MUST DO!! This was definitely the highlight of our trip. We had so much fun. My group was made up of people 10 years old through 55 years. It was great for all ages (Upper Pigeon Forge but not the extreme one). Our guide Tia was great. Very knowledgeable, funny, most importantly safe! We got to jump out of the raft and swim a little on a calm part of the river. My 10 year old even got to ride on the front of the raft with his feet hanging river through rapids. All though I was a little scared about that, he had so much fun and was completely safe. Would definitely recommend for all ages.

Alycia Alvarez — Google review

First time rafters here and we were super happy with how it all went. Be sure to check in with plenty of time as they have a gift shop and you will want time to get on sunblock and use the facilities. You can rent a small locker for $2 otherwise leave most items in your vehicle. Upper Pigeon trip was not too hard or scary even for kids but it was still very exciting and beautiful. Josh was our guide and he was great! You can wear caps but sunglasses need a strap unless you don't mind potentially losing them.

Theresa C — Google review

This is a MUST DO! When we got there we were like omg how are they gonna handle all these people? The service was very well managed. We were taken out for our float trip in a very well managed timely fashion. SMO has approximately 90 tours guides for the visitors to not have to wait very long. They have lockers available for $2 if you need to put your car keys up. They also sell waterproof packs and have a gift shop available. There are a few food trucks available at the location if you get hungry. Also in the bathrooms they have changing rooms, and showers available not to mention blow dryers for the women. Our tour guide Alex was great! Would do this again without a doubt if back in the area. Definitely if given the chance "ride the bull" aka on the front of the raft with your legs over the raft. My nephew who is 13 had the time of his life on this vacation.#ALEX

Michaela Bennett — Google review

Ya'll have to try this at least once! Because after that you'll want to go again and again!When we went (4.6.24) the water was cold, but that is the only con I can think of. The experience grossly out weighs it being cold. Plus don't like the cold plan for a summer trip.Our guide was very knowledgeable and guided us safely down the river. I believe his name was Josh but I'm bad with names...I highly recommend checking them out! I'm definitely going to be going back!

Joella Mosley — Google review

This was a great experience for our family during our Spring Break vacation! Prior to booking, the lady who answered the phone was very helpful answering all our questions. Getting prepared to board the buses and was very organized. Our guide, Nila, helped all of us to feel totally comfortable before starting, and she was very entertaining. The kids, and my husband and I had a great time. The water was freezing, but it was really awesome!

Jill Casey — Google review

Great time with my daughter on the lower section. Because the water was moving so fast we were actually taken up river a bit so as to extend our trip. Judo was a stellar guide! We will definitely be back for the upper section. Worth every penny.

Matt Dubya — Google review

We were a party of 9, all first time rafters and did the Upper river. We were in two boats (6 & 3) but were within sight and sound the whole trip. This was one of our favorite activities done for the week. It was so exciting, fun, and safe. We did not see a single person flipped into the water and there were lots of rafts. Our guides Geoff and Garett were amazing! The entire event was so smooth... Check-in, meeting the guides, gearing up, riding the bus, getting on the water, riding the river, departure and equipment removal all we're so seamless. We loved our experience and highly encourage it to all.

Stormy Matte — Google review

We did the Upper & Lower River experiences and both were equally great! Our tour guides were Tom & Slim and they made the day so fun. Staff was very knowledgeable and answered all our questions we had about the Smokies while we were floating down river. Great experience and rapids weren’t anything too crazy, would recommend this experience to families with kids as well.

Abigail & Blake Freeman — Google review

We loved river rafting. Our 4 year old had a blast, this was one of the only places that allowed little ones to enjoy rafting. Lauren our guide was awesome and super sweet. We had a blast!

Maggie Ruiz — Google review

It was first time for many people in my group. We all enjoyed. Guide was very good. When we went it was class 3 rapid at one place. Rest of the places are two or below. It for kids and old age people it awesome. Lot of parking and very well managed.

Raghukumar S — Google review

I went here leading a university group over spring break. The management was patient as I needed to communicate things to the group before making the decision about purchasing photos and was very accommodating when I needed a receipt for providing a tip to their guides. The guides we rafted with was Josh and Miami, which were both a hoot and provided us with an amazing rafting experience, letting us bull ride and spin through some rapids. All my students who participated in our spring break trip said this was the highlight of their trip. Thank you for this amazing experience and we will most definitely be coming back again in the future.

Courtney Johnson — Google review

It was a fabulous and fun time. Ziggy was the best guide ever and such a great sport! We were 3 Seniors with some mobility issues and Ziggy was so patient and helpful! Recommend for an anyone looking for a fun day.

Barbara Frazier — Google review

THE BEST!We had an amazing time rafting the UPPER PIGEON. This was the first rafting trip for my 8yr son, and I had booked a lower pigeon. We got there and talked at the check-in office - got it changed to upper pigeon - the best decision - my son thoroughly enjoyed it!Staff at SMO are extremely friendly and supportive of any changes (availability and best interest).It was a packed day, but they handled it well - they are very well organized and structured, a big shout out for people at parking, at the check-in office, they help run the place efficiently. Our trip guide Tyler was phenomenal. Took approx 90 minutes for the upper region, and I believe it is the same for the lower region, too.They have approx 84 tour guides onsite, very professional - ensure the trip is fun and safe for everyone. Ample parking, clean amenities onsite - shower, bathroom, changing station, locker ($2), etc. are well maintained.The only downside is the pricing of the pictures taken, which is a bit expensive for what you get.It's a MUST try activity for all ages, and these guys are absolute pros and make the entire trip fun!

Madan Nagaraju — Google review

what a perfect adventure. Our guide was Bart, he was GREAT! I highly recommend this company. This was my fourth time white water rafting and this place has been the best so far. they are very organized.I wore crocs with the strap (sport mode) and they stayed on the whole time.

Poly F — Google review

Me, my husband, and two kids (9 and 14) rafted with Stoney today. The river was pretty calm but it was a great intro to rafting for my boys. Stoney was awesome, super knowledgeable, and probably the best of the bunch! ;) we’d definitely come back!

Ashley Harding — Google review

4.9

(1968)40 Best Stops Between Charlotte and Nashville (95)

5.0

(5982)40 Best Stops Between Charlotte and Nashville (96)

3299 Hartford Rd, Hartford, TN 37753, USA

(865) 430-3838

14

Harrah's Cherokee Casino Resort

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Resort hotel

Fun & Games

Harrah's Cherokee Hotel and Casino offers slot machines, poker, blackjack, roulette and other table games. Concerts and shows are also offered. Gifts are available at the Rivershops store including golf equipment from Callaway Golf Shop, clothing from Top Drawer Men's Shop, and sweets from the Sweet Stop.

We love it. We live about 60 miles away and go quit often. Run very professional, could have free drinks but other that, very classy.

Steve Hamblin — Google review

I chose this hotel because it is new and clean. The casino is fun we won many times over our 2 nights. Out biggest win was 850. We saw neighbors winning up to 2 thousand so it is fun. Everything is nearby. We drove to Bryson City for their Steam train, throughout the Smoky Mountains probably 5 or 6 times, Mingo Falls which is 5 minutes away and easy to hike, and so much more. I think about this place everyday. Loved it.

Gerardo Rocha — Google review

This resort was beautiful. We went with our two teenagers and unfortunately weren't able to go to the casino since we were told they couldn't be left unattended. That was the only down fall but other than that it was a beautiful stay. Amazing location beautiful views of the mountains and so many shops in the area. We will definitely be planning a trip here in the future!

Amanda Zielinski — Google review

Everything was fantastic from check in till check out. Our room was clean, black jack and poker dealers were so friendly. Food was excellent and had a lot of choices. I love that it is non smoking. Valet employees were great and work hard.

Susan G — Google review

Was a bit disappointed in the rooms, price was great but, there was not any bottled water in the room to make coffee. I asked for bottled water and was told they didn't provide it but there was a vending machine I could get some from. That would have been great if the vending machine would have worked but I had to go to 3 other floors just to find a working vending machine for a 4$ bottle of water. That was just the only downer of my stay. The casino was nice and food was delicious. scenery was beautiful.

Joyce Feagin — Google review

The hotel is very nice, but I also want to add that every time I came across someone on staff, they were always so friendly and pleasant. Housekeeping was very friendly as we walked down the hall…any time we walked by a staff member, they greeted us with a warm smile and hello. The security at the casino was comical and friendly, etc. I really appreciated all of that. My husband and I will definitely be back!

S P — Google review

The service was extremely slow, no sense of urgency to get the crowds down. Do eat before you go there the food selection is limited and overpriced. The casino was as expected and no complaints. The event area was outstanding. One of the better venues. Saw Blackberry Smoke and there wasn't a bad seat.

Gary Davis — Google review

Rooms were clean and uniquely designed. Service was good for the majority of the hotel/casino. I gave that 4 instead of 5 because the bartenders at Myst disappeared for awhile…not literally but did not fill our drinks even after we ordered. The location receives 5 stars due to its proximity to Atlanta.

Clay Gentry — Google review

The room was beautiful. Enjoyed the couch and chair and overall seating area. The bed was comfortable. Views from most of the hotel are gorgeous! The mountains are beautiful! Stream flowing right outside the grounds. I'm sure it's even more beautiful as spring turns to summer and fall. Our particular view was that of the rooftops of adjoining hotel buildings, so pretty sparse! Metal soap dish broken in shower. Dust bunnies on wall/ceiling above bathroom mirror. Exhaust fan in bathroom desperately needed cleaning. Coffee maker spillover. A bit pricey, but not too bad.

J Edwards — Google review

The resort is beautiful. The staff is phenomenal. The casino is huge and very welcoming. The drinks at the bar were amazing. However we had a loud, almost banging type of noise that wouldn't stop coming from the vent in our room and we couldn't sleep. I had to turn the TV on to drown out the noise and I literally only slept 3 hours. The room was very nice, the bed was extremely comfortable. If it wasn't for the constant noise and lack of sleep, my review would have been a lot more positive. It took over 30 minutes for the valet parking to return our car. My only other complaint is food. You couldn't eat anywhere at the resort without a reservation, there was absolutely no walk in restaurants available and all to go orders were stopped early. It was still a very beautiful place.

Leslie Bailey — Google review

Beautiful hotel. I was here for the North Carolina Trucking Association Conference and Expo. Beautiful hotel, casino is huge and the expansion on the hotel is more than accommodating for visitors. I was here with my trailer for Truckers Against Trafficking and there were so many other things going on at the hotel. Staff was very friendly and helpful. Room was nice. If you want a quick, inexpensive getaway, go during the week. The rate change for the weekend rates is quadruple what the weekday rates are. Loved visiting during this time of year as well. The beauty of fall was gorgeous and after walking through the parks I got some breathtaking pictures.

Brandy Belton — Google review

I always enjoy my stay at the hotel, win or lose. That being said, my friend and I both had errors on our bills. For me, I was charged for a night that was supposed to be complimentary. For my friend, he was charged for a movie he definitely didn’t order. My advice is to always check your bill and not assume it’s correct. This isn’t the first time this has happened.All that being said, nice casino. The variety of hotels are great. Staff is friendly, and the “no smoking” is awesome.

Jacqueline — Google review

Large casino with many games and tables. Be prepared to walk a great distance if you want to explore. Free coffee, water, and soda are available at beverage stations. Rooms are spacious with fridge and microwaves. Plenty places for you to eat and alternative activities if you want to break the gambling up. There's a nice little city area about a mile from the casino if you want to do some shopping and exploring. Overall...this is a nice casino.

Christopher Gilchrist — Google review

The cleanliness of the casino was the first thing that struck me. The floors were spotless, the slot machines were well-kept, and the bathrooms were spotless. I'd want to thank the workers at Harrah's Cherokee Casino. They were helpful, kind, and informed. Overall, I had a fantastic day at Harrah's Cherokee Casino. Everything exceeded my expectations, from the cleanliness to the safety to the friendly employees. I would strongly suggest this casino to anyone searching for a good time.

George Kinyua — Google review

We came for my birthday and for my first trip to a casino. The hotel is beautiful and the casino floor is something straight out of a movie. That said, I’ve been in and around the hotel industry for almost a decade and finding a used mask in our bed, used bars of soap in the bathroom, no comforter or fitted sheet on the bed as well as the shower not draining were a little disappointing to me. Amy in the casino bar closest to the sports betting area makes a mean drink with a smile on her face the entire time. The experience overall was below expectations on the room/hotel but well above on the restaurants and overall vibe of the casino. The star may go up one if I don’t get sick from conditions found in the room.

Joshua Murphey — Google review

Beautiful rooms with a large bathroom and great views. Very well maintained and clean. Friendly staff and good service. Room service is excellent. Very comfortable bed. Free drinks in the mini fridge.Valet parking and loading area. Nice shower and plenty of room. The couch folds out as an extra bedroom. The A/C works great and wasn’t loud.

Anthony Rowland — Google review

From the food (5 star) to the casino to the hotel, even the valet service is awesome. There is nothing I would change about this place, besides being able to visit there more often. Everybody is so nice and ready to help. One of my favorite places to visit for sure 🌍

jared D — Google review

I truthfully love the architecture of this hotel. It is MAGICAL and huge! It never seems to end! They have plenty to do if you are not a gambler and plenty of machines if you do. I do wish they’d get a hot tub though around the indoor heated pool. The food was fairly priced and if you’re looking for gourmet, Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse and the breakfast buffet was open til 11, which is a nice surprise! The hotels spa is pretty pricey, bring your wallet!

Jax B — Google review

Our first time going to a casino and we really enjoyed our time! The drive to this location is beautiful! Getting there, we didn’t know where to go or how to get started and we had a lot of help along the way! Everyone seemed inviting and willing to assist us. The drinks were great. We won a little money too! We can’t wait to go back!

Hannah Walker — Google review

We've never stayed in their rooms, so can't give a rating on that, but we have visited the casino and the event center to see a couple of shows. The casino floor can be a little chaotic for a first timer. Once you figure out the way it all works it's not that bad at all. The event center is great. It's not too big and not too small. Not really a bad seat in the place. The food court has decreased in size and choices which is a little disappointing. Also, would be nice if food court was open all night. The casino floor is clean and well supervised/managed. The restrooms are a little dirty, especially the urinals, but with that many folks having adult beverages and using the urinal, I guess it's to be expected. Overall, it's been an enjoyable experience each time we visit.

Randall Eller — Google review

Overall, we had a good time. But a few things could be improved. In the lobby at the check-in desk, the lamps on the counter were VERY dusty, so it made me think that housekeeping is a low priority. The front desk is the first place that you go to when you get there, it should at least be clean. The elevators need some work, they are ugly (scratches & dirty tracks). Walking to our room, the hallway smelled like cigarette smoke! But I believe it’s non-smoking or at least the room we had was, but thank God the room did not smell like smoke. We ate at the P.F. Chang’s inside of the casino & they also have a food court, but everything is over priced. I think that they were understaffed in the casino, I remember someone coming around maybe three times my two days there & then if you press that service button, it took someone forever to come. But it was cool, i would go back.

Tina — Google review

Great place to relax and have fun. Good selection of food also. Valet parking is offered for guests that stay in the hotel for free. The rooms are really nice. The games are really fun. Drinks are a little expensive, but hay, you're here to have fun. The staff is really friendly. And don't forget to tip your waiting and cleaning staff!!!

Steven Suehiro — Google review

Check in is easy and staff friendly and polite. Gambling is exactly that, I haven’t won any big money but several small wins keeps me in the game. Starbucks staff super polite. Ruth Chris filet literally melts in your mouth. Enjoy fellow gamblers!

Kim Lavertue — Google review

Very nice casino. Great food, all kinds of stuff for everyone in the family. Kind staff the drive over the mountain is fantastic views as well. Slots selection is great. There are a lot of new games. Sports book is awesome. The rooms are clean also. Pet friendly would come back anytime.

Rustan Porter — Google review

Beautiful location and building, inside and out. Everything was virtually immaculate and the valet and bell services were very expedient given the volume of people! Room was excellent, beds and bath were very comfortable. We had a clogged up drain and upon calling it in, we were almost immediately greeted by a serviceman who had it fixed up super fast! Casino was perfectly vibrant, fun, and lively. Food spots were all busy as expected, but the food was absolute perfection!I absolutely look forward to coming back! Worth every dollar and second!

Gurdeep Kumar — Google review

What an awesome resort! Everything you could want to do in a beautiful town. Spectacular casino floor with lots of tables and slots, sports betting, rooms are immaculate and no soaring on decor. Valet parking and more. I was so impressed I’ll do it again!

A LaCount Frank — Google review

This place is super nice! If your looking for fun, then this is the place for you. Too much to do in a day. Beautiful location. Rooms are super nice and reasonably priced. Excellent service all the way around, can't wait to go back!

Jeff Mckee — Google review

We didn't stay on property, but the casino itself is great! Plenty of self-parking, lots of slots, and a good amount of table games. The sportsbook is large and really nice too. Super fun destination for a little gambling and hanging out.

John Wagner — Google review

The place is nice....the location is great! I just don't understand the logic of most of the tables having $25 minimum and they are empty, but the five $15 dollar minimum tables are 3 deep with folks waiting. Wouldn't you actually make more money by offering the options people clearly want? it's not unique to this site, but jeez, you'd obviously take more money in and have higher customer satisfaction by giving g reasonable minimums. I guess you do what you want when you're the only show in town.

