There’s something beautifully comforting about taking a back road, don’t you think? There’s just something about the old school and brilliant, exciting, and almost forgotten treks that call to our wanderlust. We’re in the car so often nowadays that the beauty of nature and the twang of the radio is simply forgotten. Here are our picks for 10 scenic drives in Tennessee that are 100% beautiful backroads:
- Camp Nakanawa
Jeffrey Hood/Flickr The road to Camp Nakanawa is right off of I-40, near Crossville. The colors are beautiful in autumn, by the way, so plan accordingly!
- Deal’s Gap
Dread Pirate Jeff/Flickr Credit for Deal’s Gap is most commonly given to North Carolina, but it actually lies on the North Carolina/Tennessee state line, so we’ll count it. It’s shared in the same way Lake Tahoe lives in both Nevada and California, you know? This mountain pass flirts with both states and will have your camera and selfie game working overtime. Be cautious, though, as it’s also quite windy - there are 318 curves in 11 miles of road!
- Overton County
Kristen Bobo/Flickr Overton County, Tennessee, is an absolutely STUNNING bit of the state, and we found a million and a half little roads here with great views. So, pick a back road and get lost. You really can’t go wrong with this one - it’s easy and fun.
- Grundy State Forest
Stanislav Vitebskiy/Flickr Located in Tracy City off of Highway 56, the drive up into the mountains here is one you’ll never forget. Your best bet is to take Fiery Gizzard Road from Tracey City.
- Natchez Trace
Jimmy Emerson, DVM/Flickr Running all the way up from Mississippi to Tennessee, Natchez Trace is absolutely gorgeous during summer and even more incredible in the fall. It provides about 440 miles of driving pleasure!
- Hyatt’s Lane
Ken Lund/Flickr Located out by Cade’s Cove, Hyatt’s Lane is a little piece of heaven that may take a bit of work from your GPS to find - we promise it’s worth it! Though it is definitely beautiful all year round, the road is super-lush during the warmer months.
- Great Smoky Mountains
David Brossard/Flickr Great Smoky Mountains National Park is located in East Tennessee, and there are literally hundreds of little, barely-appreciated roads that spin off into a beautiful nature netherworld. Go out, cruise, and get lost.
- Cherokee National Forest
幻影留梦/Flickr Much like its cousin, the Great Smoky Mountains, Cherokee National Forest offers way too many backroads with a perfect opportunity to burn some gas and kill an entire afternoon.
- Cherohala Skyway
Dzmitry (Dima) Parul/Flickr This beautiful back road is so beautiful that they made it into a national scenic byway! It’s 43 miles of gorgeous, wonderful and great. It’s shared with Tennessee and North Carolina, so you can get to cracking along some state lines again!
- Antebellum Trail
Krishna Santhanam/Flickr This historic drive runs from Nashville to Mount Pleasant, and it is rife with great stops and immersed in national history. Like most of the roads on this list, it’s astonishingly beautiful all year, but there’s just something about the summer and autumn months that are particularly special.
In case you couldn’t tell, we’re totally obsessed with scenic drives in Tennessee. Did you pick a favorite? What is it? Have you traveled anywhere on our list? We want to hear! Let us know in the comments below, friends, and happy (and safe) driving!
Jeffrey Hood/Flickr
The road to Camp Nakanawa is right off of I-40, near Crossville. The colors are beautiful in autumn, by the way, so plan accordingly!
Dread Pirate Jeff/Flickr
Credit for Deal’s Gap is most commonly given to North Carolina, but it actually lies on the North Carolina/Tennessee state line, so we’ll count it. It’s shared in the same way Lake Tahoe lives in both Nevada and California, you know? This mountain pass flirts with both states and will have your camera and selfie game working overtime. Be cautious, though, as it’s also quite windy - there are 318 curves in 11 miles of road!
Kristen Bobo/Flickr
Overton County, Tennessee, is an absolutely STUNNING bit of the state, and we found a million and a half little roads here with great views. So, pick a back road and get lost. You really can’t go wrong with this one - it’s easy and fun.
Stanislav Vitebskiy/Flickr
Located in Tracy City off of Highway 56, the drive up into the mountains here is one you’ll never forget. Your best bet is to take Fiery Gizzard Road from Tracey City.
Jimmy Emerson, DVM/Flickr
Running all the way up from Mississippi to Tennessee, Natchez Trace is absolutely gorgeous during summer and even more incredible in the fall. It provides about 440 miles of driving pleasure!
Ken Lund/Flickr
Located out by Cade’s Cove, Hyatt’s Lane is a little piece of heaven that may take a bit of work from your GPS to find - we promise it’s worth it! Though it is definitely beautiful all year round, the road is super-lush during the warmer months.
David Brossard/Flickr
Great Smoky Mountains National Park is located in East Tennessee, and there are literally hundreds of little, barely-appreciated roads that spin off into a beautiful nature netherworld. Go out, cruise, and get lost.
