Bordered on the east by the majestic Appalachian Mountains, and on the west by the great Mississippi River, Tennessee is the birthplace of country music and the site of some world-class outdoor recreation. Tennessee is endowed with a range of beautiful outdoor geography; there are plateaus, valleys, waterfalls, gorges, cypress swamps, gently rolling hills, hardwood forests, and farmland. This magnificent landscape provides a superb setting for hiking, camping, mountain biking, whitewater kayaking, and scenic driving, all the way from Johnson City in the east through Nashville (Music City) in central Tennessee to Memphis in the west, along the mighty Mississippi River.

In eastern Tennessee, the town of Gatlinburg (not far from Knoxville) is your jumping off point for a myriad of adventures. Just south of town is Great Smoky Mountains National Park with over 800 miles of trails. Here the venerable Appalachian Trail runs for 70 of its 2000+ miles through the spectacular Smokies. Bring your backpacking gear and do a quick overnight at Clingman's Dome Overnight Loop, dive into the Smoky Mountains by hiking to Buckhorn Gap via Meigs Creek, or grab a mountain bike and pedal along Citco Creek; your options are limitless.

Another noteworthy place to visit is Cumberland Gap National Historic Park. If you're feeling adventurous you could approach it along the currently 170-mile-long Cumberland Trail, which stretches from near Chattanooga all the way to the Cumberland Gap. This beautiful trail is slowly being constructed by local Tennessee volunteers, and is planned to run a full 300 miles when it's completed. If that sounds a bit much there are plenty of shorter trips available like the Bluff Trail just outside of Chattanooga.