Douglas Sawyer — Google review

Amazing stay at Harrah's Cherokee Casino and Resort. My husband and I stayed at the resort for three nights and truly loved our whole experience. The room was great, the service was exceptional and the food/drinks were on point!I would also really love to shoutout to Mr. Thomas Serrano who works in the casino. He was at the Roulette table when my husband and I went on the evening of 11.16 and he was fantastic! We ended up going back to the table again before he left for the evening because of how great he was!! We truly appreciated his kindness and service.

Dalia Joy — Google review

Enjoyed our first trip to Cherokee Resort. I have been to the casino several times over the last 15 years but never stayed at the hotel until this week. Was pleasantly surprised with the room size and quality. It’s a far walk to the casino floor but no big deal. They are really really hard core about checking IDs here, seemed redundant to check my ID to get into the casino floor and then Also check my Id to buy alcohol but whatever. Staff was friendly all throughout the casino EXCEPT for the dealers, which is unfortunate. All the security staff and valet and and Rewards center folks and servers were nice but hotel check-in staff and dealers were either unfriendly or just outright rude. I read about machines breaking down and unfortunately that was also the case for us. Really sucked the fun out of some times we had. We won a few hundred dollars through the course of the night and enjoyed our food and coffee from the GR food court. Hopefully the next time we come back the machines that they KNOW are experiencing issues will be fixed, and the dealers can learn some common courtesy.

Anthony Garcia — Google review

Had an excellent time! All of the staff were exceptional and went out of their way to assist from the time we pulled in until we left.We came from Michigan and traveled to Sarasota FL. 10 hotels/resorts in 14 days. Harrah's was the #1 stay out of the entire trip!We will be back but next time we'll stay longer.Highly recommend.

Wendi LaForest — Google review

Visited here with our children, and the food and atmosphere were very nice! Waitstaff in the casino was helpful with any questions and kids had fun seeing all the lights and stores, as they couldn’t gamble obviously. But still a good time, nothing won at slots to write home about, but fun time losing.. lol.

Backwoods Grading — Google review

Always a fun time here. If I can find one thing to complain about it's the fact the rooms are a long walk to the casino floor. Longer than from the public parking garage. Other than that we love this place. We just don't stay at the casino hotel. We did stay in one of the rooms and it was excellent. Bed was extremely comfortable. Room was big and roomy. Not disappointed with the room just the looooong walk to casino floor

Ray Ritchings — Google review

It's a good casino to spend time (and money, of course).. They have a lot of slot gambling machines and a good amount of dealer managed tables. There are food courts available with limited options..Dedicated smoking room with slot machines is available. For a place without any other entertainment options in near 60 mile radius, this can be called a king of entertainment for that location : ) . You need to be 18 + to enter the casino, and IDs are checked at entrance. Please note that, as per NC rule , you will get alcohol only up to 2PM. So grab your drink before that.

Raghesh Nair — Google review

Let me say this. I travel the world and gamble. I know I’m not going to always win, but most of the time. I win BIG! However, I have never played in a casino as tight as this one. I watched people lose tons of money for three days in a row especially playing on those Dragon links at the front. The games were not paying. If you want to go have fun and play on anything under $2.50 then maybe you will enjoy it. However if you like to walk out of there winning BIG off of max bets this is not the Casino to visit. The atmosphere was great, but the winning moments were not. It was so bad I checked out a day before my scheduled departure. Then they do not give you any free play.The drive from Maggie Valley was beautiful but if you don’t and can not handle lots of curves, swings, and turns. Do not come from that direction. Overall I enjoyed the people I met while we were all losing our money. Lol! The mountains were also a beautiful postcard.

Serena Vines — Google review

15

Bush's Visitor Center

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Museum

Cafe

Nestled in Dandridge, TN, Bush's Visitor Center offers a fascinating look into the origins of America's most famous bean company. The center features a museum chronicling the history of the family-owned business since its inception in 1908 and showcases their secret recipe for baked beans. Visitors can enjoy an interactive self-guided tour with friendly staff providing useful information along the way. The tour concludes at a well-stocked gift shop and a delightful family cafe offering delicious meals at reasonable prices.

A surprisingly fun attraction. The museum (which was about to close temporarily for remodeling, a week after my visit) is about beans, yes, but it's also about history and culture -- how did the company have to adapt to changes in how Americans buy groceries? How did the can opener evolve? And so on. There's a 20-minute film which includes the production process at the factory across the street. The gift shop is fun, and the restaurant offers good Southern cooking. I don't normally order dessert at restaurants, but I had to try the pecan pie, which is made with mashed pinto beans as a thickener. It's surprisingly good, and you can get cards with the recipe when you pay your ticket. This would make a great side trip during a Sevierville/Pigeon Forge vacation.

John I. Carney — Google review

This place was so cool!!! I really enjoy seeing how products I purchase are made and this truly envelopes you in the rich Bush Family History. The staff was super friendly and helpful. If you collect souvenir pennies, you can add to your collection here. We had lunch at the cafe. Prices were reasonable and the portions were good sized.

Mande B — Google review

We stumbled upon the Bush's Visitor Center during a recent trip. What a wonderful experience. There is so much to see and learn about the Bush family. The original Bush house still stands across from the visitir center. In addition to a short video about the beans and canning process, there are exhibits and a cafe. Unfortunately, I didn't get to eat in the cafe, but supposedly they are known for their pinto bean pie. It's worth stopping by to visit.

Gina Bedford — Google review

Coming back home from our family trip we made a plan to stop at the Bush’s Visitor Center since when we first discovered them, they was closed during COVID. The visitors center is free!To get the history on Bush’s Baked Beans was pretty cool and seeing how the make the beans and the science that goes behind making sure the beans are cooked properly was really nice. They had soooooooooooo many different flavors that we didn’t know so of course we grabbed a few to take home.Also, we went to the cafe where we enjoyed some of the BEST and VERY FRESH chicken tenders. We was served by Ms.Ruth, who was very sweet.

Teierra Brown — Google review

I loved this museum. It's so informative and educational. The whole museum is put together very well and the gift shop is awesome. We bought several cans of bean dip . They have different cans of beans to buy. we had to pass on the cans of beans because most of them contain pork but they looked so good.

megan burt — Google review

I have been to the Bush's visitor center several times and I never get sick of going there.They offer a very nice short film about how the beans are made, how they're put into the cans, and how the sauce is added to them.They also offer little interactive things that you can do throughout the museum and they offer a lot of little knick knacks and cans of beans that they don't carry in actual grocery stores.The restaurant that's attached to it is a good place to eat. It's inexpensive and the food is always good and fresh.It's neat to be able to see the original house of the people that started bush's and to see the factory right across the road from there.

Jami Tharp — Google review

This place is super cool with lots to look at. They have a big store with all sorts of kitchen items and some way cool bean stuff. They have a museum and lots of cool photo opportunities. Diane who works here was extremely helpful and very informative on the history. They had cute Little Duke keychains, some bean lifesavers, pants, shirts, socks, hats and even cans of beans. You can even weigh yourself in beans. This is a great family location.

Lisa Smith — Google review

I stopped by Monday morning 9:15 am on may 9th 2022! I was IMMEDIATELY greeted by Kathy. She was so helpful, upbeat, professional and just sweet as a jar of honey! Kathy made my time at the museum a pleasant experience 😊! Thank you again, Frank from Tennessee

RETIREDMCO1199 ?Guess who!? Tennessean — Google review

What a fun place to visit! The gift shop has lots of good items at fantastic prices. Easily the most affordable tourist attraction I've ever been to. The staff was fantastic and friendly from the minute you walk in the door.Don't miss the restaurant next door. Not everything has beans in it. The food was great and very reasonably priced for large portions. My wife and I ate here for less than $30, which is unheard of at a touristy location. Definitely make this a stop if you're in town and looking for something fun to do.

Beans and Waffles — Google review

We loved it. We had lunch which was delicious. We walked around and did the gift shop. Great experience, wonderful staff

Jessica Carlson — Google review

Such a gem! We stopped on a whim while driving through TN, and I’m so glad we did. The museum isn’t huge but it’s clean, colorful, interactive, and free! The people working there were so sweet and helpful. The gift shop has a mix of country decor, food products, every type of Bush’s beans, and cute merchandise. The shirts and goodies we picked up were decently priced. We didn’t try the restaurant but will next time. Definitely worth a visit.

Melissa Ann — Google review

I was greeted at the front door by two very friendly ladies who told me about the little movie they have about Bush and how it started and a small museum within the storeI found several varieties that I have not ever seen in the stores. So you know I had to buy them. I highly recommend stopping in and checking it out they have closed towels kitchen items wide variety of things I must stop in

Karen's Watson — Google review

This place is awesome!!! We happened to be driving through on a road trip and we saw a brochure at a rest are and decided to stop by on a whim. We’ve been eating Bush’s beans our whole life so why not! It was amazing!! First of all, it’s FREE!! There are not many free places like this in this day and age. And the quality of the little museum is top notch. It’s interactive for all ages. The staff are so friendly and helpful. We also ate at the cafe which was delicious and very reasonably priced. They also have a huge gift shop with a lot of neat items. We really enjoyed our visit and we know you will too. I filmed a more in depth YouTube video. If you’d like to check it out, the link is below!Bush's Baked Beans Factory Museum Tour + Cafe | FREE THINGS TO DO IN THE SMOKY MOUNTAINShttps://youtu.be/hqWfy72az7M

Katie Loveday — Google review

To be completely honest, I thought my family would be the only people there on a Friday afternoon in November. Boy, was I wrong. There were quite a few people there.. and for good reason. There are tons of photo ops, the museum is free and there is even a short video about the Bush family. We didn't have time to eat at the Cafe, but I heard it was yummy! If you're in the area, this place is worth checking out!!

Megan W — Google review

First time to Bushes Baked Beans was many years ago when I was trucking. The Visitors Center was not open then. Sad to say. Today with my parents we came to visit. We had a fun time looking at the displays, videos, gift shop and of course, beans! We were going to get some food in the cafe but there was a wait. We decided not to wait this time.All the employees were very welcoming, friendly and helpful!

Jeff Jipson — Google review

We stopped here while driving home from Pigeon Forge and everything was wonderful. The gift shop had all things related to Bush’s Beans like shirts, decor, plushes of Duke the dog and obviously cans of beans and bean dip and the little museum was very interesting. It’s a great place if you are a fan of Bush’s Beans and it’s free!

Jen Hlavay — Google review

Such nice hospitality from every employee and so much to see and learn about. The interactive display for all the products was great. Wonderful gift shop. Lunch at the Cafe was good, too

Jenny Reilly — Google review

OMG, the staff here is soooo friendly. Fantastic tour of their museum. Wonderful gift shop. Bet you can't get through this place without buying at least a can of beans. We had a meal at the family cafe and what a great meal and very reasonably priced. We were too full for dessert but after seeing some go by our table just had to try some and just like Bush's products it was a great dessert. Check out the tee shirts, very reasonably priced as well. So happy a fellow camper told us about this place.

Mark Preston — Google review

The museum/store/restaurant were very interesting and even better than anticipated. It is a great family friendly stop to learn about the Bush's commitment to community and family. Their family Bible is on display and speaks volumes about the source of their values. It was good to see that, though faith was not mentioned in any other way. They are a fine example of American entrepreneurship.

Mandy H — Google review

Bush's Visitor Center was an unexpected find as we were in the area touring. The center has a museum showcasing the history of the Bush family bean business through the years. There are plenty of interactive points throughout. Staff provided useful information during the self-guided tour. We even found Duke hiding in various places. The museum ends at the gift shop, which provides plenty of purchasing options. As you exit, you can visit the Bush Cafe for a nice meal. Great place to visit!

Dennis Burns — Google review

Super friendly, fun place to go!!It's a must if you are in the area. They have a pretty good menu. The employees are all nice and friendly. Service was great and didn't take long at all. We all got different dishes.After you eat you can visit their free Bush's museum. It's a very fun and interesting museum. Not boring at all, in case you think what can be fun about beans? Lots of good information, very well put together.You can watch a very interesting movie on how they process the beans all the way to the can... beginning in the can!It's fun for young and old. Very clean, spacious, you can learn fun facts, play the bean tic-tac-toc, etc.They also have a shop with fun stuff like clothing, souvenirs, a bean blanket, kitchen towels, etc. We even had free cans of beans!Excellent place! Loved it!!!

Carla Lowe — Google review

Greeted upon entering the visitor center and was giving some background information on the Bush's history before continuing on with the tour. There is a little store attached to the center with some interesting stock of Bush's products.

Lynn Livingston — Google review

Absolutely LOVED our visit today. We were greeted with such family oriented hospitality in ALL AREAS. We went through the museum, General store and finished up in the cafe! Wow!! Very interesting and will definitely look at Bush beans with more knowledge. The cafe food was Excellent and the pinto bean pecan pie was DELICIOUS!!! And tasted just like a pecan pie. The family history is awesome to see. The generations learned and continue to produce a great product plus focused on family oriented business, development and marketing. Integrity! Awesome work!

Doreen Vaughn — Google review

Super cute little place! It's free which was a major draw! Unfortunately, we didn't get to eat at the Cafe due to a bus load of people but maybe next time.Roll that beautiful bean footage.

Emily J M — Google review

Wow a great self tour of visitors center. We were pleasantly surprised. You learn the story of how Bush family started with Canned Tomatoes and branched into Baked Beans. A wonderful surprise.

Allan “Keep Life Simple” Sensenich — Google review

Who knew baked beans could be so interesting. In a self- guided tour you will learn the history of the Bush family and company and the process they use to produce their main lines of baked beans. The gift shop has a great variety. Sadly, the onsite cafe was too popular the day we visited. If you’re arriving near lunch time check the wait time when you arrive. It may be better to eat before your tour.

Rob Couch — Google review

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3901 Hwy 411, Dandridge, TN 37725, USA

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16

Great Smoky Mountains Railroad

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Museums

Scenic spot

The Great Smoky Mountains Railroad is a historic railway that takes passengers through scenic countryside in North Carolina. The railway operates throughout the year, providing visitors with an opportunity to see stunning views of the mountains and rivers below.

Such an amazing experience. The whole trip was about 4-5 hours long and so you can buy your lunch before the trip or pack lunch for yourself. The train ride was full of scenic forests, lakes, etc. The host and caretaker of each cabin was extremely nice and helpful with little drops of knowledge provided to the whole visitors. They also have a singer that entertains people with beautiful country songs. You do stop by a kayak/water rafting area for about an hour which was nice so you can rest for a little bit before heading back. Overall a amazing experience.

Peter Miral — Google review

We booked the Polar Express train ride for Christmas Eve. The parking is free and was easy to navigate.I was able to pick up the tickets with ease and hd plenty of time to look around before boarding the train.The boxcar that we were on was warm and had enough space to walk around and find our seat.We were disappointed that despite choosing seats together that initially assigned being at different at tables. Fortunately we were able to switch seats and sit together.The train ride was smooth and there were songs and cocoa with chocolate. I was most disappointed in the scenery which included excessive trash, tires, a car with two people strung out on drugs and things that took away from the experience of being on the "Polar Express".At the "North Pole" we were directed to look at different places related to Santa and Christmas. In reality, it was a persons house for each location with a sign in front stating what we should imagine it to be.For the price and the distance to get there, I would not book this experience again.

Krista Asp — Google review

Wonderful trip, Kim, in first class, it was really great at giving us lots of information along the way. The young lady, (sorry I forgot your name), who sold us our tickets, was fantastic at getting us the best seats. Definitely recommend doing this trip lots of fun for all members of the family.

Andrea Sparks — Google review

It was a nice relaxing ride on a steam train with great views of the Smokey Mountains. The food served was good and the service, great. However, this experience was made possible only by our server and hostess, Ginger! She was very knowledgeable of the history around the Nantahala. I think I can say that many of us in the Harper car loved talking with her. I can tell that she loves what she does and it shows. Kudos to you, Ginger! Once again, thank you for a memorable experience (and not because the my drink was knocked onto me)!

Ed A. — Google review

This was a really amazing way to easily see the landscape of the Smokies! Great for any train enthusiast and the tour was laid back and relaxing. An easy one-hour drive from Asheville. We went in early April in the first class open-air car. Bring a sweater as it was a bit breezy, but the fresh air was fantastic.Two things that detracted from the experience: First, on one side of the car (right as you are departing Bryson City) you face a lot of mountainside, which is not much of a view for a lot of the trip. Thankfully there is plenty of space for you to walk around the car and look over your neighbors to see the other side’s view. Secondly, a more formal spiel from the tour guide would have been appreciated for a history buff like me that isn’t too familiar with the area. This isn’t to say we didn’t learn a lot, but I think some of it got lost in the weeds.All in all, we had a great, relaxing time taking in the surroundings. When we visit NC next, we hope to catch this later in the spring or in the fall when the mountains have more color. Highly recommend!Oh, also, there’s a free model train museum!

Grant Lemasters — Google review

A great experience amazing staff but I do recommend if you travel during cooler/cold temps especially with rain bring a BLANKET & heavy jacket for open cars. We road today with temps and rain we froze on the open car. The layover is to short especially if you get the last train car the walk takes most of your time. But overall would recommend for people to see this beautiful scenery

Jackie Phillips (Jackie's Weight Loss) — Google review

We thoroughly enjoyed our trip! Kyle was our guide, and he was super informative and educated about the area. We had the first car with controlled climate, and has the meal service. Food was average but the train ride was awesome. No kids were on the car, so it was a nice trip for adults with some good humor to be had.