幻影留梦/Flickr
Much like its cousin, the Great Smoky Mountains, Cherokee National Forest offers way too many backroads with a perfect opportunity to burn some gas and kill an entire afternoon.
Dzmitry (Dima) Parul/Flickr
This beautiful back road is so beautiful that they made it into a national scenic byway! It’s 43 miles of gorgeous, wonderful and great. It’s shared with Tennessee and North Carolina, so you can get to cracking along some state lines again!
Krishna Santhanam/Flickr
This historic drive runs from Nashville to Mount Pleasant, and it is rife with great stops and immersed in national history. Like most of the roads on this list, it’s astonishingly beautiful all year, but there’s just something about the summer and autumn months that are particularly special.
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Address: Tennessee, USA
The OIYS Visitor Center
Scenic Drives in Tennessee February 22, 2021 Tori Jane Are there a lot of country roads in Tennessee? There are, and they’re our favorites! It seems like no matter where you live in the Volunteer State, you’ll find a back road to enjoy over and over again. Tennessee is a state with a lot to explore, and our road network is excellent for adventuring. Pick one and drive on! Where is some beautiful scenery in Tennessee? Well, to be fair, the vast majority of the state is composed of beautiful scenery. We have several particularly stunning state parks (56, to be exact), including some gems like Lamar Alexander Rocky Fork State Park, in Unicoi County, and Fall Creek Falls, which features an incredible, 256-foot-tall waterfall (one of the tallest in the entire country!). No matter what kind of peaceful environment you’re seeking - you’ll find it in Tennessee’s stunning state parks (and in lots of other places, of course). Looking for more ideas for scenic drives in Tennessee? Check this article out! Is there a lot of forest in Tennessee? Yes! A little over half of the state is covered in dense forest (52%, if you’re wondering). They’re beautiful, with hundreds of miles of trails for walking, hiking, and biking, and tons of waterfalls, ponds, and springs for your enjoyment. The possibilities are endless, and they’ve got some intriguing names, as well. Spend the day at beautiful Cedars of Lebanon State Forest, or kill a whole weekend camping at Lone Mountain State Forest. We guess it depends on just what you’re looking for out of your Tennessee forest adventure!
The OIYS Visitor Center
Scenic Drives in Tennessee
February 22, 2021
Tori Jane
Are there a lot of country roads in Tennessee? There are, and they’re our favorites! It seems like no matter where you live in the Volunteer State, you’ll find a back road to enjoy over and over again. Tennessee is a state with a lot to explore, and our road network is excellent for adventuring. Pick one and drive on! Where is some beautiful scenery in Tennessee? Well, to be fair, the vast majority of the state is composed of beautiful scenery. We have several particularly stunning state parks (56, to be exact), including some gems like Lamar Alexander Rocky Fork State Park, in Unicoi County, and Fall Creek Falls, which features an incredible, 256-foot-tall waterfall (one of the tallest in the entire country!). No matter what kind of peaceful environment you’re seeking - you’ll find it in Tennessee’s stunning state parks (and in lots of other places, of course). Looking for more ideas for scenic drives in Tennessee? Check this article out! Is there a lot of forest in Tennessee? Yes! A little over half of the state is covered in dense forest (52%, if you’re wondering). They’re beautiful, with hundreds of miles of trails for walking, hiking, and biking, and tons of waterfalls, ponds, and springs for your enjoyment. The possibilities are endless, and they’ve got some intriguing names, as well. Spend the day at beautiful Cedars of Lebanon State Forest, or kill a whole weekend camping at Lone Mountain State Forest. We guess it depends on just what you’re looking for out of your Tennessee forest adventure!
The OIYS Visitor Center
The OIYS Visitor Center
There are, and they’re our favorites! It seems like no matter where you live in the Volunteer State, you’ll find a back road to enjoy over and over again. Tennessee is a state with a lot to explore, and our road network is excellent for adventuring. Pick one and drive on!
Where is some beautiful scenery in Tennessee?
Well, to be fair, the vast majority of the state is composed of beautiful scenery. We have several particularly stunning state parks (56, to be exact), including some gems like Lamar Alexander Rocky Fork State Park, in Unicoi County, and Fall Creek Falls, which features an incredible, 256-foot-tall waterfall (one of the tallest in the entire country!). No matter what kind of peaceful environment you’re seeking - you’ll find it in Tennessee’s stunning state parks (and in lots of other places, of course). Looking for more ideas for scenic drives in Tennessee? Check this article out!
Is there a lot of forest in Tennessee?
Yes! A little over half of the state is covered in dense forest (52%, if you’re wondering). They’re beautiful, with hundreds of miles of trails for walking, hiking, and biking, and tons of waterfalls, ponds, and springs for your enjoyment. The possibilities are endless, and they’ve got some intriguing names, as well. Spend the day at beautiful Cedars of Lebanon State Forest, or kill a whole weekend camping at Lone Mountain State Forest. We guess it depends on just what you’re looking for out of your Tennessee forest adventure!
