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Tennessee Vacation - The State's Official Travel Planning Website

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Lakes & Rivers

Calling all boaters, paddlers, swimmers and fisherman. No matter how you choose to enjoy Tennessee's lakes and rivers, come on in. The water is fine!

Have a craving for adventure? How about a day--or a week--set aside for family fun? Or, maybe you just yearn for time alone with your fishing pole. No matter what kind of aquatic thrills you have in mind, Tennessee has lakes and rivers to fit your fancy.

From small ponds and enormous lakes to free-flowing rivers and streams, Tennessee overflows with opportunity for fantastic water recreation. Find a cove on Cherokee Lake and ski on glass-smooth water any time of the day. Pack your lures and make for the Clinch River, well reputed for some of the nation's best fly-fishing. Get your adrenaline pumping with an action-packed rafting adventure on the Ocoee River. Bring the whole family and explore the state's largest natural lake, Reelfoot Lake.

No matter how you decide to enjoy Tennessee's lakes and rivers, you are guaranteed to never run out of wet and wonderful waterways.

Green Travel Vendor

Big Cypress Tree State Park
A peaceful park for enjoying nature, Big Cypress was named for a national champion tree that was 1,350 years old before being killed by a lightning strike in 1976. In the floodplain of the Obion River’s Middle Fork, the park is a great site for picnicking, wildflower walks, bird watching and hiking and includes a 330-acre natural area and 27-acre adjacent park. ...more

Region:  Northwest
City:  Greenfield, TN
Phone:  (731) 235-2700

Green Travel Vendor

Big Hill Pond State Park
With its railroad and Civil War history and 5,000 acres of magnificent timberland and hardwood bottom lands of Cypress Creek and the Tuscumbia River, Big Hill Pond has features of interest to both history buffs and nature lovers. Close to the sites of battles at Davis Bridge and Youngs Bridge engagement where the Confederate Army, withdrawing from Corinth, MS, extricated itself from a difficult situation and later formed the bulk of the defenders of the besieged city of Vicksburg. ...more

Region:  Southwest
City:  Pocahontas, TN
Phone:  (731) 645-7967

Green Travel Vendor

Big Ridge State Park
This heavily forested, 3,687-acre park lies on the southern shore of Norris Lake. One of five demonstration parks developed by the Tennessee Valley Authority in cooperation with the National Park Service and the Civilian Conservation Corps. ...more

Region:  Knoxville & Middle East
City:  Maynardville, TN
Phone:  865-992-5523

Green Travel Vendor

Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area
The Big South Fork of the Cumberland River passes through 90 miles of scenic gorges and valleys containing a wide range of natural and historic features while offering a wide variety of recreational opportunities. ...more

Region:  Knoxville & Middle East
City:  Oneida, TN
Phone:  423-286-7275

Nature & Outdoors Vendor

Big Tennessee Catfish Noodling Tours
Big Tennessee Catfish Noodling tours provides an unrivaled, explosive experience to the thrill seeker. We practice the art of handfishing catfish that has been passed down from the Indian tribes, to our ancestral forefathers, to our generation. ...more

Region:  Knoxville & Middle East
City:  Sweetwater, TN
Phone:  (423) 519-9514

Green Travel Vendor

Bledsoe Creek State Park
Bledsoe Creek State Park is a 164-acre, historically significant site on the Bledsoe Creek embayment of the Old Hickory Reservoir near the 1780s settlement of Cairo. It is a popular site for hiking, camping, boating and fishing. ...more

Region:  Nashville & Surrounding Areas
City:  Gallatin, TN
Phone:  615-452-3706

Green Travel Vendor

Blue Heron Cruises
Family-friendly fun aboard a 24-passenger pontoon boat! All cruises travel through scenic wildlife refuge and Tennessee countryside, viewing wild birds, the Cumberland River and cozy creeks. Seven cruises available, from 90 minutes to 3-1/2 hours. ...more

Region:  Nashville & Surrounding Areas
City:  Ashland City, TN
Phone:  (615) 792-7358

Green Travel Vendor

Blue Moon Cruises
Eco-Cruises through the Tennessee River Gorge and Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge on the Tennessee. Get up close and personal with all the wonderful birds and wildlife while experiencing the history of the Cherokee Nation and its importance to our region. ...more

Region:  Chattanooga & Southeast
City:  Chattanooga, TN
Phone:  423-338-2230

Green Travel Vendor

Blue Springs Marina
Offering 260 wet slips, 84 dry storage. Gas and diesel. ...more

Region:  Chattanooga & Southeast
City:  Ten Mile, TN
Phone:  865-376-7298

Green Travel Vendor

Blue Water RV Resort & Marina
Blue Water RV Resort and Marina in gorgeous Dayton, Tennessee, affords you the luxury of combining RV camping, boating and fishing into one unforgettable vacation! Completely remodeled in 2010, Blue Water features all new waterfront concrete campsites, beautiful grassy areas, Cable TV & Wi-Fi Internet Access, and a general store, bait & tackle shop. We also have three cabins available for rental. ...more

Region:  Chattanooga & Southeast
City:  Dayton, TN
Phone:  (423) 775-3265

Green Travel Vendor

Booker T. Washington State Park
Officially established as one of two recreational parks for African Americans (the other was T. O. ...more

Region:  Chattanooga & Southeast
City:  Chattanooga, TN
Phone:  423-894-4955

Nature & Outdoors Vendor

Bowie Nature Park
722-acre nature park with 12 miles of trails. Nature center has nature exhibits, a discovery room and the Bowie Museum. ...more

Region:  Nashville & Surrounding Areas
City:  Fairview, TN
Phone:  615-799-5544

Nature & Outdoors Vendor

Bridgestone/Firestone Centennial Wilderness
Bridgestone/Firestone gift of 10,000-acre is a TWRA Wildlife Management Area in historic Scott's Gulf. Waterfalls, 26 mile hiking trail, bluffs overlooking Caney Fork River Gorge and 9 primitive backpacking campgrounds. ...more

Region:  Upper Cumberland
City:  Sparta, TN
Phone:  931-836-3552

Nature & Outdoors Vendor

Coy Gaithers/Bedford Lake
Coy Gaithers/Bedford Lake is on Doddy Creek in Bedford County, and is used for recreation purposes. Built in 1940, the lake has a normal surface area of 42 acres. ...more

Region:  Nashville & Surrounding Areas
City:  Wartrace, TN
Phone:  (615) 781-6622

Nature & Outdoors Vendor

Mississippi River Trail
The Mississippi River Trail, a road/bike trail that follows paved highways along the entire length of the river from Minnesota to New Orleans, includes a section through the rolling alluvial countryside of west Tennessee. One Memphis paddler, Joe Royer, an avid bicyclist as well, has popularized a workout that combines a cruise down the river with a bike ride on the MRT. ...more

Region:  Memphis & Surrounding Areas
City:  Memphis, TN
Phone:  





Permits and Guides

Take a journey into Tennessee's rich history and heritage on the Old Tennessee Trail. Over eighty points of interest take you from...

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Green Travel