B Ten — Google review

Most excellent. Started off rainy and cloudy, but it cleared up. It was a great experience! Friendly and knowledgeable staff.Was in first class. Food was excellent.Did the Gorge run with a Diesel engine.They had an on board musician that went from car to car as well as a dedicated storyteller who grew up in the mountains that also went car to car.Recommend the excursion all the way!

Heath Sabin — Google review

Such a wonderful experience! Great for people of all ages! The loading process was quick and easy. There were many rail experiences to choose from and we chose the Nantahala Gorge trip. We had an absolute blast (even the teenager)! The rail car we were in was the Jackson and it was very cool and comfortable. There was a rail car that had a cafe for snacks, drinks, and eats (which we enjoyed). We will absolutely do this again and pick one of the other rail trips to see more of this beautiful place!

Melissa Connell — Google review

What a Wonderful way to see the Beautiful country side and Mountains of North Carolina. Very enjoyable ride in the open air. The town of Dillsboro for a layover was nice lots of shops to explore and places to grab a quick lunch. Would ABSOLUTELY do it again. Our 5 year old Grandson loved it as well. All around Great experience

pamela oliver — Google review

We took the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad for our daughter's birthday. We had a wonderful day. The open air car was perfect late September. The views were great, the concessions were plentiful and very reasonably priced. We stopped at the Natahala Outdoor Center to stretch our legs. The staff was wonderful and entertaining. They answered all of our questions. We will be taking this train again. I would love to see what these views when the leaves have changed to Fall colors. I highly recommend this attraction if you are in the area. Don't miss it.

Mark C (Christian, Veteran) — Google review

We booked the Sunset ride on a fairly warmer fall day in late October. We did the open air car and would recommend over an inside train car. The bench seats face the outside and you can easily get up and walk around vs the inside cars feel stuffy and seats are facing each other in the inside.Take a blanket and dress warm for once sun goes down, but completely worth it to have the open air to have better views and experience in my opinion.Views were awesome, ride was fun.Food, snacks, drinks, alcohol all available.

Justin Stegall — Google review

If you love fall foliage then be sure to book an autumn train ride in advance. They fill up fast and for good reason ... the views are incredible and the leaves are gorgeous! We rode about a week ahead of peak and it was still stunning. I highly recommend the open-air cars! There are speakers on them so you can hear all the interesting stories and facts about what you see on the ride. Halfway through you stop at the Nantahala Outdoor Center and can get off the train for a short bit. We had blankets and jackets/hats on-hand but ended up not needing them. We look forward to doing it again!

April Emery — Google review

Had a very relaxing ride seeing the scenery. We booked the open car with a meal. The day was beautiful! We had been years ago on the steam engine. This time we went further and saw Fontana. The trip takes about 4 hours.Don't worry.. restrooms and stops are included. You can also shop at Nantahala if you like.Book in advance so you will not be disappointed that they are sold out.They also do a Polar Express at Christmas 🎄. Check them out for themed trips down the rails. There is a variety of car options and food.

Sharon Bollinger — Google review

My experience may have been slightly different considering the theme/event selected for our train ride.The, "Uncorked" wine tasting train ride was absolutely remarkable. There are pros and cons to every experience you'll take part in.For starters, the cost was reasonable to say the least. Once you're on board you have the option to buy additional beverages and snacks but its not necessary. The ride was approximately 3 to 4 hours long. You will make a stop in a small town where you can grab a beer or 5 and a bite if you're not pleased by the meals served on board.A friendly reminder: YOU ARE ABLE TO CALL PROIR TO HAVE YOUR DIETARY NEEDS MEET!The food was not the best but it did the job after a little salt and pepper was added. They were a bit short staffed but who isn't right now? It was a bit cold on the train so bring a jacket if you get cold like me.There wasn't much of a sight as the ride went along outside of the river located in this area. Personally, I think train rides are soothing but if you're looking for a scenery the only one you'll get is of trash, locals waving from their porch and that river mentioned before.It's quite the experience and if you like a little country feeling on a train, good adult beverages with some historical facts about the area thrown in the mix this is an ideal adventure for you.

Anastasia M — Google review

We went on the 5 hour steam train ride and it was great! We rode in the open air car and the speed was perfect to help keep us cool on a VERY hot day but not windy at all. So if the wind is a reservation for you, it's not a problem. It was so nice having wide unobstructed views! The only time it was stuffy was waiting to move before getting started and when leaving the NOC. Employees were all friendly! Bring on your own snacks or you can purchase from the concessions car.

Jessica S — Google review

We did the first class seats where lunch is included. I got the pot roast and it was good, but the portions were a bit small. My wife got the pulled pork, she said the pork wasn't hot (temperature-wise) and the coleslaw wasn't cool - as if the food had been sitting out for a while. The ride was scenic and informative. Overall it was a nice way to spend a day. After it was over we toured their train museum and walked around Bryson City and checked out the various shops there.

Barry Rutherford — Google review

A nostalgic and fun afternoon. We took an adult only wine sampler trip. Plenty to drink and our hostesses were entertaining and attentive.The food portion was well thought out, but the shrimp were over cooked. Everything else was fine and we sure didn't leave hungry. In fact, don't eat a big breakfast if you book the Uncorked. You're going to start eating right after the train rolls.Using the steam locomotive on the way out was very cool. Lots of opportunities for photography.

Mike Papais — Google review

Fun trip. The "layover" was kind of useless if you want to eat or shop since there's not much time and it can be a long walk. Depends on which rail car you're in. Aside from that, the trip was awesome. There is so much to see. It's really beautiful. The storyteller was very interesting and informative. The crew was top-notch.

Jay M. — Google review

Our host, Nancy, was amazing!!We loved the trip and lunch.So much fun! The lunch and desserts were good. The entertainment was a nice touch. We like the souvenir bag and mugs.

MaryKay F — Google review

Brought the kids and my mother. It was great. Although we were the loudest in our cart. We were in the Catamount and it was decorated so perfect for the occasion. Don't know if I would spend that kinda money again but glad we experienced the Polar Express.

Chrissy Josey — Google review

Such a fun experience! Train ride was relaxing and informative and the food and drinks on board were nice too! I'd suggest not even buying a boxed lunch but bringing your own or buying a hotdog or snack on the train from the little diner train car.Also make sure to buy tickets on the correct side of the train. One side has better viewing potential. (If that side of the train is sold out, you honestly can't go wrong with either side as you'll still be able to see out to the other side.)

Sarah Peterson — Google review

The Polar Express was a wonderful holiday experience for my son. I’m not sure about all cabins, but we got a premium one and had a great time. The staff made it truly special for the kiddos and it was an overall great holiday memory. Gorgeous scenery.

Anita Bushnyakova — Google review

The train ride was very enjoyable. We chose First Class with a meal that was fantastic. A tour guide, in the train car, that shared the points of interest including the train wreck from “The Fugitive”with Harrison Ford. The train followed the river where we saw some Elk. We looked in the tree top for Eagles but were shut out this trip. We stopped in a lovely town with several shops. Definitely worth the trip.

South — Google review

It's a really fun experience and a beautiful ride. We prefer the open air cars for the views they offer. Just be aware this can be quite cold in the winter so wear thick clothing and bring/buy a blanket. The food offered is fine but not something to look forward to.

Todd Heath — Google review

Our second year making the Polar Express a tradition and had a great time. They go above and beyond to ensure you have an awesome experience and get in the Christmas mood. We usually go after Christmas but still thoroughly enjoy it. Can't wait to go back next year!!

Miranda Maw — Google review

4.5

(6643)40 Best Stops Between Charlotte and Nashville (122)

4.0

(3683)40 Best Stops Between Charlotte and Nashville (123)

45 Mitchell St, Bryson City, NC 28713, USA

(800) 872-4681

17

Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail

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Nature & Parks

Hiking Trails

The Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail is a picturesque, single-lane road that spans over 5.5 miles and winds through the beautiful mountainside. Along the way, visitors can enjoy views of well-preserved farms and take hikes to scenic waterfalls. The route offers an immersive experience into nature's beauty and provides an ideal getaway from city life.

Beautiful place to visit and enjoy the wildlife and see the historic buildings.

Timothy Jackson — Google review

Wow! Nature at its best. Scenic drive alongside beautiful creeks. Traffic is usually heavy and the drive being one way, there are delay’s for sure if a bear 🐻 is spotted . Lot of trails on the way and picturesque overlooks. Depending on what you are interested the drive may last from 1 -2 or 4-5 hour. Roaring fork is highly recommended !! Don’t miss it !

Rishikesh Nalapur — Google review

David Branam — Google review

This is a must visit attraction in great smoky mountains national park, Tennessee. Recommended for nature lovers. This a very scenic loop one-way drive of around 5.5 mile long and surrounded by amazing nature display. One can see streams, mills, old cabins, etc. The drive may take around 1-2 hours. There are also trails to rainbow and grotto falls and other nature trails located along this drive.

Nareshkumar Acharya — Google review

Stunning views, multiple picturesque vista points, serene, feels so close to nature that you don’t want to leave this place. Don’t miss this drive to get the feeling of what Smoky Mountains offers. River streams, Hiking trails, Tall Trees, cloudy peaks… Do whatever you enjoy the most, this place has everything !!

Piyush Bhatt — Google review

Such a great way to experience The Smoky mountains with minimal hiking/walking. There's a lot of history to see as well. Plenty of pull-off spots at the key points to be able to get out and look around, there are a couple good overlooks, as well as numerous places along the stream.Highly recommend this place at the end of a long day, a nice way to unwind and take in the relaxing scenery.

Jurgis Garbenis — Google review

4.9

(149)40 Best Stops Between Charlotte and Nashville (128)

4.5

(1795)40 Best Stops Between Charlotte and Nashville (129)

Tennessee 37738, USA

18

Smoky Mountain Deer Farm and Exotic Petting Zoo

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Zoo

Outdoor Activities

The Smoky Mountain Deer Farm & Exotic Petting Zoo is a great place for anyone who loves animals. You can feed deer and other exotic animals, see them up close, and take a ride on the petting zoo's horses and ponies.

My daughter loved feeding the animals. The goats were a bit overwhelming but still entertaining. This was also her first ever pony ride. The staff were pleasant and very informative. My only surprise was that you lead the pony ride yourself. I would have expected the trainers to handle that. Other than that the animals were all health and happy to see us all. The park was quite tidy and clean considering the nature of pens and stalls holding animals. I'll happily go back if I'm ever in town.

Johnathon Baker — Google review

we had a lot of fun here today. we walked through and engaged with all the animals and had a great time getting up close to some animals you wouldn’t have many opportunities to see up close the way we did today! They were all very friendly and came up to with us with or without food. I will say it was a bit off putting seeing rats running around in the Watusi enclosure and I see from other reviews this has been an issue for quite a while. I did not read the reviews until after our visit and I would like to say that there was not a kangaroo present today and some of the enclosures animals are in in previous reviews seem to have more space now. In relation to previous reviews I’ve just read; I really appreciate that anything we noticed health wise about the animals such as an abscess or a hurting leg on the horse, there were signs indicating that a vet had seen the animal and there was a treatment plan in place for that animal. A deer did nip at the my babies feet out of curiosity lol (did not hurt him) and we were informed on what to do and what not to do and how to stay safe in the enclosures which we really appreciated. All the staff we encountered were friendly and helpful. I thought the price was fair for the experience. Always use your own discretion up close interacting with exotic animals! Staff/company shouldn’t be blamed if you don’t follow instructions on signs and safety warnings! We were there until closing time and saw the animals being fed by staff.

lexi rollins — Google review

This was so much fun for the whole family! We really enjoyed the pony rides and being able to interact with all the exotic animals. They are incredibly friendly and mostly like to be pet, except for a few shy guys. I adore cows and the long horns are so so so sweet! They loved having their heads scratched. Even one of the elk leaned over the fence to give me a kiss! It was one of the best days ❤️ the staff are also very attentive and knowledgeable, but prepare to get dirty! You will be on a farm.

KeriLynn Frederick — Google review

Kids loved feeding the zebras, camels, swarms of deer and goats. Pony rides were great too; just a little short. Three loops max. Four would feel more satisfactory. Still fun. Friendly staff.

Vick Carson — Google review

Very cool place, seems like you're driving into the middle of nowhere, but keep driving you will get there. Staff was all very happy, friendly and informative. Animals seemed happy and well cared for. Their living areas were all very clean too. You can walk through in about an hour and feed just about every animal there and they will eat from your hand. You can also go inside the goat area to pet them and you can pick up the baby goats if you wish to do so. You can go into a deer station and pet them too. This place has rabbits, turkeys, emus, Llamas, donkeys, exotic bovines, deer, goats, camels, birds, zebras and other animals. It cost about $40 for 2 adult admissions with a large souvenir feed cup and 2 sliced up apples to feed the animals. It's about 20 minutes from Pigeon Forge but worth the drive. This looks like a great place to take kids.

A C — Google review

I enjoyed this secluded little farm of exotic animals. This was my boyfriends first time at a zoo and it was fairly priced and not too crowded. I think the unique thing that this place has against other places is the deer. You can actually go in their gate and feed them and pet them. It was a lot of fun and a beautiful day for it.

Savannah Keller — Google review

We arrived a little early and were greeted by a gate so if you're fixin' to get there earlier than opening DON'T.Went on a hour trail ride. The staff are friendly and the horses are well trained for trail riding.My mom has bad hips and needed a hand getting her leg over. The next day after the ride she said her hips felt loosened up and she was in less pain. She said she'll be doing more horseback riding.The trail ride was pleasant and my horse a little sassy but well trained.The horses like people have different personalities and the horses we got matched us well.Also if you weigh more than 250lbs you can not ride. They do have a scale and they are serious about the well being of their horses.There are quite a few places to go horseback riding but we were glad to choose this place. Definitely would go back again

Amalia Rodriguez — Google review

What a great place with a variety of animals! Came here with my 3yr old and 1yr old. My 3 yr old rode a pony and I liked that I could walk the pony alongside her instead of staff doing it. Feeding the animals was such a fun experience. We ALL enjoyed it. The deer were really gentle that my 1yr old was feeding them. Got to pick up a baby goat too! We spent a good 2hrs here. Highly recommend for families.

Annette Powell — Google review

We loved it! We saw so many different animals! Elk, Zebra, Ostriches, Goats, Turkeys, Reindeer, & more. We got to go in the Goat pen & Deer pen for pets. It was all so cool! My 5 year old wanted to go back the next day :)

Stephanie Barnes — Google review

This little gem is a great opportunity for the little ones to interact with the animals. They had so much fun petting them and feeding them! Inexpensive prices and so much to offer. We went during our kid’s spring break so there was a lot of people but overall we were still able to enjoy ourselves. Kind staff and the animals look well kept. Would highly recommend and come back!

Nina Kue-Contreras — Google review

Super cool place to take your kids while in Smoky Mountains, the animal variety was amazing and the interaction was superb. I was a little saddened I didn't get to ride the horses, when I got there I didn't know you have to be below 250lbs 😔... other than that loved the place and staff was very nice and friendly.

Angel Rodriguez — Google review

The highlight of our trip! We are visiting town from Orlando and I’m so glad we visited Smokey Mountain Deer Farm, my son yelled “that was better than Disney” right when we got in the car. The animals were so great with the kids, you could get so close, closer than any zoo I’ve been to. 10/10 would recommend!

michael bertalan — Google review

Great petting zoo to visit with the kids! The employees were super friendly and helpful. You get a big cup of feed for the animals for only $3.50. The entire place is very stroller friendly, which was appreciated! It's fairly easy to get to, but away from the busy areas, and it's not overpriced like most area attractions.

Ashley C — Google review

I was supposed to post this review in May, but I completely forgot. This place is amazing! This was our 2nd time here. After we pet and fed animals, we took our daughter to ride the ponies, but the weight limit is 100 lbs. She weighed 105 lbs so she couldn't ride them. She was crushed, however when we went to get a refund, they offered her a ride on a horse instead! She was the happiest little girl that day and could not stop talking about it! Thank you so much Exotic Deer Farm! You made our daughters day that day and I'm so thankful! <3

Candycore Razorcake — Google review

We had so much fun. It is a very friendly place for animal lovers. We spent about 2.5 hours there, and my kids made sure to hug and love each and every goats, deers, and feed all the other animals. We got there at 10 am, we got useful instructions and feed at the shop. We purchased 3 cups of feed and 3 apples, and it was enough to feed everyone. You'd need to bring in quarters if you want to feed the emus because their food is coming from a dispenser next to their pasture. My kids had the best time. Thank you so much.

kriszti e — Google review

This was so much fun!! We don't have kids and decided to just go ourselves... Adults, you can totally enjoy this visit without little ones 😊 My husband and I got to hold baby goats, fed tons of unique animals, and were swarmed with an overload of cuteness! You can go in the pens for both the goats and the deer and you can feed all the animals there (just make sure to read the signs on what they can eat). We split one large souvenir cup of feed between the two of us and it was plenty. Had a lot of fun and definitely recommend!Just a note... you WILL get dirty and smell. Wear clothes and shows you are comfortable with getting messy. Bring something to change into if you plan on going back out or go home to change.

