Tennessee's top places to see in the Spring
In the near future we will launch our new T-Shirt line, Tri-Star Adventures. The initial design acompanies Instagram Tennessee's love of photography with the Tri-Star Adventures spirit of wanderlust. That spirit of adventure inspired this blog post as we highlight some of our favorite places across the Volunteer State.
Fall Creek Falls
Picture courtesy of Uriah Young.
Fall Creek Falls is Tennessee's largest and most visited State Park. The park is located in Pikeville, TN and is around a 2 hour drive from Nashville or Knoville and is about an hour and 15 minutes from Chattanooga. The dramatic 256 foot waterfall is the highest free-fall waterfall east of the Mississippi River and it gives the park its name. This is a must see, so be sure to go after a few days of rain for even better photos. The park also offers over 50 miles of hiking and biking trails. Make time to check out the Cane Creek suspension bridge that is over 150 feet long located near the nature center.
For more information check out Friends of Fall Creek Falls.
Lookout Mountain
Chattanooga as seen from Point Park on Lookout Mountain courtesy of Earl Ayers.
Lookout Mountain, TN is a fantastic place to spend a spring day. Park in Historic St. Elmo at the base of the mountain and ride the Incline Railway to the top of the mountain. Commonly reffered to as "America's most Amazing Mile" the incline Railway offers riders a unique experience up the mountain. Once at the top, don't forget to take in the view from the observation deck and then walk a few blocks down the street to Point Park. Point Park is part of the Chickamauga and Chattanooga Civil War Battlefield. Here in November of 1863 the "Battle above the clouds" was fought. Be sure to check out the Visitor's center to learn more about the battle and take the short hike to take in the views of Chattanooga and the Tennessee River Valley.
Clingmans Dome
Clingmans Dome pictured at sunset courtesy of Marc Crosby.
At 6643 feet Clingmans Dome is Tenneessee's highest point and is located in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Enjoy the breathtaking views as you drive through the park and be sure to pull off at some of the overlooks. The road to Clingmans Dome ends in a large parking lot, from here a strenuous half mile hike awaits to reach the summit. The trail is paved, but can be quite steep at times and temperatures often vary 10 - 20 degrees from nearby lowlands so bring a jacket and water. The cool wet conditions near the summit actually make the area you are hiking through a coniferous rainforest. An observation tower at the summit offers you 360 views that can stretch 100 miles on a clear day. If possible, try to make the trek for sunrise or sunset and tag your photos #InstagramTennesse.