10 Perfect Destinations for a Long Weekend in Tennessee
Tennessee has beautiful destinations scattered all across its map. Gatlinburg and Townsend offer the best views on earth atop the Great Smoky Mountains, while Greeneville delights with Presidential homes amid mansions and classic muscle cars. Jonesborough stuns not just your eyes but also your ears with the best stories in the U.S. told by those trained in the ancient art of storytelling. If that weren't good enough, all of these Tennessee destinations offer comfortable accommodations for a weekend stay as well. Read on to learn more about these ten perfect destinations for a long weekend in Tennessee.
Mountain City
You'll be on top of the world in Mountain City. At 2,418 feet, it's the highest incorporated town in Tennessee. You can get even higher in Mountain City at Skydive Mountain City, a tandem jump skydiving facility where you can parachute down into the mountains. The nearest Appalachian park to Mountain City is the Doe Mountain Recreation Area, featuring around 8,600 acres of hiking trails, four-wheel off-roading, and other adventures. If you drive out further west, you'll reach Watauga Lake, a reservoir created in 1948 by the TVA Watauga Dam. It's one of the cleanest lakes in the entire country. There are several cottages and mountain lodges to enjoy your weekend stay in Mountain City, including Bigfoot’s Lair, a quaint cabin hidden away in the nearby wilderness.
Greeneville
Some of the best destinations in Tennessee are in its oldest founded towns, such as Greeneville. Founded in 1783, it's the second-oldest community in the state, featuring Presidential homes, vintage car museums, top-rated antique shops, and waterfall trails. One free historic attraction is the Andrew Johnson National Historic Site, featuring this president's family home, cemetery, and artifacts. He was the vice president under Abraham Lincoln, who became President following Lincoln's assassination. Right next to this museum is the City Garage Car Museum, housing a 1901 Oldsmobile and classic muscle cars.
Multiple mansion museums dot Greeneville's downtown, such as the Dickson-Williams Mansion. This 1821 structure has hosted many famous visitors over the years, including the Marquis de Lafayette, President Andrew Jackson, and Confederate General John Hunt Morgan. You can also get out into nature during your weekend stay by visiting the Margarette Falls Trail. To get the full historic experience, book your stay at the 1880s era General Morgan Inn on Main Street.
Tellico Plains
Tellico Plains is an adorable eastern Tennessee town that serves as the primary gateway to several waterfall trails and scenic drives. The town punches above its weight in historical preservation, with the Charles Hall Museum and Heritage Center housing more than 10,000 artifacts from Native American and Appalachian pioneer history. Tellico Plains sits within the Cherokee National Forest, and the closest trail to the town is the Bald River Falls. At 90 feet tall, it's one of the most impressive waterfalls in the forest.
For the truly determined hiker, you can also hop onto the Appalachian National Scenic Trail, a vast trail going from Maine to Georgia through every type of topography imaginable in the Appalachian Mountains. You don't have to hike to see all of this scenery; you can also stay in the safety of your car with the Cherohala Skyway, an awe-inspiring drive that crosses through the Bald River Gorge Wilderness and Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest. Enjoy your stay in this scenic countryside at the Lodge at Tellico or the Tellico Cabins.
Lynchburg
Tennessee whisky is a drink of choice for many southerners, and the best place to try it is Lynchburg. This small town is home to the Jack Daniel's Distillery, one of the oldest distilleries in the U.S. The distillery is open for tours and drink samples, including the spring water cave, which it has used for its distillery from its origins to today. If you want to purchase some Jack Daniel's memorabilia, you'll have to walk a bit to the old-timey general store: Jack Daniel's Lynchburg Hardware & General Store. Lynchburg also hosts historic, colorful aircraft from across the decades at the Beechcraft Heritage Museum in nearby Tullahoma, along with tales of spooky ghost stories at the Moore County Old Jail Museum. Close by to the distillery is the charming bed and breakfast Tolley House for your weekend journey.
Counce
Just around 300 people call Counce home in Hardin County, but it's a perfect central location to explore all that the wider county has to offer. First off, there's Pickwick Landing State Park, a 1,416-acre park with the Tennessee River and a lake formed by the Pickwick Dam. At this park, you can fish, boat, swim, hike through hills and hollows, or check in at the Lodge at Pickwick Landing. While in Counce, you can go eat dinner at Jane's Diner or search for a vintage treasure from Ole Charlie's Antique Mall. The closest attraction to Counce, aside from Pickwick Landing Park, is Shiloh National Military Park, the site of a decisive battle in the American Civil War. During this epic clash, the Union emerged victorious, marking a turning point that strengthened Union control in the region. The park contains many top-rated Civil War monuments.