Sabrina Sullivan — Google review

After having a horrible experience at Ripley's Aquarium in Gatlinburg, this trip could only go up. The woman at the beginning clearly explained the rules and instructions. The layout of the farm is a big loop and it's easy to see everything so you don't have to worry about whether you missed an animal pen. They are also all labeled clearly what animal is in there. There are workers constantly going around checking their pens and cleaning/feeding. The animals seem to be well cared for. The prices for admission are cheap, the feed and apples are cheap. Just don't forget to bring some quarters for the special containers of feed for the birds and baby llama. Overall, so much fun! We will definitely come back again to try the horse riding!

Brianna Bailes — Google review

The absolute most amazing place ever! So happy I found this gem of a place! It is very affordable and very fun! The animals are so sweet and friendly. It is awesome you get to feed them and interact with them. The deer area is my favorite! Highly recommend this place, great for family fun!

Sara Ware — Google review

We're from Indiana, decided to have a girls day with 4 of my girls ages 8, 10, 10, & 17. My 8 year old daughter is autistic, (more so doesn't go out of her comfort zone, gets scared of noises and such.)I was worried about her going alone because, she's only riden as a small child. She was nervous driving there however, our leader was more than a leader. She got right on 0 issues and did amazing! She stayed right behind him, he was amazing at being very kind to us, explaining everything along the way making her fit right in, along with the rest of us. We originally made reservations else where (without searching around) they had to cancel on us. I'm so happy they did, because we ended up where fate led us, HERE. One day i hope to come back. Amazing memories, staff, horses & views. We also got to choose if we wanted a helmet or not. 10/10 recommend. Thank you, again!

Sontanna Godwin — Google review

Locals and Tourists alike, attention please. Families just cannot pass this place up. If you’re looking for a family friendly farm (FFF) look no further.🐪This farm is amazing. If you like the foothill country- side and a solid variety of domestic and exotic animals, this is your place.🤠The admission prices are super reasonable and the owners and staff are community renowned.Adults (13 & up) $15.99Kids (3 – 12) $9.99Kids (1 – 2) $0.99Kids (under 1) $0.09🐃This wonderful place is hardly ever closed, except for holidays, you’ll find hard working folks here:Open everyday 10 AM–5:30 PM🫎 They offer a petting zoo experience with perks. All of the animals are safely contained. The ambitious pathway is fun and adventurous with enough room for kiddos and adults alike, with the privilege to touch all of the exotic and domestic animals!🐴 They have Horseback riding through the Smokys!30 minute ride $26.9945 minute ride $29.9960 minute ride $32.99Doubling fee $9.99🎠Pony rides as well. Need I say more?Pony Ride $9.99🦚 The souvenir/ admission shop is friendly, climate controlled and offers facilities for the call of nature.Animal and adventure lovers of any age will love this place. For a laid back, mountain- countryside farm, this place just does it. Come on over for the animals and fun and then stay for the hometown warmth. ❤️‍🔥

Andre Donald — Google review

We called a week before to book the horse ride. When we got there, there were only 2 other scheduled groups for the day. We went on a Monday. We got there an hour before the trail ride so we went into the petting zoo first. We bought a cup of food and 2 apples. There’s so many animals and many different pens. You can go into the goat pen and the deer pen. The deer are very food excited but honestly don’t love to be pet. The horse ride was very pretty. Definitely didn’t feel like an hour. We saw some deer laying in the trees too. Our horses were very well behaved. I rode Pete and my husband rode Comanche.

Danielle Gibson — Google review

One of my best memories in the area by far!! I loved getting to see the deer and goats up close and feed them. The other animals were all really awesome to see as well. Def recommend for all!!

Michelle Hughes — Google review

4.7

(2241)40 Best Stops Between Charlotte and Nashville (134)

4.5

(1429)40 Best Stops Between Charlotte and Nashville (135)

478 Happy Hollow Ln, Sevierville, TN 37876, USA

(865) 428-3337

19

Smoky Mountain River Rat Main Tubing Outpost

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Raft trip outfitter

Water & Amusem*nt Parks

Theme Parks

Smoky Mountain River Rat offers tubing gear and family-friendly trips on the Little River, making it a top activity in the Smokies. Adult tickets for tubing down two separate river courses are just $15 with the option to tube as many times as you like. The outfitter caters to kids aged 2 and up and is dog-friendly, making it an ideal experience for families. Booking online saves you $2 off ticket price, so take advantage of this great deal!

This is such a great time!! My family really enjoyed the chill side. Our daughter loves jumping off the cliff. Actually got my mom out there who has never done anything like this. This was our second time and many more to go!! Thanks for the great service and awesome time. The only thing I would do is have someone out there selling food.

Ben Albert — Google review

This was soooo much fun and such great value for money!! We purchased the tickets in advance and this helped us save about $10 per ticket and also helped us keep our appointment time (others were asked to come back 1.5hrs later as slots was completely booked). There is ample parking space and restrooms/changing rooms in both outposts A and B.We went on a holiday so the queue to check in was really long. We realize later that there is also a check in at outpost B that is relatively less crowded.Outpost B is a shorter route and definitely more adventurous with 3 amazing rapids. It is less crowded than Outpost A which is more popular, longer, has many smaller rapids and the rock jumps. We started with outpost B (went through it twice) and then went to outpost A.Having a stick really helps push yourself in the calm waters! Happy tubing.. we would love to come back here someday.

Neha Vl — Google review

We had a great time, water was cold but felt good to me with the heat, very clean facility. Easy and quick pick up at the end of ride so you can go again. Price was awesome, would suggest getting one of the paddles to help you control your tube, can't take anything as far as ice chest is just you on a tube that has 2 handles and the life jacket they require you have, you don't have to wear it but have to keep it with you.

Nolana Farrar — Google review

Took a large group of 14 ages 5-69! Water was low so some of us went slower and got stuck on rocks, but overall very fun time! Point A is for all family and has a spot to stop and jump off rocks for those brave enough to do so! Very busy, so don't go if you want a serene float down river. Point B has more rapids and is shorter but with low water it was difficult to navigate. Would try again when water is at normal level. More peaceful because less people on river. Float by lots of busy campgrounds and people are in water having fun, but still peaceful. Cost is very reasonable for all day adventure, but make sure to purchase prior to visit.

Brandi Bellow — Google review

We had a blast! We went down the family friendly side with my family and we all had a great time. I highly suggest to buy a stick or paddle, it helped us several times. Sometimes the water is very low and you get a little stuck within the rocks and need a little push, or you might come to an area that the water is not moving as much and need an extra little push with the paddle. In the area where the rocks are for you to jump off, keep a close eye on your tubes. We had an extremely rude grown man take our tubes after I repeatedly told him it was my husband and sons, he did not care and walked over me and stole them from us. It might be helpful to have staff keep an eye on this area as I felt very uncomfortable having a grown man walk over me and take my belongings.

Rosaline Hernandez — Google review

My wife and I went tubing here for the day and it was a great experience. There are two separate outposts, and you can do both (and you might as well because you pay for it) and they're within a mile of each other. Definitely kid friendly and even pet friendly (you can put your dog in a special tube if you want) the staff were very cheerful and helpful as well. If you make a reservation online you will save approximately $5 per person. The main stretch takes about 2 hours to float down the river from start to finish while the second one is only about an hour. (2 miles, and one mile, respectively). Highly recommend if your on vacation or even just a relaxing day on the river. You need to either bring water shoes with you or purchase a pair there because when the water is low you have get out of your tube and walk short distances on slippery rocks. I would also recommend bringing a long walking stick or buying one there to help push off rocks if you get stuck. Overall has a great time here would definitely recommend.

Mitchell Brock — Google review

Even with a long line and humidity, wait time moved along quickly and we were greeted with a cold water hose and friendly staff. Perfect place to experience Tennessee with family visiting from out of state. Found our new favorite place in the warmer months. We will for sure be coming back.

Dopey 'slilgirl Gonzalez — Google review

Great place for family's to have a good time. There was a food truck available to get some snacks with a little picnic area to sit. The store had sunscreen, hats and water shoes available to purchase should you need them. All the staff was very helpful and friendly. The process to buy tickets was quick and easy. Everyone in the group had a blast.

Tisha Bain — Google review

Outstanding service from ALL employees, beginning to end.No need to buy trip needs from Walmart etc... not only is trip reasonably priced, buy shoes, oar for pushing, dry bags, all competitive prices, they don't trap you at last minute for buying there.Do not fret crowds, always looked packed when we drove by, we live here, but finally decided to try it with grandchildren visit, looks crowded, is not, plenty of parking, fast moving ticketing, life vest dressing (no add charge), tube and river entry. Crowd breaks up and go at your own pace. All this at july 4 week... wish we had gone sooner.

Glenn Wiehe — Google review

This 2as one of our absolute favorite things too do... We would have done it a 2nd time if we hadn't already made plans for something else.. it was awesome, beautiful views.. calm floating and then several awesome rapids, definitely plan on getting wet... I recommend getting a paddle or stick.. 10 out of 10 of things to do on Vaca!! Definitely bring a bad to keep your items dry, plenty of calm rafting for pics.. we might go back and bring the dogs🐶❤️..

James Vinson — Google review

River tubing was an absolute blast! Outpost A took about 2 hours and was pretty smooth except for a few bumpy parts. Outpost B took about an hour but had more intense rapids. I highly recommend getting a push stick to help you along the river (they sell them for $7 in the gift shop). Also highly recommend a waterproof phone pouch to take on the river with you

C E — Google review

Really fun for all! Came with my 5 year old nephew. We did outpost A & B. A is more calmer waters & B is more rapids and way shorter float time. You pay for both though. PAY IN ADVANCE ONLINE. They sell out fast and you will have to wait. The whole thing last about 2-4 hours. Pretty views. Check the website for water levels because we went when the water was average and there were spots we had to get out and walk or we got stuck. They sold “push sticks” and paddles for this reason. So if water is super low it may not be the best time to go. Plenty of spots to swim and there is a really good burger restaurant next to outpost B ! Check it out!

Heather D — Google review

This was our second visit and so worth it. One of my favorites. Great family experience for all ages. Staff is very friendly and a very organized process, all the working parts move smoothly. Recommend booking online and at least a day in advance. Will save you money and guarantee you will have a spot. We booked the day of on our most recent trip and we were still able to get our group of 8 but it is extra per person to book the day of. The scenery is beautiful and a nice mix of lazy, chill floating and other areas that move faster and a little bumpy. The water is cold but very refreshing! About half way down the river is a neat spot to stop and there is a deep hole where they have installed a ladder on a piece of rock. You can climb out and jump in. Nice bit of adventure along the way. There are picnic tables you could pack a lunch and eat on the property before or after you float down the river. The grounds are surrounded by beautiful mountain views and everything is kept very clean. The shop items are very reasonably priced for water shoes, paddles and sticks to use while you tube if you forget to bring any items. Life jackets are provided for all sizes. There are changing rooms as well. You could make a whole day of it if you wanted. Between both our trips we had my 3 sons, my nephew and nieces between ages 5-16 and they all thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

Mary Weezie Canada — Google review

The float was nice, except for the fact that the current is not strong enough to keep you moving if the water level is "average". My group was perfectly capable of getting ourselves downstream, but anyone who cannot easily get themselves in and up from the float should not be allowed to go. Our group had to help 3 separate older people get to the exit. They were unable to move because the water wasn't flowing in some areas and they were trapped. Two people were pushed from about halfway and another was helped from the end to the exit. One of the people had previously suffered strokes and his left side was limp for the most part. Why on earth would they allow someone to go if it puts them and anyone helping them in danger.?. They need safety precautions in place and to ensure those going understand they need to be strong enough to get themselves downstream in some areas.

Misty Ryan — Google review

Such a fun experience! Our Guide Liam was super awesome he gave us the best white water rafting experience! Would go back again!

Angelica Ponte — Google review

4.6

(2619)40 Best Stops Between Charlotte and Nashville (140)

4.5

(1640)40 Best Stops Between Charlotte and Nashville (141)

205 Wears Valley Rd, Townsend, TN 37882, USA

(865) 448-8888

20

Cumberland Gap National Historical Park

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National reserve

Nature & Parks

Gateway to the West with historic structures & ruins, trails, cave tours, waterfalls & more.

This park is beautiful! The overlooks are incredible! Worth the drive if u don't live close by! Eastern Kentucky has beautiful mountains!! There is a huge parking area & bathrooms available.

April Dudgeon — Google review

I was very surprised about this historical park which definitely exceeded all my expectations! There’s lots to see here and you can hike so many trails! I highly recommend going up the Pinnacle overlook as the view is worth the drive or hike! Also, make sure to bring the stamp book as there is lots of stamps at the visitor center!

Daniel Duran — Google review

Beautiful, historic, and lots to see and hike. So many things to see and can bring the family. The welcome center was really cool as well and highly recommend stopping in there to check out. Our family loves it!

Allyson Williams — Google review

Beautiful, serene, pleasant, historic National Park! Presently a Florida resident, I've been visiting the area for nearly twenty years (my partner owns a farm 17 miles east of the park.) I am embarrassed to admit this was my first visit to this area of the park (there are several different areas of the park) I can't believe this Beautiful, historic "hidden gem" has been right " under my nose" for the last twenty years and we just discovered it's peaceful splendor. From my knowledge of the area, this is the western entrance/side of the park. Located near the towns of Cumberland Gap and Middlesboro. The park offers a superb diversion from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. It provides a safe, quiet, natural experience perfect for all ages to enjoy an outdoor experience with lots of fresh air. Regardless if visiting alone or with a group, the park offers many opportunities for recreational activities or relaxation naturally. There are trails for hiking and walking, featuring rivers, streams, waterfalls and scenic views. Well maintained and clean picnic shelters. The park welcome center is a great place to start your visit, surrounded by plenty of complimentary parking. The restroom facilities were clean and well managed. Of course, the absolute "highlight " for my partner and I is the abundance of wildlife within the park. Park Rangers maintain a visible presence in the park, making a visit to the park very safe. Whether you plan to visit for a few hours or the entire day, Cumberland Gap National Park is a perfect escape from the "norm". If you're in the area, and can use a breath of fresh air, you should definitely check out this beautiful, peaceful and historic National Park. Oh, I did i mention there is no charge to enjoy this great park?!?!

Alan Harlow — Google review

Beautiful park in the Fall when the leaves are changing. If you like to hike there are several trails to choose from ranging from easy to hard. If you aren't into hiking you can drive up to the Pinnacle and a short, paved, handicap friendly path takes you right to the overlook. From the overlook you can see straight off to the Smoky Mountains in the distance, Joppa Mountain, and, of course, the Cumberland Gap. The visitors center is a great place to stop and get information about the park. Upstairs you can sit in some very comfortable rocking chairs and watch 3 short videos about the history of the park and Cumberland Gap which played a vital park in the countries expansion westward.

Sherry Clay — Google review

Day we went, there was a lady at the visitors' center showing how textiles were made by pioneers. She was very pleasant and informative. Held my girls attention. We drove up to Pinnacle Overlook, spectacular views, and a very curvy road. We hiked to the iron furnace and the Cumberland Gap historical marker from a parking lot in Virginia. Going to the landmarks was all uphill. Rangers in the visitors center were very helpful. Don't forgot you Passport Stamps! (They have a soft pad under the stamping surface,so don't rock stamp around too much or it's unreadable).

Erin Cecil — Google review

Great hiking, so much to take in! We parked at the earthworks and then hiked up to the Pinnacle. The view is amazing! Be sure to stop by the visitors center for some great history, and if you're lucky you might catch some reenactors, too

Rebecca Napier — Google review

Had a great time here. My only regret is that I wasn't able to budget more time this trip. The views were awesome and the park is very well kept. I am trying to line up a trip early fall before the color change crowd rolls in.

Ron Baker — Google review

We went out of way on our trip to visit the Gap. It was well worth it. The only thing I wish is that there was more clarity that there was a hike to the tri state point. We were not prepared time wise or how we were dressed. It was something we were looking forward to but were not able to take the time. Beautiful area!

Anna Zoromski-Linde — Google review

There are picnic tables along the drive to the overlook. Spectacular 180 degree view of 3 states. It's cool also that you get to see both ends of the Cumberland Gap Tunnel from Tennessee to Kentucky while standing on Virginia.4 miles of switchbacks and hairpin turns to get to the top. Elevation of 2,440 feet.You can drive or you can hike. Next time we will go back and hike.

Owen Cook — Google review

Beautiful park with breathtaking overlooks. Great walking trails with adequate rest areas. Bathrooms are well maintained and clean. Parking lot is large and plentiful. I would recommend going before or after the summer heat.

Adam H — Google review

Visitor Center is very clean, cool (in summer time), well decorated, and extremely helpful staff that give individual attention and help with maps and drawings if needed. There's a good sized shop inside and 2 10ish minute films to watch. Masks are a requirement for inside as of July 2022 but they provide them if you forget. Restrooms can be accessed outside not from inside Visitor Center. Top hikes and pinnacle are easily accessible from Visitor Center with plenty of parking and markers/signs.

Hannah Thornton — Google review

We had an amazing time exploring this area. What a beautiful National Park. Trails are well maintained and marked. We absolutely will come back again to explore more.

Emily Eldridge — Google review

Hadn't been to the Pinnacle since my son was probably 1 so nearly 15 years later we finally got to come back. It was a beautiful day and not very crowded like some of the other Parks. Great views and also saw some of the wildlife going up. My whole family enjoyed it. We will be back soon.

