8 Bucket-List Small Towns In Tennessee
Tennessee is rich with small towns that offer deep-rooted history and unmistakable Southern character, from misty mountain gateways to storybook main streets. Whether touring the famous Jack Daniel’s Distillery in Lynchburg or chasing thrills on the wooden coasters of Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, the state offers experiences you won’t find anywhere else. When building a list of standout destinations to explore, be sure to include everything from the energy of Gatlinburg to the quiet charm of Bell Buckle.
Gatlinburg
The city of Gatlinburg is rapidly becoming one of the most heavily visited stops in all of Tennessee, making it a nature and entertainment mecca worth exploring at least once in life. The first and most important reason that the community should make the group of bucket list towns is the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. This is the most visited national park in the country, with more than 800 miles of trails, challenging all skill levels of hikers, bikers, and campers.
Downtown, thousands upon thousands of visitors descend on Gatlinburg every year. The downtown area has evolved into being tourist-friendly, with countless restaurants, shops, and oddities. Still, the natural attractions here favor the most action, such as the Gatlinburg SkyPark, which features the longest pedestrian cable bridge and a bird's eye view of the town against the Smoky Mountains. Similarly, visitors can take a short ride on the Ober Mountain Aerial Tramwayright from downtown to go two miles up a mountain’s face to find an adventure hub open year-round with ski slopes and hiking.
Jonesborough
People put the town of Jonesborough on their bucket list for Tennessee because of stories. This community is the self-proclaimed 'Storytelling Capital of the World,' and this is most evident at the International Storytelling Center in town. The masters of this craft host events here regularly, so it is beneficial to schedule a trip around when such an event is taking place. Jonesborough is also the host of the National Storytelling Festival held in October.
Even without an orator, there's plenty to see and explore in the community, especially downtown. Main Street is the historic district of the community, and because this is Tennessee's oldest town, Jonesboro still has many Federal-style buildings like the Chester Inn State Historic Site, built in 1797. Even some of the restaurants have a touch of history, such as the Main Street Café, where you can enjoy your meal within the original vault of a 1930s bank building.
Lynchburg
The small town of Lynchburg, Tennessee, has long been synonymous with a single brand: Jack Daniel’s. The one and only Jack Daniel’s Distillery of the whiskey company is right here, which alone is enough to make many bucket lists. Guests can take a tour of the process from the charcoal mellowing to aging the concoctions in oak barrels. But this distillery isn’t the only history one you can find in Lynchburg, as the whole community is centered around a historic courthouse square where you will find long-running local businesses like the Lynchburg Hardware & General Store, boasting endless amounts of Jack Daniel’s merchandise.
Natural wonders are abundant around the small town here, but a short drive away, many have found the allure of Tim Ford State Park. The lake here is ideal for bass fishing and boating, but there are also miles of hiking trails around these deep, turquoise waters in the lake.
Bell Buckle
Bell Buckle is a town that many people might not even know exists until they start to read about the best places to see and explore in Tennessee. The population here is right around 500 people, but what that actually means is that a lot of the historic architecture and Victorian downtown has not yielded to the evolution of the growing town that brings in franchise businesses and overwhelms the town in commercial properties. Instead, the town has stops like the beloved Bell Buckle Café to go with its independent galleries and unique boutiques.
While there are certainly natural wonders to be found here in Bedford County, like the Short Springs Natural Area with its tiered Machine Falls attraction, perhaps what drives the most people to put Bell Buckle on their bucket lists is the RC-MoonPie Festival. This is a quirky gathering that happens every year and draws in thousands to this small, quaint community with a parade, entertainment, a 10-mile run, and the cutting of the world’s largest MoonPie.
Pigeon Forge
With Gatlinburg only a 15-minute drive southeast on 73, many who check Gatlinburg off their lists also knock out Pigeon Forge in the same trip to Eastern Tennessee. Pigeon Forge is fun, quirky, and popular, so plan when it comes to finding accommodations close to the action. The centerpiece of it all is the massive theme park Dollywood, one of the state’s biggest attractions, with beloved wooden roller coasters, live entertainment, and a distinct rustic theme that is evident right from the front entrance. In town, there are countless oddities and attractions for locals and tourists alike, but one stands out to many who visit here: The Titanic Museum. The entire facility is built to be a half-scale model of the original ship, complete with iconic spots like the grand staircase, and full of memorabilia and exhibits depicting the stories of those who were on board.
Nature is a big part of the attraction here in Pigeon Forge as well as the other places that are on a bucket list of Tennessee towns, and the best way (and probably the most thrilling) to experience this is the Smoky Mountain Alpine Coaster. This unique experience allows you to control the brakes on a car cutting through the forests here on rails. Riders can scream through the trees fast enough to feel like it rivals the new NightFlight Expedition coaster at Dollywood, or slow and calculated to be able to take in the sights in a leisurely way.
Sweetwater
Another Eastern Tennessee spot to keep on a bucket list is Sweetwater. One of the most impressive attractions that draws people in here happens at the Craighead Caverns, which is home to the Lost Sea. This is the largest underground lake in the country, and businesses like the Lost Sea Adventure offer glass-bottom boat tours that glide you across the clear waters to see the huge rainbow trout and formations in the lake.
While it is enough to come just for the huge underground lake, Sweetwater is also home to some other natural attractions and long-standing staples of the region, starting with the tranquil Duck Park right in town. Outside the village limits, one can find a working dairy farm introducing visitors to the cheese-making process and offering samples of their award-winning cheddar cheeses, the Sweetwater Valley Farm.
Dayton
When Dayton ends up on a small town bucket list for Tennessee, it usually has to do with one of two things: the historic trial with an educator by the name of Scopes or world-class bass fishing. For those who want to learn about the 1925 ‘Monkey’ Trial, a legal battle that pitted an educator against the fierce traditions against teaching evolution in the classroom, start at the historic Rhea County Courthouse, where it took place. In the basement, you can find the Scopes Trial Museum, which has original furniture, artifacts, and items that were involved in this nation-altering trial.
Chickamauga Lake has long been one of the most globally recognized fishing destinations. It has adopted the title of the ‘Bass Fishing Capital of the World,’ and thousands come to the lake here every year hoping to snag a prize-winning, record-breaking fish.
Bolivar
Those interested in Civil War history will likely keep a place like Bolivar on their bucket list. This town sits right on the Tennessee Civil War Trail, which has plenty of markers that show important sites like the Hatchie River Bridge. History is a big part of the allure of visiting Bolivar overall, with attractions like The Pillars, a mansion built in 1828 that is now a museum showcasing this prosperous time in the town’s history with period artifacts and exhibits. Even more to the historical sites worth seeing and exploring within the community, be sure to stop by the Little Courthouse, a log structure that is serving as the oldest (and subsequently smallest) courthouse in West Tennessee.
Making the Time to See What Matters in Tennessee
Whether you are a lifelong resident of Tennessee or planning a visit to knock off some must-see destinations in the Volunteer State, start with these bucket-list-level towns here. Some of them stand out with a lot of fanfare and flashiness, like Gatlinburg or Pigeon Forge, but others are equally worth your time just not as over the top, like taking in a quirky festival in Bell Buckle centered around RC Cola and MoonPies. Whatever calls you to Tennessee, stop and see these eight towns while here.