Dayton
Dayton was founded in 1820 and would find itself at the crossroads of scientific history during the 1925 Scopes Monkey Trial. A teacher named John T. Scopes was put on trial for teaching the theory of evolution in the classroom, but the trial itself quickly became a showdown over science. The Rhea County Courthouse houses the Scopes Trial Museum, offering firsthand accounts of the event. Just outside of town, you can explore the gorges of the Cumberland Plateau at the Laurel-Snow SNA Section and hike out to the Laurel Falls and Snow Falls. If you work up an appetite while hiking, you can grab food and beer from Monkey Town Brewing Company or settle down with a slice of pizza and a good book from 1st Avenue Pizza, Books, and Treats. Dayton has several chain hotels, such as Comfort Inn Dayton South and Best Western Dayton.
Franklin
Civil War buffs will want to consider Franklin when picking a town for a long weekend trip. There were multiple Civil War battles fought here, but the last Battle of Franklin in 1864 would prove climactic. The Confederate Army under John Bell Hood would engage in multiple frontal assaults, leading to devastating losses for the army and earning it the nickname Pickett's Charge of the West after the disastrous charge at the Battle of Gettysburg. You can visit many of the old buildings that still bear the scars of this battle, such as the Carter House, which still has bullet holes on its surrounding houses on the property, or the Carnton mansion, where some of the floors are still stained with blood from wounded soldiers.
Franklin is also a lovely place to get out into nature, such as on the nearby Natchez Trace Parkway, a massive old Native American trail, as well as nature areas, like the Garrison's Creek Loop or the Owl's Hill Nature Sanctuary, featuring trails and protected owls. Two blocks away from the Carter House, you can enjoy Southern hospitality from the Magnolia House Bed & Breakfast.
Jonesborough
Founded in 1779, before Tennessee became a state, Jonesborough is the oldest town in Tennessee. Its memory hasn't faded over time; if anything, it's become more vibrant with its storytelling tradition. Jonesborough is called the Storytelling Capital of the World, both for the National Storytelling Center and the National Storytelling Festival in October. Local and travelling storytellers use their bodies and voices to enrapture audiences in true stories and tall tales alike. During the festival, the town is filled with massive tents to accommodate all the storytellers and listeners alike. You could spend your entire weekend listening to them at the festival or center. Still, there's plenty else to see in Jonesborough, from viewing local art at the Griffin Art Gallery to sampling whiskey at the Tennessee Hills Distillery, while staying at the lovely Jonesborough Bed and Breakfast hotel.
Gatlinburg
Gatlinburg is one of the most popular destinations in Tennessee for a weekend getaway. While many towns on this list are next to mountain trails, Gatlinburg is the entry point to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. This huge alpine park features both accessible trails up Clingmans Dome and challenging treks up Mount Le Conte or Chimney Tops. Just above town, the Gatlinburg SkyLift Park takes visitors across the SkyBridge, the longest pedestrian suspension bridge in North America, offering sweeping mountain views from 1,800 feet above sea level. For a different perspective, Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies draws families year-round with its underwater tunnel and close-up encounters with sharks and stingrays.
Gatlinburg’s town center is a bustling place with shops, restaurants, and distilleries like Ole Smoky Distillery for moonshine or The Village Shops with several boutiques and eateries. Gatlinburg has every type of accommodation, but its best are mountain cabins that you can rent from Black Bear Cabin.
Townsend
Gatlinburg is a great getaway town, but it can be a bit loud, especially in its downtown at night. If you're in the mood for a quieter place to enjoy the mountains, then check out Townsend. It's nicknamed the Peaceful Side of the Smokies, due in part to its close proximity to Cade's Cove. This 11-mile loop road goes through a beautiful mountain valley, where many black bears roam with their cubs. It's ideal for wildlife viewing or for visiting one of the many pioneer structures here, from the 1820s-era John Oliver Cabin to the 1827 Primitive Baptist Church. Speaking of churches, you can enjoy a beer or pub food at The Abbey at the Heartland Little River Chapel or learn about the area's logging history at the Little River Railroad/ Lumber Museum. You don't have to wander outside of Townsend to find affordable lodging. Just stay at the Tremont Lodge & Resort or the Townsend Gateway Inn.
The Perfect Long Weekend In Tennessee
These towns will make you feel like you're on top of the world. In some cases, that will be quite literal in the many mountain towns on this list, ranging from the Great Smoky Mountain National Park towns of Gatlinburg and Townsend to the high-elevation getaway of Mountain City. In others, the towns will raise the elevation of your mood with the excellent whiskey of Lynchburg or the delightful stories of Jonesborough. No matter which destination in Tennessee you select for your long weekend journey, you'll come back feeling better than ever.