Tammy Smith — Google review

The fall foliage is in full shift, and the views are breathtaking! Go all the way to the top to the Pinnacle for spectacular panoramas. If you are on a motorcycle, your skills better be up to the task for numerous challenging hairpin switchbacks. It is worth the ride, whether you're in a car/van/truck or on a motorcycle. Don't miss it!!

Mike — Google review

A lovely area good for a quick picnic or a good hike. Absolutely gorgeous view at Pioneer Lookout at the top and the Park Rangers were very polite and helpful. Would love to come back here when I have time to do a long hike.

Magic Fidget — Google review

If you're going into Tennessee and passing by, I highly recommend the quick stop to check out this amazing view. Over 2,500 feet up, you can see three three states in one place. There is a short walk from the parking lot. Restrooms are also located at the parking area.

James — Google review

Trails are good lengths, some flat and some a little challenging. But overall, it's very beautiful for hiking. The road to Pinnacle Point is a very curvy road. But also a beautiful drive.

Lois Ditzer — Google review

Hiked from Civic Park to Sand Cave with an overnight in the camp site. I thoroughly enjoyed the trip, but this hike is not for the faint of heart.

Zacque Hitchco*ck — Google review

Oh my gosh! This is such a beautiful and historic American Icon. How the west was won starts here! There is a great visitors center and so many hiking options. The drive through the Gap Tunnel is so cool.I saw wildlife and nature’s stunning vistas galore! I love it here!

Chris Powers — Google review

4.8

(3191)40 Best Stops Between Charlotte and Nashville (146)

4.5

(608)40 Best Stops Between Charlotte and Nashville (147)

Middlesboro, KY 40965, USA

(606) 248-2817

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21

Cades Cove

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Ravine

Sights & Landmarks

Cades Cove is a valley located in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park that offers a scenic drive through preserved homesteads and churches, providing a glimpse into mountain life 150 years ago. The Cove's 11-mile loop allows for leisurely exploration, with opportunities to observe wildlife such as black bears along the way. Short trails provide additional access to the area's natural beauty. Take your time and soak in the history and stunning views of this popular destination.

Absolutely gorgeous! Beautiful scenery plus lots of wildlife we saw lots of deer, horses, turkey and plenty of other birds.

Jessica Peters — Google review

This was my third time being at Cades Cove in Tennessee. I've had the opportunity to see several black bears on each occasion. I got within 20 feet of one this time and got some great videos along with photos. There are also several deer along with other wildlife. The backdrop of the smoky mountains all around you is worthy of the trip as well. This is an 11 mile loop that you can drive at your own pace with several locations to pull off for photo opportunities.

Jamie Sharp — Google review

This was so much fun. Definitely bring snacks and drinks if you are going through in your car. It was such a cool experience to see how they lived. I loved getting out and going through the houses. It was also a great view of the mountains and wildlife. While we were driving through, there was a bear behind the fence, and it was awesome to see it so close. Another great thing is that a park ranger went to where the bear was spotted and made sure everyone and the bear was safe.

Ellie Wallace — Google review

One of my favorite places to go, to meditate and pray after a long week. Whether I see bears or not, I love the landscape and scenery, especially the clouds against the mountains.

Susan Shafer — Google review

A great drive though nature with beautiful sights at every turn. The loop is spectacular with trees, rapids filled streams and flowers where ever you look. The store and bicycle rental is convenient and fun to look through. They have a wide range of souvenirs and items for sale. A very peaceful place to visit or to camp.

Louis and Elaine — Google review

Beautiful place to vacation year-round,Me and my family have been going as a tradition since the early 1950s from the hiking trails to the wildlife to having a peaceful ride around the loop, there is some thing for everyone, and I look forward to coming back every year!

Finley Martin — Google review

I wanted to see a bear so bad but I don’t think they are out too much yet. We did see lots of deer and turkey! It was a beautiful drive plus we managed to hit a quiet time so there wasn’t a ton of traffic yet either!

Holly — Google review

Many very nice sights to see! The views of the mountains are unbelievable! There are many smaller structures some dating back 200 years! Small pull offs and trails all along the way! We saw many deer, unfortunately no bears tho. The loop is one way with many sights to see! Definitely worth the drive!

David Schuwerk — Google review

When exploring the Smoky Mountain National Park, don't miss Cades Cove. It's 11-mile loop provides access to a variety of homesteads and churches that give insight to life in the mountains 150 years ago. Take your time. Enjoy the views. Read the signs. Look for wildlife. Allow yourself to be transported back in time to a much younger America.

James Aderman — Google review

This is another must visit attractions in great smoky mountains national park. This a very scenic 11 mile one way loop road that offers amazing views of the nature and wildlife. You can slowly drive along the loop road or even do biking. Cars are not allowed on Wednesday but you can bike or walk down the loop. Rest of the days cars are allowed. One can easily spend 2 to 4 hours depending on the slowness of traffic. Most of the times traffic slows down if they see any wildlife. There is a visitor center located half way the loop road where there is restroom and a small gift shop. Most of the times one can see bears, deers, turkeys, etc.,. There is also a information center at the start of the loop. This is definitely recommended.

Nareshkumar Acharya — Google review

Amazing views and chance to see wildlife! Get there early before traffic backs up too much and stop at restrooms at campground before you depart, could be long time till next restroom at visitors center.

Kent 19 — Google review

It was wonderful. We made the circle 3 times. In the first lap we enjoyed the nature and saw 2 coyotes, we started the second lap around 6:30 pm and we managed to see a black bear and lots of roe deer, and the third lap was magical because the meadows were full of fireflies. We haven't seen fireflies for a long time in our country, barely one a year and this was really magical for us. We enjoyed it, it was like being in a fairy tale. The road is 11 miles long and goes only one way, but since there is always a lot of cars, and everyone wants to see and take photo of both the scenery and animals, the first lap with few stops lasted 2 hours. We drove for almost 4 and a half hours and we are not sorry. We enjoyed it to the max. Must see for everyone.

Jelena Vujevi? — Google review

I've been wanting to go for years and it was great! Don't go in expecting to be out in under an hour. The loop is not meant to drive through fast and if you want to finish in under that, just don't go. You may see some wildlife but if people see a bear, they act ridiculous. If you're expecting to see a bear, you may want to just try a nature trail or short nearby trail. Bear sitings aren't always guaranteed.

J Hart — Google review

We had an awesome time driving through here! I came in the off season so it was slightly less crowded than usual, but still pretty busy. We saw two bears, some wild turkey, and a fox which was cool. Overall this was a super scenic drive that I would definitely recommend to anyone in the area!

Ethan Unverferth — Google review

Nice, fun loop to drive through. Daily access is super cheap and there's plenty of rest stops and bathrooms along the way. There's beautiful landscapes all around and plenty of critters abound. Just keep an eye out for the black bears, as when they show up, everyone is going to stop in their tracks and take pictures as they travel.

Sean Green — Google review

My husband and I hiked the Abrams Falls trail. The trail was absolutely beautiful and we had a wonderful time. The drive there, however, was a bit stressful. They have signs on the scenic loop saying not to stop. We got behind several people who stopped every time they saw a deer or sometimes for no reason at all. There are many areas that allow you to pull off the road to stop and look, but many people just stop in the road and no one can pass. The road is a single one way lane. We ended up taking about 30+ minutes to drive the short distance to the trail head. Leaving was even worse. So if you go, please be courteous and pull over if you want to stop to look.

Stephanie A Walker — Google review

Beautiful view. Go well fed, bring snacks for the kids, use the bathroom before you go. It's a one way loop with other cars and pulloffs. Don't stop in the road. Do stop at the visitor center, look up hours of operation and expect to spend more than an hour to make it through.

Kelly South — Google review

Breathtakingly beautiful scenery. We were hoping to see bears on our visit, but we didn't spot any this time. We enjoyed seeing deer and turkeys. The untouched vast landscapes are phenomenal. I'd highly recommend this drive to anyone.

Jennifer Sullivan — Google review

A must see scenic route! If fortunate, you’ll see wildlife. Note: sometimes it’s possible to not see any, but still give it a shot! You won’t be disappointed regardless because the scenery is breathtaking!

Jereomy Clark — Google review

I’ve been going here my entire life and it never gets old. Amazing views of scenery and wildlife. Ignore the review from the guy who said there were no restrooms on the loop, there are multiple restrooms along the loop. Check this place out.

Scottie Evans — Google review

One of our favorite places to go while visiting Great Smoky Mountains National Park. An easy to drive scenic loop full of beautiful nature, wildlife and history. If you are lucky you might even get to see a black bear.

Warren’s Reviews — Google review

I don’t understand the hype about driving through this valley. There are so many other beautiful areas of the park with breathtaking vistas. It is a good location if you want to see some old wood cabins and churches built by the first European settlers.

Carol matthews — Google review

Just visited in the beginning January and it was still absolutely beautiful. We even got to see some deer. Plan on spending 2 to 4 hours to see the whole loop And probably worse when it is busy. There is only one restroom I noticed on the whole loop. Definitely worth the visit.

Catherine Jones — Google review

Beautiful park and very friendly staff at the park store. We didn't see any bears because they were hibernating. We did see plenty of whitetail deer, though. Can't wait to go back in April when the bears are out.

Traveling Construction Superintendent — Google review

Always enjoy seeing the deer, foxes, bears, etc . Also, there are many rustic cabins, churches, and an old mill. Many trails to explore, a waterfall, an old cave, and many other things to see. During the warmer months, they have entertainment such as rustic music, srup, or molasses making at the visitors center at the halfway point

Philip Steen — Google review

This place is a gem!If you end up going, don’t stop in the middle of the road!! There are places to pull off the road literally everywhere, yet folks were still stopping smack dab in the middle. It’s a one-way loop, and when you stop, you hold everyone up. Don’t be that person.

Keith Lawler — Google review

Cades cove always delivers awesome beautiful trip sad I didn't see a bear but very beautiful also if you visit please don't allow your children to write on things

Michelle Abbott — Google review

Beautiful place to visit especially if you have kids who love exploring and seeing animals. I do recommend going during the week and at lunchtime or later afternoon. Those have been the slowest times and we were able to explore without feeling rushed!

Kaitlyn Lawhorn — Google review

4.7

(2889)40 Best Stops Between Charlotte and Nashville (160)

4.5

(5599)40 Best Stops Between Charlotte and Nashville (161)

Tennessee 37882, USA

22

Zoo Knoxville

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Zoo

Zoos & Aquariums

The Knoxville Zoo is a great place to visit for families with kids, as it offers educational experiences and plenty of activities to keep everyone entertained. From camel rides and carousels to splash pads and even a family petting zoo, there's something for everyone at this zoo.

I have been coming here since 2000 with my family. We are proud members! One of our favorite zoos. Not as big as the Nashville zoo, but they just seem to have better Layout /Exhibits / Lot of places to stop and rest with benches, Picnic tables. Not to meet you boo with the zoo but Halloween is our favorite thing every year. I don’t like the fact to expose you have to go through the gift shop to exit the zoo. Now that usually causes a little problem with the kids. That really the only thing I hate about this zoo. Should be an option to exit without going through the gift shop.

Carolyn Smith — Google review

One of the best zoos I've been to. The animals seem happy and active, and not only are the exhibits top notch with multiple view points, some of which are inside (with A/C!), but the walking paths are engaging with thoughtfully placed water misters and shade! So much care for the animals and guests. Plenty of attractions to keep kids happy, the food is actually good and reasonably priced. Definitely worth a trip!! 10/10

Megan Bormuth — Google review

I live about 45 minutes away from Knoxville and yearly we get memberships to the zoo. I highly recommend doing so if you live in the area! The zoo is smaller than many zoos, but still has a lot to do and see for kids of all ages. They’ve recently renovated their habitat for reptiles and it looks great! They host seasonal events and activities (Boo at the Zoo, dinosaur takeover, etc.). The splash pad is great, the petting zoo and play area are cute, and the food at the restaurants are (expectedly) overpriced, but good quality. They do well in their maintenance and cleanliness and it seems like the animals are well cared for.

Megan Fletcher — Google review

We love Zoo Knoxville! My daughter adores all her animal friends who live at the zoo. She is a big fan of monkeys, red pandas, ghiraffes, otters, and tigers. The zoo is well arranged for ease of visiting. This zoo's trails run in loops and the animals have reasonably large well appropriated paddocks. There is plenty of shade for the animals and humans that are at the zoo. The zoo has sunscreen and hand sanitizer dispensers throughout their facilities for sanitizing and preventing children from getting sun burnt. There is also a splash pad for children and parents to cool down during the hot of the Summer. This zoo is definitely a world class Zoological Park.

Jason Henry — Google review

We love this zoo! The staff is so friendly, and very knowledgeable. We had the opportunity to go to a party hosted privately after hours, and to have the zoo to ourselves was such a wonderful experience. The guided tours, refreshments along the way, feeding the giraffe and a catered dinner, just wow! They pull out all the stops!

Ashley Reese — Google review

For about 10 yrs we have bought yr passes...we have skipped a year here and there before openings of new exhibits...we are such a big fan of knoxville zoo...they have some neat exhibits and fun experiences...till September you can walk the trails and see the dinosaurs and some move...the new outer space is one of our favorites. Being up close to red pandas and a sloth is pretty cool too! Not to mention riding carousel.

Sherri Bridges — Google review

It was a wonderful day with my son, their Uncle Wesley, and 2 & 3 yr old granddaughters. Their parents were on a BD and Anniversary get away. It was miserably hot so the misters were nice to walk through. All the animals were out and we seen them all but the Bears. We actually noticed how Healthy all the animals looked too. We are so very proud of Knoxville Zoo. The moving and roaring Dino's throughout was exciting. I wish we had known more about the Dino Eggs while we were actually there. But my 3 yr old found them anyway. The old Safari Jeep was a perfect idea for kids to play in. It was truly a wonderful day to spend with my grown son and our little ones.

Kim Hatfield — Google review

We love this zoo so much!!! Great reptile exhibit indoors for inclement weather. Love the new otter habitat too! Plenty of good food options and places for kids to play between visiting the animals. Kids got to feed a sloth one time too!

Courtney Cartellieri — Google review

A pretty decent zoo for the price. It's about $25/person to get in, and you can easily spend a few hours here. They have a good amount of things for small kids to keep them busy. There's a nice play area, petting zoo, carousel, and a splash pad. The assortment of animals is pretty standard for a zoo. I did appreciate the turtle and frog section they have set up. The gift shop is very pricey, so get your stuffed animals elsewhere and skip the markups.

Beans and Waffles — Google review

Great experience. Lots of animals and very spacious. This is one of the better zoos that I've been to. I think the directions are a little difficult to follow, But ultimately you will manage I really enjoyed the up close and personal tiger area and then the lion area.

Scott G — Google review

Giving a three stars simply because 3-4 exhibits was empty. We wasn’t able to see the zebras, tiger,otters, rhinos they where no out. I’m unsure what was going on but my little girl was so sad about the zebras. The dinosaur exhibit was truly wonderful. We have a Dino obsessed little boy and he was amazed. They made the whole trip worth it just to see him smile. Over all nice zoo would recommend updating the strollers too they were a little run down. But I do like that they have that option to be able to rent one. Parking was a mess but not the zoos fault it was just a busy time.

Alice Williams — Google review

The Knoxville Zoo is a great place to spend the morning before the day gets too hot. Even when the animals are too hot, you can still see them indoors as these spaces have glassed viewing areas. My daughter and I spent around 2 1/2 hours viewing the animals and reading about the various conservation programs such as the Red Panda Preservation. Surprisingly, the Dinosaurs at Dawn exhibit was also a favorite and we were impressed by their animatronics. Parking was free and easy. The other visitors seemed to be local parents/grandparents with small children.

Lindsay Castano — Google review

Nice little Zoo. (I'm from San Diego, and our Zoo is very large and more than one park, which is why I said little Zoo.) They do a nice job with the enclosures. Fun outing to take the Grandkids for the day! They're doing a little remodeling, so there were a few interruptions to the flow around the park. They have the natural habitat type of enclosures, which I appreciate. Lovely weather, we had a lot of fun! I also appreciate the fact that they have free admission for Veterans! Good job!!

Sheryl D. — Google review

Great zoo. Nice place for the family to enjoy an outing. Lots of cool animals. Make sure to visit the Arc building. It has several snakes and neat things.

Nitak Holcomb — Google review

The Knoxville Zoo is a fantastic place to visit. With a diverse range of animals and well-maintained habitats, it provides an enjoyable and educational experience for all ages. The staff is knowledgeable and passionate about conservation, and they offer informative talks and feeding sessions. The zoo's layout is easy to navigate, and there are plenty of shaded areas to take a break. It's a great destination for families, animal lovers, and anyone looking to support wildlife preservation. Don't miss the red pandas and the reptile exhibits – they are a real highlight!

Matt Hill — Google review

So fun! We thought we were done in 2 hours then quickly realized we missed a whole section of the zoo in the back with elephant and rhino and more! We will definitely be back.P.s. - $5 for parking unless you're a member!

Jess Payne — Google review

We love the Zoo! We are season pass holders if you are a family and plan on going more than once get the pass it’s totally worthy it. They have great events (Boo at the Zoo) and you can even get married there! I’ve officiated 3 weddings there. The staff is always friendly and willing to help you. They also have a great kids area with a sand pit, a little water feature (not together) and an aviary that you can going and touch the birds!

Happy Unions Weddings by The Trusty Notary — Google review

4.5

(10847)40 Best Stops Between Charlotte and Nashville (167)

4.0

(1387)40 Best Stops Between Charlotte and Nashville (168)

3500 Knoxville Zoo Dr, Knoxville, TN 37914, USA

(865) 637-5331

23

Market Square

Sights & Landmarks

Points of Interest & Landmarks

4.5

(2975)40 Best Stops Between Charlotte and Nashville (169)

Knoxville, TN 37902, USA

24

Museum of Appalachia

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Museum

Education center

Smithsonian-affiliated museum featuring pioneer buildings & exhibits of regional history & culture.

The Appalachia Museum is a very beautiful place with many interesting features. I was invited to good to the restaurant without me knowing anything about this gorgeous 64 acre treasure. I was so impressed I went back the next day to try a shampooing of of their lunch. I met the brother of the owner and his wife as well as several people that workedwork there.You will love this Museum but plan on spending some time there as it is a large place with many things to do and many things to see. Call ahead to check for price of admission or you can go to the restaurant and shop in the store if you prefer. There were a lot of children there from a local school having a great time.The grounds includes many vintage buildings that are a part of Appalachian Historicity set beautifully in this Tennessee valley. There are Ducks, Geese and Peaco*cks on these grounds that you can walk right up to (but some food for them in the store if you like.Enjoy!cmilton111Google Guide11.27.2021

cmilton111 — Google review

This is a great place to visit! Be prepared to have several hours to spend there as there is so much you'll want to see and enjoy. My kids loved the peaco*cks roaming around! There's a lot of nice things in the shop as well. We definitely want to go back so we can eat in the restaurant and walk the grounds again.

Whitney R — Google review

Look guys, I travel full time and there are a LOT of pioneer museums out in the world and there is a bit of romanticizing the poor aspect to the whole endeavor, BUT the Museum of Appalachia has a particularly good collection of buildings, including Mark Twain's childhood home, a 1800's log cabin used in the filming of a Daniel Boone show, a huge mill, and loads of cabins and barns.But I think the best part of the collection is in the very first building, the hall of fame. The original director of the museum collected so many great stories - almost too many to read in one visit. It really brings everything to life and makes the museum stand above the rest.There's also a small cafe that is very popular with the locals (go early!) and a really lovely gift shop with a lot of fun items, including a whole wall of jellies and fruit butters. Everyone there is super nice, and there are a few animals on property - some free-ranging chickens and peaco*cks, some goats, miniature horses, and sheep. There's a one-way path through the whole thing so you don't miss anything.My only complaint is that it's all a bit pricey. Lunch in the cafe of chicken and dressing plus two sides, a slice of good cornbread, and a slice of hummingbird cake was almost $18. (It comes out *very* fast, btw.) The museum itself is $20. (I was told by my hosts that museum admission was free with a meal, but if that was ever true, it's not anymore. Everyone seems to come just to eat.)

Sara Beth Wade — Google review

Great place to learn some history of the people of Appalachia. People and the way they lived through visuals displays and descriptions of what you are looking at. And Peaco*cks!

James Overdorff — Google review

Cannot say enough good things about this place. We attended the July 4th Anvil Shoot. So much fun! Lots of demonstrations by folk artists and historians. Great music; some anvils shot 30+ feet into their air; lots of great historical displays of the area. This was our first visit and will not be our last.

Pam Clifford — Google review

The Independence Day demonstrations and activities were informative and reminiscent of stories from my grandparents,who were born near the Appalachian mountains. It's a living museum, with livestock and gardens and bee's. I went for the Bee keeping demonstration, the folks cancelled, still enjoyed the day with a new neighbor.Look on the roof...

Tonia FOLVEN — Google review

This place is beautiful and very well taken care of. You could literally spend hours and hours here reading and looking at all the history. I enjoyed our time here and the gift shop is nice and they have a lot to choose from.

Nikki Martin — Google review

I wish we had visited sooner after being locals for the last 8 years but I am so glad we finally made it! This was one of, if not, THE best and most interesting museum in the Knoxville area. Even my 4 and 2 yo were interested for 2+ hours. The stories warmed our hearts, the artifacts were fantastic, and the gift shop/staff were so nice. Loved their shop kitties too. 10/10 for us!

Haley Humphries — Google review

One of the best kept secrets of TN. To tour this venue is to literally step back into a period of time when lanterns provided light and fireplaces were the single source of heat. The innovations of the pioneers are on display as cabins are trimmed with authentic pieces from the days of the settlers and carry an almost palettable sense for the history conveyed inside those walls. The gift shop is full of beautiful crafts and serves good food as well.

Dave Diamond — Google review

Good southern cooking. The exhibits are very interesting of local personages who had national and international impacts on politics, music, religion, business, culture. Not wheelchair accessible in most of the outdoor exhibits (gravel paths). Some paved paths to the first 9 of the 31 outdoor exhibits. Looks like a subdivision is being constructed next door which will diminish its rural character.

Tom Hudspeth — Google review

When I purchased my ticket I thought $18 sounded like a lot for a museum about Appalachia, but boy was I wrong! It was well worth the money. So much to see and do. The exhibits were fascinating, very well done. The walk around the grounds was very relaxing. It felt like I was walking back in time.The restaurant inside is worth the stop. The food is delicious, homemade served on real dishes. The prices are also very reasonable.

Arthur Hurlburt — Google review

Well worth the admission!We enjoyed strolling the property and found the building displays filled with what would have been used in their natural habits very interesting.We visited during Heritage Days, and to our surprise, the grounds were filled with 1200 school kids and parents. At first, we thought, let's pass, then thought, let's go for a little while. Well, three hours later we left completely impressed by the lay of the land, the staff, and the volume of artifacts.

Stacy Klone — Google review

I had no idea this museum and Appalachian village existed. So worth the trip. So much to learn and read I am going to have to come back. Extremely well taken care of..... The grounds and the buildings! They keep the thermostat low in the winter so make sure and wear a good jacket and maybe a hat.

Andrea Lucas — Google review

Such a wonderful place to visit, especially in spring! Great museum, we will definitely come back soon!

Natalia Tverskaia — Google review

We had a great time at this Smithsonian affiliate museum. Come prepared to spend 3+ hours if you want to see everything and especially if you want to grab a bite to eat in the restaurant. The maps given at the welcome center are helpful in getting around the grounds, and the exhibits are in numerical order along the foot paths. A few of the buildings house permanent exhibits, like the Appalachian Hall of Fame, which highlights different aspects of “old” Appalachian culture like daily life, cooking, music, community, and stories about people. The other buildings are historic ones that have been moved to the Museum of Appalachia, like the cabin of Mark Twain’s parents. There is a nice outdoor seating area near the welcome center with picnic tables and rocking chairs. Some chickens or peaco*cks might come by to say hi. The restaurant offered typical comfort food from the region like chicken and dumplings, pinto beans, etc. Overall the museum was incredibly informative and very well curated. One of the things I appreciated most was the level of detail put into the descriptions for each artifact displayed, which is not something you find at every museum.

Kati Murphy — Google review

My husband and I had an AMAZING time here! We stopped randomly on our way home from Pigeon Forge, and so glad we did! The staff were super friendly, and the grounds were beautiful. So many great animals & picture spots. Also stop by the gift shop for some lotions, soaps and lip balms from The Naked Bee especially the orange scent they are incredible!!! 💕

amber barbise — Google review

4.7

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4.5

(374)40 Best Stops Between Charlotte and Nashville (175)

2819 Andersonville Hwy, Clinton, TN 37716, USA

(865) 494-7680

25

American Museum of Science and Energy

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Science museum

Museums

History museum

Museum offering educational & interactive displays exploring energy, with a focus on nuclear power.

Four adults and my grandson went. It was very interesting for all of us. Not too crowded on Monday. Some interactive stuff like programming a mechanical mouse in the lab. Lots of nuke history.

frederick b — Google review

I never had the chance to visit the museum in its previous location, however I can reinforce previous reviews that say this museum is very small. It's also hard to tell what age group this museum is catering to. The front half of the museum is very wordy, mature, and packed with information. The back half features many interactive displays obviously geared towards children. It seems like it would make more sense to have more interactive, kid-friendly displays throughout, rather than packed in the back of the museum.The staff at the museum seemed very friendly and knowledgeable, with some members being long-term residents and/or employees in Oak Ridge with firsthand experience related to the exhibits in the museum. One staff member approached us multiple times to share anecdotes relating to Oak Ridge, which was nice and unexpected!Overall, I liked the musuem. However, it was small and didn't have as many artifacts and relics as I had hoped. Unfortunately there were a lot of exhibits that only had paragraphs on the wall to read and didn't include the physical objects that really catch your eye and hold your interest.If you're looking for a museum exclusively relating to Oak Ridge or the Manhattan Project, I think the K-25 History Center down the road is slightly better, as it's roughly the same size and manages to pack more information and more artifacts into the museum. But if you're in the area and looking for things to do, it can't hurt to visit both as they both have their strengths and weaknesses!

Jacob Boissonnault — Google review

Incredibly small, but the fee for entry isn't terrible at $10.00. You could absolutely see everything they have here in less than one hour. There are not a lot of actual relics, but they have a wide variety of 3D printed replicas of items of interest. Weekdays are full of school field trips so be prepared for a bit of noise if you visit during those times.

Brian Savage — Google review

Super nice and clean little place. The activity areas were nice (although some things were broken). The portions about the history of Oak Ridge and the atom bomb were interesting, but honestly, nowhere near as good as the old museum. My kids missed seeing all of the bombs that used to be there. They would love to go back however.

Amber Hyde — Google review

Enjoyed this place. And a 3D printed Jeep. Come on. Informative.Manhattan project. I believe the bomb saved 1000s of lives.

Steven Stacey — Google review

The American Museum of Science and Energy is a fantastic place that is just jam packed with information, displays, and interactive features throughout - all related to science and energy contributions that the Oak Ridge National Laboratory were instrumental in making. The amount of information will keep you there for a couple of hours, and there are some games and such in the back that could keep you there longer. It's relatively inexpensive and well worth the admission price. Staff are very friendly and knowledgeable. I'd highly recommend this museum.

Jon Monahan — Google review

A neat and fun place to learn about nuclear energy and science. Several good hands on exhibit options.You won’t be bored and will learn and have fun at the same time. Fascinating and informative video worth viewing. Learn about nuclear submarines and neutron detectors, and have some fun with Archimedes Screws. Learn more about the Secret City and life during WWII.Exhibits are well laid out, and a lot of time and money was put into this museum and it shows. Gift shop has all sorts of interesting items for sale as well, most reasonably priced. Bring in a few quarters to play the pinball machine. See an entire Army Jeep completely made on a 3D printer (how did they even do that?) as well as a small car and an old robot. Such a unique mix of items that will keep you entertained as you explore the museum. Don’t let the fact that it is at the end of a mall fool you. This place is large and has something for everyone and very reasonably priced to enter. Even if passing through at least put this museum on your list.

J Hytken — Google review

An excellent museum in the heart of Oak RidgeOak Ridge has a rich history steeped in science and helping to build the atomic bomb and win WWIIThe Oak Ridge Museum of Science and Energy is a captivating destination that offers a fascinating glimpse into the rich history and groundbreaking scientific advancements of Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The museum provides an engaging and educational experience for visitors of all ages. It showcases the remarkable contributions of Oak Ridge to the fields of nuclear science, energy research, and national defense. Through informative exhibits, interactive displays, and engaging multimedia presentations, visitors are taken on a journey through time, exploring the city's pivotal role in the Manhattan Project during World War II and its subsequent impact on science, technology, and society.One of the highlights of the museum is its comprehensive collection of artifacts, including historical documents, photographs, and equipment used in early nuclear research. These exhibits offer a tangible connection to the past and provide valuable insights into the scientific breakthroughs achieved in Oak Ridge.The museum offers educational programs, workshops, special events that further enhance the learning experience. There is a bus tour that leaves from here to take some visitors around Oak Ridge on a tour of the various key historical sites. Knowledgeable and friendly staff members are readily available to answer questions and provide additional information, ensuring a fulfilling visit.Overall, the Oak Ridge Museum of Science and Energy is a must-visit attraction for those interested in the history of science and technology.

Ward Dougherty — Google review

This was inexpensive and informative stop! It's small, but don't let that fool you. There is a lot to look at and try.We gave the robotic arms our best shot and tried the brain games in the back. I wish I had taken a pic of the periodic table of games. It was such a fun room!All the examples of 3D printed objects were neat to see too.Can you imagine keeping an entire city secret in today's connected society?!

Patricia Sawyer — Google review

This museum gives an overview of the history and current role Oak Ridge, TN plays in the nuclear power and technology fields. There are some interactive displays that are entertaining and educational for older elementary aged children up to adults. I spent an hour and a half at the museum and was able to see all of the exhibits. I would recommend a visit!

Amanda Norberg — Google review

This was an awesome BSA Scouting trip with our awesome troop. The museum had many fun and interactive activities. We attended A demonstration of the Van de Graaff generator to learn about electricity. This is the hair raising activity that everyone loves so much! The gift shop was so fun with lots of interesting selections. Staff at the museum were so nice and accommodating.

Liz White — Google review

4.5

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4.5

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115 E Main St, Oak Ridge, TN 37830, USA

(865) 294-4531

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26

Cumberland County Playhouse

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Performing arts theater

Concerts & Shows

Dance school

Non-profit organization

Stage

Theaters

This little gem is tucked in the beautiful landscape of East-Mid Tennessee. It’s between Knoxville and Nashville. The charming & rustic playhouse doesn’t do justice to the quality of the actors and stellar performances. We just saw “Murder on the Orient Express” and it exceeded expectations. Not only was the acting superb, the set designs and changes of scenery were impressive. All of the volunteers and staff there were so nice, welcoming and kind. The prices are very reasonable, with an average ticket price at $35.(And while the bathrooms are a bit dated, they are very clean and have a second ladies room inside the theater.) While waiting for the show to begin, walk around the side and relax in the darling gazebo. We grabbed the schedule for year and plan to return. Plus there are free outdoor concerts in the summer!

KLK 90 — Google review

This playhouse has been around for 57 years and is a regional favorite. They toughed out covid and are as successful as ever. On our visit, they featured Margaritaville. We got an opportunity to have our pictures taken with the cast. Pictures could not be taken of the play, but could of the facility.This year, we attended the opening of All Shookup... A Musical Comedy. It was loosely based on Elvis featuring his hits. It was the funniest play I've seen in a while. It was well choreographed and performed. The Playhouse does a fantastic job with its performances. It continues to win grants and special funding and accolades from multiple sources. It is well supported by local business and arts enthusiasts. I recommend Cumberland County Playhouse for Arts first-timers and veterans.

Larry Henry — Google review

It's been years since I've been here but it is one of the best childhood memories that I have. Most may not remember Marion Sullivan's niece who used to follow her wherever she went but my favorite memories of hanging out with her was during rehearsals.I miss everyone one I met during rehearsals and that one acting camp I did that one summer!!! Everyone was always so happy and full of joy even when multiple runs had to be done of the same set. Hopefully soon I'll return until then I hope that you all have an amazing year!!!

Katerina jin — Google review

We were looking forward to a family friendly comedy. Instead we heard a mom telling her daughter to live with several men to try them out. What awful advice for our young people.Several incidents of drunkenness. It could have been a really cute and funny play if the subject matter had been given a little more thought

Anne Kerley — Google review

My husband Ray and I attended a performance of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory this afternoon at the playhouse and the show was phenomenal! It was obvious that the cast was well versed on the script and had put forth great effort and many hours of rehearsal to perform a play that was attended by a sold out crowd! We have attended plays in the past and will continue to attend well into the future. Thank you, Cumberland County Playhouse for having us today!

Peggy Jones — Google review

Absolutely Fantastic! Eagle Mania was off the charts best show!

Irishman's Food Adventures East Tennessee — Google review

My daughter had a school field trip to see Junie b Jones batman smells and it was wonderful! The cast was amazing! The staff was extremely organized and helpful. 10/10 would definitely recommend catching a play if you haven't already.

Rachel Miller — Google review

Saw an amazing show in Scrooge! The playhouse is set in the hills of Middle Tennessee and you might think that they couldn't get good talent in there but they are fantastic. Jason Ross played Scrooge and was a joy to watch! Seating is a little tight as it is an older style theater. However, if you've never been, you need to check out the Cumberland County Playhouse!

Steve Engle — Google review

Went as a family and joined my Granddaughters girl scout troop ..The Best Christmas Pagent Ever was the Best Christmas Pagent Ever..The children in the play were Exceptional;the whole cast was wonderful. It is well worth seeing..There is no way someone could not like it. It was heart warming and touching, it brought out the true meaning of Christmas. Many Thanks to the whole crew for putting their hearts into the Play..lol even BOB ;)

Debbie Matthews — Google review

My husband and I saw "White Christmas" today. It was absolutely WONDERFUL! I LOVED this performance! The actors were SO TALENTED and energetic! When the old man Hank found out about the surprise, his words made me cry. If this play comes back next Christmas, I will be there to see it!🥰👍

Sulynne Denton — Google review

Went to Cumberland County Playhouse and seen Little Shop of Horrors. I had a blast! Cast was great, and you could tell all the hard work they put into it. I would highly recommend checking this play out before it ends.

Brandon Stafford — Google review

My wife and I bring 7-10 kids with us each time we go. Normally a group of 10-16 of us. We have seen elf, the best Christmas pageant ever, young frankenstine, little shop of horrors, junie b jones, Charlie and the chocolate factory. They do a great job and always impress for a regional play house we love going and supporting them. Looking forward to our trips next year as soon as they post new line up.

Tim Johnson — Google review

Cheap concessions (popcorn & drink for $5!), comfy chairs, plenty of ushers to lead you right to your seat. Love the place!!! Cannot wait to visit more often next year :)

Liza Grace — Google review

For a small company they put on professional shows. I have seen several shows here and I am never disappointed. I love the Cumberland County Playhouse!!!

Kim Bracken — Google review

Just got back from seeing the production of Charlie and the Chocolate factory. I’m so impressed with this show, especially Jason as Willy Wonka. His singing of Pure Imagination in the factory seen, took me back to my childhood, thinking of Gene Wilder performing. The whole troupe does a wonderful job, I highly recommend everyone see this production, you will not be disappointed.

Rick Alberson — Google review

4.8

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5.0

(475)40 Best Stops Between Charlotte and Nashville (194)

221 Tennessee Ave, Crossville, TN 38555, USA

(931) 484-5000

27

Burgess Falls State Park

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State park

Nature & Parks

Burgess Falls State Park boasts of four waterfalls that cascade into a large pool via foot trails with varying levels of difficulty, ranging from moderate to strenuous. The park is incredibly beautiful and also features hiking trails, a butterfly garden, a playground for children, and a store in close proximity. Visitors are encouraged to visit the park at least once as it is an absolute must-see destination for waterfall enthusiasts.

This place is Incredibly Beautiful ❤ our first trip..about 2 hours 30 minutes each way but it was definitely worth the travel!! I'm sharing some of my pictures for everyone to see what we seen so you can judge for yourself! There is at least 4 falls but you do have to walk half a mile or so to get to the big tall one. They also have a Butterfly Garden, hiking trails, a playground for the kids, & a store very close.I encourage everyone to go see this but the people who are waterfall fanatics...IT IS A MUST!!!

Shannon Mason — Google review

This place is magical! Parking was available and not too crowded. There's a cute little playground for the kids and restrooms close by! There's a covered area behind the restrooms with tables and benches too! The parking lot is right at the trail entrance and as soon as you enter you are blown away by a tranquil waterfall! Stunning view of Burgess falls and super easy trail with only one part with stairs, maybe 30 or so stairs going straight up but if you can manage those you are golden! Not a super long hike but so worth the view! Love, love, love this little trail!

Mary Whited — Google review

We kayaked from Cane Hollow Recreation Area a few days after some big rainfalls. The trip to the Falls took a little over an hour and we took our time. The Falls were nuts given the large rainfall, but in an amazing way. This is a must do trip if you like waterfalls! Oh, nice launching area. Only porta-potties available and they are not on flat ground. Yikes!

Martie Guy — Google review

We love this park. If you take the lower trail you can see the lesser falls as well as the major one. They were all beautiful. The lower trail is harder with lots of roots that you have to be careful of and a large flight of stairs. There is an upper path that is mostly flat and much easier to traverse that leads to the main fall. From the main fall lookout there is also a path that goes down so you can look out from the top of the fall. My young adult sons loved that part. Also a ton of stairs on that path.

Jessica S — Google review

We walked the trail around 10am and the majority of it was all shady which made it very nice. The hardest part of the trail is if you decide to walk down from the view point to see the water up close. There are quite a few steps that are very steep! Beautiful hike and I loved the waterfalls!

Kimberly Krueger — Google review

Was a nice little day hike! It took about 1.5 hours total with stopping at the lookouts. We thought it was going to be more strenuous than it was. Not a lot of hiking but some. Mostly walking paths through the beautiful forests. There are two waterfalls on the hike! Would go here often if it was closer to home

Nathan Wranovsky — Google review

My pups and I really loved this park. The trails were easy to walk through. I have two small dogs and they did fine. It wasn’t busy at all and everything was beautiful. The falls were big and worth the walk. It’s so wooded, shaded and peaceful. It’s also close by to another state park that also has a pretty big waterfall. This was also dog friendly. I would suggest to anyone who wants to see some nature while visiting the city.

Devin Ganka — Google review

Spectacular views, well marked path and a gorgeous fall day to adventure. We went early and arrived before others so it was more peaceful but it is a highly trafficked area. The bathrooms were clean and there were picnic tables and grills both in the open and under a pavilion. It was a lovely short hike with amazing views! The park had railings and steps and garbage bins along the hiking trail. Dog friendly too.

Beth Rekoske — Google review

I had not looked this lake up before visiting, such a wonderful suprise. That waterfall that's hidden in that lake is amazing. It was about an hour kayak trip from Cane Hollow (lots of parking there) Very nice lake, lots of wildlife and the water was perfect for swimming.

April Smith — Google review

First off. No matter how many pictures you take, the sights don't touch the quality of the picture. It's breath taking. Absolutely gorgeous.The hike itself. It's steep and strenuous, it makes a little easier since there's steps which doesn't make it seem as bad, (good cardio) but if you're a plus lady like myself with poor lung function, I advise you take it easy and slow, don't rush yourself. The end is so worth it and it's rewarding knowing you did it!!!We all had a blast, it was great fun. You'll enjoy it. We took our dog too and she had a blast!

Shawntee Stuller — Google review

Fantastic scenic place. Park area at top of falls offers a nice view.The bottom is accessible by kayaking about two miles and then hiking the final stretch (assuming the water level is down as was when we visited.Visiting the base is amazing. Scenic waterways w stellar views. We saw a bald eagle on the water while kayaking.When the water is low you’ll need to walk in sometimes rocky, muddy, and hilly areas. You’ll be forced to cross the water at times and climb over some larger rocks.Do it. It’s amazing.

Randy Silver — Google review

Super cool hike to above the falls! If you like living on the edge, this is the place for you! You can walk out to the edge of the falls where there is rock and see it from the tippy top! Don't fall in though it's 135 ft down the falls. Pretty cool the history of the falls powering a mill to power the town back in the day.

Alieda Short — Google review

Beautiful area! The trail was not at all crowded on a Thursday even tho the parking lot had quite a few vehicles. Happy to check this state park off my list! We really enjoyed the walk to view the falls. Beautiful scenery every where we looked!

Dawn Williams — Google review

Absolutely beautiful hike. You get to see falls in many different areas which is incredible and there’s a designated viewing area for each. The whole walk you’re surrounded by trees which this time of year (April) were pretty much entirely green. A few trees contained flowers and were in full bloom.

Nicole — Google review

Beautiful waterfall and easy hiking trail. Dogs on leashes are allowed. There is water access at the cascade near the parking lot and I think the only way to swim at the bottom of the actual fall is via kayak or canoe.

Kimmie B — Google review

Beautiful park with a nice and mostly easy to moderate hike.Walk right up from the parking lot to enjoy the cascading water immediately or take the journey down the easy to moderate path to the large falls. From there, you can view from the top or take the moderately difficult journey to the bottom of the falls.Worth the drive from any distance!

Kenny Holland — Google review

Such a wonderful park. The trail to the top of the overlook was moderate, but mainly due to the amount of stairs and spacing between each step. There is an access road that you can walk down to make it easier, but you will still have some stairs to navigate.

JF — Google review

Nice moderate hike with beautiful falls at the end. It took us about 20 min to slowly enjoy the route. Multiple falls along the way to the main one. Restrooms are nice, dog friendly, picnic places, dog friendly.

Mary Valdez — Google review

Fun little hike and absolutely beautiful! It's dog-friendly and parts of the hike can get a little narrow with all the trees and large roots.Because of the sections that can be slightly narrow, please please do not bring dogs that are not friendly toward other dogs. Ours was almost attacked by a larger dog that the owner couldn't handle and had slipped away from her.Even with that, however, I would definitely visit again.

Kimberly S — Google review

Updated to add more pics and say that it is still incredible being in this park!! The park is beautiful and the falls are incredible!! We took our fur babies and did the hike to the Overlook, the entire trail was amazing!!!

Carrie Carter — Google review

Oh my goodness, this place was absolutely gorgeous! Several waterfalls throughout the hike and the last one is breathtaking. The hike was very nice, however, if needed, there is an easier way to access the waterfall by taking a road.

tracey sotelo — Google review

The 3/4 mile walk to the Big Falls was worth it. I walked on the gravel trail. It only had 2 moderate hills to walk up and had benches at the top of the hills if you needed to rest. 1.5 mile round trip.

tammy raines — Google review

One of the most beautiful waterfalls to hike to. The hike is about 1.5 miles roundtrip. Not a hard hike to do and well worth it. Multiple cascade waterfalls to view along the way. Burgess falls at the end is such a stunning waterfall to view from a platform and can walk down to the top of the falls afterwards. I recommend seeing this beautiful piece of nature.

Melissa Magyar — Google review

4.8

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4.5

(500)40 Best Stops Between Charlotte and Nashville (200)

4000 Burgess Falls Dr, Sparta, TN 38583, USA

(888) 867-2757

28

Cummins Falls State Park

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State park

Nature & Parks

Historic site of 2 former mills is now a popular spot for swimming & hiking.

Beautiful place!We did the overlook and the base hike.The overlook honestly was not worth it. You could barely see the falls.The base hike was great! I'm sure it changes with the seasons, I was in October 2022, the water was no more then knee level throughout the river. I didn't think the hike was as difficult as others had described, besides crossing the river twice, and watching out for the slippery rocks, it was pretty easy getting across the huge boulders. The waterfalls were very nice and the fall colors were coming out too, overall very nice fun adventurous hike.

noa kahana — Google review

This place is really beautiful. Due to recent rains the water was high. That and the temperature stopped us from hiking the gorge, but there were people hiking it. You could tell the water was cold. We hiked some of the outer trails, but a recent prescribed burn left most of the scenery charred. It was a bit windy at times and we ended up covered in soot. It was decent exercise for the day. 3/5/22

T Sol — Google review

What an amazing place! It was a challenging trail but so worth it! We experienced this with 3 adults (1 over 65) and 2 kids (10 and 6). Overall everyone enjoyed our time at the park. I would recommend the park have places along the trail with garbage bins but even without that... 5 stars!!!

Claudia David — Google review

We had been planning this hiking for a long time, so we arrived around 9:30 AM; for the first time, we did the tour, including the waterfall overlook, and then we took the Blackburn fork river trail, you can see map 1; the route was 2 miles, and we covered it in 1 hour 2 minutes to Cummins falls; I recommend patience and enjoy nature there is no rush, and the was stony path; There is a part of the trial where you have to cross the river, it is super slippery there.After swimming and submerging, and swimming in cold waters, the route was lighter see map 2; but you have to take your time going up to the parking area; it takes us 34 minutes in 1.1 miles.

Alvaro Zea — Google review

CAREFUL! By far one of my most memorable hikes yet. You can access the overlook easily, but the hike becomes extremely strenuous once you travel to the base. You must have a gorge permit which you can purchase online and screenshot, but make sure to wear some water shoes with good grip bec you WILL have to enter some water along your journey. I'd recommend a backpack or fany pack to keep your hands free, but the views were definitely worth it.

Unjala — Google review

Beautiful area, go early for less people. I saw the falls from a super easy walk. I did not want to hike the gorge in March if it required getting wet. I didn’t see any people on the other trails I took. Not sure why but all restrooms were locked up. There is plenty of parking, dogs welcome on a leash. The park staff were friendly.

Beth Rekoske — Google review

Must get the permit to hike the gorge. It took a total of 1.5 hours from the parking lot to the base of the Falls. We crossed the river at the little waterfall on the right first. The water was about upper thigh high (I'm 5'2") - the 2nd crossing was a little slippery, the water was just below knee high - we followed the rock bed through back to the left side. The walk down to the river gets steep the closer you get. The hardest part of the hike is the walk back up from the river to the parking lot. The level was a 3 the day we hiked 5/8/22. The day before 5/7/22 it was a 4 - gorge closed. Go as early as you can because this is an out-and-back hike, it gets busy and some of the trails are very skinny.

Alieda Short — Google review

This hike is amazing. You NEED water shoes, I was most comfortable in shorts and bikini bottoms as pants will get wet. Need to get a permit beforehand online. I also had a backpack and put my phone and car keys in a ziplock bag and boy did that save my life with the deep water, highly recommend if you don’t have a waterproof case. The water was waist deep in spots when I went since it rained all week, so definitely check the weather and know what to expect as well attire wise. It was pretty strenuous with a dog, but so much fun. I got there at 8am when the park opened so I could get pictures of the falls without people standing all over the falls. It was so peaceful going early. It’s not marked, but when you get down to the river, you turn left and hike upstream. You basically hike until the path runs out then cross the river and hike the path on that side. I crossed 4 times total the whole trip. I ran into 3 other hikers who were really cool and fun so we all walked together halfway to the falls. I can see why they say it’s hard for young children, I suppose if they are carried in a pack or you pick them up for certain boulders they could do it. But it’s tough! I was picking up my 50 pound pit-bull sometimes! It’s definitely worth the pain though 10/10 yes do it if you’re in the area.

Alexis — Google review

Fantastic swimming hole. Didn't seem overcrowded and rangers on duty to keep people safe. Dog friendly too! Small fee to enter the gorge but totally worth it. The hike to the falls is not super hard but there are some slippery/rocky parts. Bring decent shoes and have a spare dry pair waiting in the car and you will be fine.

Gary Roberts — Google review

Wear appropriate hiking/water shoes! Geeze people are down there in flip flops! Lots of large boulders, slippery algae rocks when you have to cross through water, etc. Bring a backpack with lots of snacks and waters, and pack out your trash. This hike is such an amazing experience and well worth it when you arrive at the waterfall. Make sure to get your gorge access pass online to make things simple. People were jumping off the waterfalls, but it was only about 4 feet deep and all three people hurt their feet. Also, the rocks on the upper ledge are super slippery, one lady and child fell and slipped off into the pool below, and another man slipped and fell on the boulders trying to leave the falls area. My own daughter fell and took a chunk out of her knee. Also, check the weather and go when there's no rain a few days prior to help make sure the water is ankle deep and not thigh deep.Make sure you stop to see the fossils along the rocks, and enjoy the brisk water. We brought our own life jackets. Enjoy it!

me ow — Google review

Amazing place! We were lucky to have a beautiful 70° day in November. The water was low and had not rained recently. Definitely impossible to keep your feet dry, bring old shoes or sturdy sandals not flip-flops! Worth the rugged hike over large rocks, not for the casual hiker. The return hike back was just as rugged and then it's back UP the steep hill to your car! Walking sticks/poles would be a good idea.

S K — Google review

Please take your water shoes to enjoy the hike.You will have to cross the river twice when headed towards the falls and twice again while returning.It can get strenuous if you are trying to avoid walking in the water and stick to the land.Pets had a great time.It's take about 3-4 hours for the entire trip.Most scenic and beautiful views at the falls.

Deepti Kalkur — Google review

Checking in and getting a permit to enter the water at the falls is worth it. The hike to the gorge itself is beautiful than when you actually reach it you're blown away. Wear sturdy shoes you don't mind getting wet, wear or pack a swimsuit. And throw a towel in a backpack. Don't bring anything you can't afford to get potentially wet. This is not an average hike. Technical terrain with rocks and small boulders. The water is cold but very refreshing on a hot day! Highly recommended this experience!

Clayton Woodward — Google review

Amazing falls and the park has well maintained trails. Rocks are slippery of course but the crossings weren't too deep. Don't forget to plan ahead with a permit and for rain. It will close for any rain forecast due to risk of flash floods.

Madeline Hattman — Google review

This was so beautiful!! I do think the park should warn you more about how tough it can be to actually get to the falls and have signs reassuring you of which way to go to get to the falls. You must, must, must have water shoes or sneakers on that you don’t mind getting wet and you must have good tread on your shoes. Once you get to the actual falls you realize it was worth all that trekking to get to them!!!

R S — Google review

This is one of the top favorite places to visit when we have friends and family in the area. We live about 2 hrs away from Cummins Falls and love to make a day trip out it! We make it a point to show off this Tennessee beauty every chance we can!!The hike can be a bit challenging for those some, but it is definitely doable if you're determined. Love that they offer life jackets and rangers are on stand-by.

Asury Ariza — Google review

Such a beautiful waterfall!I recommend appropriate footwear (they will get we). There’s lots of rocks to maneuver around but a great activity overall. If it was summer I would definitely jump in the water.

Any Orellana — Google review

The gorge and falls exceeded our expectations! Plan on getting wet feet at least. Use the 3 points of contact rule when scrambling over wet river boulders. (Or you might eat sh.t). Make sure to pack in and pack out. The trash left by lesser humans is a real bummer. Matter of fact, next I my partner and I visit we’re gonna being an extra trash back and pack to clean up what trash we find. I think the weekends are gonna be very busy especially through the summer. Try to get there early or on a weekday. Beautiful spot. $6 a person bc there is a limited number of visitors per day fyi.Make sure to use the restroom bf going down to the falls. Nowhere to even try to pee in the gorge. There’s nowhere to hide. LolMake sure to visit Rita at the country store at the entrance to the park. Great ice cream and wonderful service.

andykalber — Google review

It's beautiful there, but the walking path down to the creek before heading to the falls is a fantastic workout going back up🥵. Do that 3 or 4 times a day and you'll be skinny in no time😅😅. I went in the beginning of December so the water was very low. You could see the bedrock and walk on it. I noticed kinda a lot of trash on the sides of the walking paths and near wear the water meets the banks. The park needs to get in there and clean that up a little. Saw some Hawks and deer on my walk. Not one chipmunk or squirrel, which is weird🤔.

Joshua Keene — Google review

Loved this park 👍🏻 well maintained. Nice campground across the road. Great hiking trails.

Mark Ultz — Google review

Great river hike up a gorge to a stunning waterfall that is tired and has a large pool of water at the base. Many great rocks to scramble over. Water proof boots are useful when crossing the stream a couple times.

Kevin Conley — Google review

Really great place with nice staff. They were showing us a snake that looked awesome. They also did a great job at letting us know about the dangers of the gorge.

Ben Spader — Google review

It's absolutely amazing. Beautiful trails. Peaceful place. Swimming hole at the waterfall. Great park Rangers. Definitely going back.

Becky Lemaster Weller — Google review

4.7

(3787)40 Best Stops Between Charlotte and Nashville (205)

4.5

(682)40 Best Stops Between Charlotte and Nashville (206)

390 Cummins Falls Ln, Cookeville, TN 38501, USA

(888) 867-2757

29

Stones River National Battlefield

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Park

Sights & Landmarks

Stones River National Battlefield is a 570-acre park and cemetery that features well-marked trails and a visitor center, which provides information about the Civil War battlefield. The visitor center was designed to teach visitors about the site's history while remaining respectful towards fallen soldiers and apolitical. The National Park Service did an excellent job of presenting the information without bias towards any side of the battle - there was no mention of which party emerged victorious.

A very nice day for a visit. The driving tour is great, but it is walkable and great for bicycles. Something for everyone of all ages. Sites are well marked and easy to find. There is a self guided audio tour which is very helpful. Also very sobering to think of the number of casualties. You can spend as little or as long as you like exploring the park. Download the National Park Service app before you go.

Sheila Hadden — Google review

Really great national historic site with a lot of intentionality put into capturing the history and events that took place. A few monuments that you were able to go see (accessible by walking) definitely add to the experience. This is a park that enables you to stop by on a day trip to Murfreesboro and is generally accessible by car. There’s pretty great biking infrastructure, and a visitor center that allows visitors to walk through a chronological record of “Hell’s Half Acre”

Zak Myers — Google review

Well designed visitor center that allows you to learn about the site and battle while also remaining respectful to the fallen soldiers and remaining apolitical. The NPS did a nice job of presenting this without a prejudice for one side being better or worse--specifically I didn't recall seeing any information on which side won the battle.It's about 8 minutes from the interstate and you can enjoy the full visitor center experience in as little as 30 minutes.

Brad Kosar — Google review

If you are looking for a outing with the family or just want to get out and learn about the civil war and the struggles these men went through.This place is one of the largest battles and most causalities occurred in a short three day period.It’s humbling to walk amongst the soldiers graves and see the many that gave their lives during the battle.They have a guided tour you can take or you can go in your vehicle and drive among the trail to the actual battlefield places.Such a great trip for learning and seeing what they went through.

Brad — Google review

We are always pursuing more passport stamps! My kids enjoyed the Visitor Center and the drive through the battleground and past the Stone River National Cemetery. We saw 4 wild turkeys as we drove in and they "talked back" when my girls called to them "Gobble, gobble, gobble!" Junior Ranger activity books are free for kids, and completing one will earn them a badge. We spent some time (and money) in the gift shop... a bird guide, a couple children's books, Christmas ornament, and more stickers to stamp for our forgotten at home passport! Also there was a book for Family Activities. I do recommend as a great place to visit and learn some history and about local wildlife. There is a short educational film that shows reenactments (including head wounds and dead bodies) my girls found this a bit upsetting and said, "I hate wars, they make people die!" In my opinion, that's an excellent take away! I enjoyed the quotes from Ed Abbott.

Big Boneded — Google review

Just stumbled onto this on our trip as we were making a stop in Murfeesboro and had some downtime to be able to visit this battlefield. Neat little battlefield that is very accessible to walk around, drive to and spend an easy 1-2 hours here tops.You will not be spending hours and hours here to see everything but for a a battlefield I didn't know exist before visiting, it was worth a little detour to get out and stretch our legs.

Mr. Whiskers — Google review

This park is awesome. Unfortunately, the history behind it is not, but the presentation of the history and historical facts at the time is just great. It is also horrifying at times to realize what those soldiers went through.I highly recommend taking in the whole park. It is truly an experience. The slaughter pen is unbelievable, especially when you realize the horrifying battle that occurred there.The folks at the visitor center were extremely helpful and friendly.Do not miss out on this park for sure if you are in the area.

Dan J — Google review

This is a battle field during the Civil War. This park you can drive to locations within the park to see certain important locations. You have an option to hear free audio (off your phone from a number you call) of the area you are in. If you enjoy history this can be a nice place to visit.

Giovanni Silva — Google review

There has definitely been a lot of work put into this place lately. I haven't gone here since I was a kid on a field trip. There are bike Lanes car Lanes and just beautiful surroundings. We even got to see deer!

Amanda Flowers — Google review

Stones River is nice to have in town for a casual stroll. Today was a great fall day! Those who are into history will find this place rich with information about a time before..

Preston Thompson — Google review

I appreciated that it was possible to visit this despite not having a lot of time. I was able to complete the visitor center and 5 of the outdoor sites in about 1.5 hours.The rock formations in the Slaughter Pen were interesting.

James Milks — Google review

Tucked into a city, this is a great place to see nature. I was surrounded by deer the morning I was there. As far as following the battle, it's not the easiest place to do so. If you have knowledge of the battle then what you see and walk/drive to would make some sense. There are very few plaques and almost no monuments. The visitor center is nice and the rangers there are very knowledgeable. Having the natl. Park app helps to follow along some of the high points that are preserved within the park.

brian schroeder — Google review

We did the booklets for junior rangers- ages 13-6 and it was fun. The books will be updated to the park for better outlining they stated, as it was a bit all over the place where to find the clues. The staff were super friendly & engaging. We absorbed history & discussed many aspects of war and the struggles as well as that each longed for home. They had audio to listen to writings. The only downfall we had was the field being sprayed where the tombstones were and figuring how to maneuver out without inhaling or getting on shoes. Cross walks have buttons you press to alert passing street to different portions to the park. Very clean bathrooms and great gift shop. Highly recommend the park.

Melanie Cain — Google review

We will have to come back on a warmer day to walk the trails, but the driving tour was fun and perfectly fit the hour of free time we had while in the area. The visitors center was informative and rangers were friendly and helpful.

Kristy Schepker — Google review

Humbling to say the least, a great spot loaded with history. An interesting multi stop tour of the battlefield, a cemetery, a nice museum & gift shop.

Hockey Fan — Google review

The visitors center was great! We were greeted with a smile and given a map. We toured the small museum which was very informative and nicely laid out. The outdoor area had a a few monuments and fields but left a lot to be desired. I definitely recommend if you enjoy taking a walk and learning about history.

Opinion Oracle — Google review

It was an amazing experience walking the trails of this Battleground and learning its history via the visitor's center and the National Parks employees.

Donald Dacus — Google review

4.8

(2439)40 Best Stops Between Charlotte and Nashville (211)

4.5

(816)40 Best Stops Between Charlotte and Nashville (212)

3501 Old Nashville Hwy, Murfreesboro, TN 37129, USA

(615) 893-9501

30

Andrew Jackson’s Hermitage

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History museum

Museums

The Hermitage plantation, a Greek Revival mansion museum and historic site, was the residence of Andrew Jackson, the seventh President of the United States. Situated on 1100 acres of land, it encompasses the mansion, gardens with a tomb, former cotton fields, and 19th-century cabins that housed enslaved individuals. A tour of this Nashville attraction provides insights into Jackson's life and character as well as information about the lives of those enslaved on the plantation.

Absolutely beautiful scenery. We did the mansion tour and the grounds access and there was so much to explore. It was really cool to feel you are walking through history and learn about the lives of everyone who lived there. I would recommend about 3 to 4 hours to do everything. We came around 4 and did not have enough time to see everything. I enjoy history and reading everything so it does take me a bit longer to get through everything. If you like just looking at pictures may need a little less time! But definitely give yourself enough time so you do jot have to rush! Would recommend.

renee brumm — Google review

The tour was straight to the point, didn't take forever either, maybe 30 minutes. The walk around the whole area was pleasant, and there's even a horse carriage ride you can take, don't know if you have to pay as I didn't take it. The price, in my opinion, was hefty for a little piece of history, coming in at $24 per adult. But it was a very nice day out so walking around and looking at old buildings was kind of relaxing.As for what there is to look at, it's mainly Andrew Jackson's house with a few buildings you can walk into but there's not much in them and they're very small, I believe they have an event we're they play some older sport.The gift shop was mediocre, mainly books about stuff other than the president.There's "Wine Tasting" but no one was in there when I went in so, can't give you details on that, sorry!Overall, it was a good way to waste a few hours of my day, enjoyably.P.S.Also, I met two awesome folks from PA during the tour and got my picture with them, however I forgot their names, if you two guys are reading this, feel free to follow me on here and I'll try and find a way to get in touch!

Devan Dean — Google review

A nice place to spend a couple hours learning about American history. Tour guides were friendly and knowledgeable. The mansion is air conditioned, which was helpful on the hot day we visited. Such a beautiful spot. Photos are not allowed indoors, FYI.

Stephanie DeBoer — Google review

Beautiful grounds and the home is very well preserved with a lot of the original furniture intact. There are horses, colorful flowers, and a lot of birds chirping. Note that this place is Andrew Jackson’s final home and resting place.

Courtney L — Google review

We had a beautiful April evening to cruise the river! The entertainment was so much fun to listen to and watch. There was a lot of talent on that stage. We enjoyed getting to know the people sitting at our table, and food was good and filling. I especially enjoyed the dessert with a cup of coffee!

Katrina Qualls — Google review

We had time between arrival and check in so we decided to stop and lock the grounds. We had about an hour wait before I could tour the mansion. There's plenty to do from the museum to the wine tasting to walk in the grounds to make that time go by very quickly. The grounds are gorgeous. All of the varieties of trees are very interesting. Thinking that some of them are hundreds of years old is incredible.

Diane Cecil — Google review

There is a lot of construction for up dates being done. I was able to get around with my scooter. I couldn't go into the house with the scooter, but I was able to walk and sit once inside. I found everything very interesting. I loved the wagon ride with Greg as our tour guide. Very informative (all the tour guides were), friendly, and just kind. It was a great day. Loved the Bake Chicken in the Cafe too!

Gail Geissler — Google review

Wonderfully restored Mansion with most of it's original furnishings. Well conducted tour of the building with lots of information. The grounds are well maintained and extensive. Great place for a stroll through history and nature.

Marco Ivancic — Google review

The Mansion Tour was nice.They showed a short 25-minute movie about this place and the peoplewho had lived there.The mansion was air-conditioned, which was good because of the extremely hot summer weather that week.The four tour guides were nice and friendly and they gave our toura lot of interesting knowledgeabout Andrew Jackson and his lifebefore and after his presidency.They even politely answered our questions.And we asked them a few.It was my first time visiting here.I bought some nice souvenirs.Those ladies who worked in the gift shop were nice, friendly, and helpful.We got a ride from an older gentlemanin a golf cart from the Mansionback to the Museum and gift shop.He told my husbandthat he could drive for him.I thought he was teasing;but he was serious.My husband talked to himand we thanked him profusely for the ride.We were tired of walking,and it was so hot outthat we really appreciated that ride.The other people, like us,were hot and tired,and I'm sure they also appreciatedthat ride as well.I would take our childrenand grandchildrenback here to learn someof our nation's history.

Jill Brady — Google review

Very educational. The tour of the house was a lot of fun. I learned a lot about Andrew Jackson, our 7th president. Almost everything is original to the house. There were some things that were replicas, but not a lot. The grounds are beautiful. There are a lot of trees that are huge and very old, and they provide shade.

Julina Stout — Google review

Amazing home with lots of history about Andrew Jackson and his home. We did half hour mansion tour which included the grounds. They also have self guided audio tours which you can download on your phone in which you can roam around the grounds on your own. We also went onto the horse drawn tour. We spent about 5 hours here and just took our time wandering the grounds. Keep an eye. You may see a bunch of turkeys or a mole burrowing in his hole.

Marilyn Chi — Google review

We chose to do the VIP tour. It was great. I really enjoy having a knowledgeable person explain to me what I am looking at. Otherwise, I just blow past everything too quickly.The grounds are absolutely beautiful. I could just spend the day walking outside enjoying the plants, wildlife, and scenery.The house is really well preserved with a lot of the original stuff. It was very impressive.We learned a lot about Jackson. His story is quite impressive. I'm so glad we visited. This is one of the better presidential places we have been.

M C — Google review

We did the outside tour only. It was great. It wasn't about the money. The difference in price was four dollars. But we were able to self pace the outside, rather than going at the guide's speed. We saw much of the Hermitage's ground floor through the windows. Highlights for us were the history of enslaved people and the gardens, including the Jackson burial cupola. Plus, we visited the wine tasting area. Very nice.

Latham Winfree — Google review

This home and plantation are well preserved. Tour guides were professional and very knowledgeable. The entire of the home is awesome, especially the mural, and how much is authentic.Well kept grounds and other out buildings. Peaceful area.The museum was excellent and full of great information about Andrew Jackson and had good information on the slaves he owned, too. Some great insights into life during his time and some details of his life.Wish we could have taken photos inside (only reason not giving a 5 star rating). I understand why, with 80% of the items there being Jackson's belongings or from his family and so are very old and to preserve them, they ask for no photos.

Randy Christensen — Google review

Real history you can touch walk and sense. Well preserved and restored. 200 plus years of American history. True telling of slave history rarely told or seen elsewhere. The grounds are serene and idyllic to reconnect with nature and clean air.

Michael Klatt — Google review

I came here on a Monday afternoon and was basically the only person in the whole place! I did the “In Their Footsteps” tour and it was super informative, I’d highly recommend it. The tour was about $50 per person but it was worth it. Overall the history is very interesting and I’d definitely recommend trying to visit here.

Ethan Unverferth — Google review

Well worth the visit. Very close to the airport so even if you only have a couple of hours, you can see and learn lot.Matthew at the ticket booth gave great advice on how to make the most of our time. The greeter (and movie operator) at the main doors was very helpful too (didn't catch her name).Movie and exhibits well worth the price alone. But then the mansion tour is very well done. It's about a 30min guided tours with tag-team type guiding (different guides for different sections of the mansion). All did a great job and we're very helpful with questions or special needs (we had someone in a wheelchair in our party and everyone was super accommodating).We didn't get to see it all but hope to attend again.Btw, If you are in a wheelchair there are steps (only) to the upstairs of the house. If that's impossible, at it probably is if you are in a wheelchair, they do have a notebook with pictures and explanations for you to review while the tour continues in that section. Everything else was very wheelchair accessible.

Belle&Les Lee — Google review

We enjoyed touring the Hermitage. My son and I enjoy learning about history together. He is 7 years old. I have visited two times, but my first visit was about 25 years ago on a school field trip. This visit was like new to me. We had a great time. The premium guided tour is worth the price. I 100% recommend going that route. We spent about 3 hours touring the grounds and mansion. There is a lot of walking and standing, so be sure to wear some good shoes.

Jonathan Francis — Google review

As a fan of Andrew Jackson, this was an absolute thrill! I loved walking through history and trying to feel it as though I was there. The two tour guides in the house acted as though they were indentured servants forced to guide us through the house and showed little enthusiasm for their jobs. I loved the museum on site and thought it to be a thorough look at Andrew Jackson and his life and home. Despite the despondent tour guides and the harrowing price of admission, I believe this to be a true delight for any fan of history.

Rich Bird — Google review

The house and grounds were beautiful. I learned a lot about this president that I didn't know. The museum was really nice. Everything was clean and well maintained. The staff was all very friendly and knowledgeable.

Lori Thomas — Google review

AJ'S crib and the grounds were awesome. This place is America's history. Make sure you walk the grounds and the house.Also, be sure and check out the family cemetery. It's bizarrely interesting.The staff here were awesome. They were very knowledgeable and friendly to boot.This is a slice of Americana. AJ's is a great story. From orphan to soldier to businessman to President. Wow. Though, understandably, his policies are painful reminders for indigenous and African American people. Again, justifiably so.The grounds are immaculate, and the house is even cleaner. I thoroughly enjoyed myself here, and I may have even learned a thing or three.

The DeloDelo — Google review

It is a very interesting trip through history. Our docents were very knowledgeable and entertaining. Our teenagers enjoyed them and read most of the information plaques.

Virginia Tyler — Google review

4.7

(4837)40 Best Stops Between Charlotte and Nashville (219)

4.5

(5863)40 Best Stops Between Charlotte and Nashville (220)

4580 Rachels Ln, Hermitage, TN 37076, USA

(615) 889-2941

40 Best Stops Between Charlotte and Nashville (2024)
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