Tennessee
Best summer hikes in East Tennessee: Places to cool off and take in the views
Black bear shows cubs how to find snacks in Tennessee
A Ring camera spotted a black bear with five cubs breaking into a vehicle for snacks in Tennessee.
As we have reached the middle of the summer, the time for outdoor activities is at its peak with a variety of activities to choose from to do.
With over 61 million people in the United States hiking at least once a year in 2023, there are plenty of people on the hunt for a new spot. East Tennessee has some of the most attractive hiking spots, ranging from higher altitude climbs to scenic overlooks to places where you can take a cooling dip to beat the heat.
Here are some places to try this summer:
Higher-altitude hikes
It’s hot in Tennessee, and sometimes the only way to cool off is to get high up into in the Great Smoky Mountains. Here are some trails that will get you up where the breezes will give you a break from the stifling heat.
Clingmans Dome in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the highest peak in Tennessee, and the Appalachian Trail runs right over the top. The peak is 6,643 feet.
There are a variety of long trails to take to reach the peak, including Forney Creek Trail, Noland Creak/Forney Ridge Trail, Noland Divide Trail, Little River Trail/Goshen Prong Trail, Sugar Mountain Trail and the Appalachian Trail at Fontana Dam.
You can also drive to the parking lot at the top and explore from there. The half-mile paved trail to the observation tower is an easy one. Andrews Bald is another trail from the Clingmans Dome parking lot. It’s 3.6 miles round trip and has gorgeous views.
Mt. LeConte is the third highest peak in the national park at 6,593 ft. The trails leading up to Mt. LeConte vary in difficulty.
The six trails leading to Mt. Leconte are the Alum Cave Trail, Boulevard Trail, Rainbow Falls Trail, Trillium Gap Trail, Bullhead Trail and Brushy Mountain Trail. They vary in length, too, but all reach the cool, breezy top. As a bonus, the LeConte Lodge has snacks, souvenirs and outhouses.
Hikes with views, even in the summer
Winter hikes in Tennessee have sweeping views when the lush trees lose their leaves. In the summer, you have to plan to make sure you’re able to catch those gorgeous sightlines.
House Mountain is the highest peak in Knox County and rises to an elevation of 2,064 feet. There are four main trails for hiking this wooded mountain ,and they add up to about 4.5 miles. The hike should take approximately 3 to 4 hours to complete so make sure to be well prepared and have some good hiking shoes. The view of surrounding communities and mountain ranges is at the top.
Sharp’s Ridge Loop Trail at Sharp’s Ridge Veterans Memorial Park in Knoxville is known for having one of the best views of the Smoky Mountains (without having to go there). The unpaved trail is 5.4 miles long and loops back to the start, averaging about an hour and 30 minutes. The high ridge takes you high over downtown for amazing city views.
Hiking trails where you can swim, too
After a hike through the woods, it is nice to have a place for a refreshing swim.
River Trail Loop at Ijams Nature Center in Knoxville is an excellent mix between forest and water as the trail travels in the woods and alongside the Tennessee River. The trail is 1.3 miles long at a low elevation with an average of 30 minutes to complete. The location provides easy access to swimming opportunities with kayaking at the Ijams Riverside landing nearby Mead’s Quarry Lake for a cooling dip in the water. There are no lifeguards, however, and jumping of the cliffs is prohibited.
Littler River Trail in Townsend is another great opportunity for those looking for an easy hike and a fun place to swim. The trail is an easier one at about 5 miles with an elevation of just 412 feet. This location also offers excellent opportunity for swimming and tubing as the trail is located all along the Little River. It’s a summertime must for families and a place where childhood memories are made.
Metcalf Bottoms Trail an easy trail located in Gatlinburg with at a 100-foot elevation gain that should take less than an hour to complete at 1.2 miles round trip. Hiking is optional for those visiting Metcalf Bottoms because of its excellent picnic and swimming locations for those wanting a more relaxing ‒ and wetter ‒ excursion.
The state of Tennessee says nine people have died in boating-related fatalities so far this year.
State data shows that number is higher than it was at this point last year.
Connell ran his boat about 70 miles up river from Guntersville, Ala. to fish in the shadow of Tennessee’s Nickjack Dam. Probably due to the foul weather, there were few, if any, local anglers there on the prime fishing spots. (MLF Video Screen Grab)
Richard Simms with Scenic City Fishing Charters says anytime hearing about any boat-related tragedy is difficult because boating is supposed to be a relaxing activity, not a deadly one.
A great day of fun that turns to tragedy, and that strikes an emotional chord for people that you hate to see at any time, Simms says.
Simms adds that many of these incidents may be linked to speeding, collisions with other boats, or simply operators and passengers not paying close attention on the water.
Most collisions are just the result of somebody not paying attention, they’re distracted, maybe sending a text, or maybe talking to their buddy, you know, or watching something else, Simms tells us.
Two years ago Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency engineers performed temporary repairs on the ramp. Hamilton County Park officials said they had a plan in place to perform permanent repairs but that never happened until funding came via the Bill Dance Signature Lake project. (Contributed Photo)
We asked Brian Lee with TowBoat U.S. whether anything seems different on the water this year.
Lee says lake levels are lower than normal for this time of year, and with warmer-than-usual weather, more people are getting out on the water earlier in the season.
Lake levels are still very low because of our lack of rainfall. The lake levels have not come up to summer level, Lee tells us.
Tennessee law does not require adults to wear life jackets while on the water, but boaters are required to have life jackets on board.
Lee says they should consider wearing them anyway to avoid tragedy.
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Anytime you accidentally fall into the water is a potential where you may not get back out of the water, Lee says.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WZTV) — Tennessee State Parks announced that Cardwell Mountain is now recognized as a state archaeological park.
The new Cardwell Mountain State Archaeological Park preserves over 5,000 years of Tennessee’s history, and is one of only three archaeological state parks in the state.
Located at the edge of Eastern Highland Rim and the Cumberland Plateau, the park contains unique geological features like limestone outcrops on its mountains, and nears the Cumberland Caverns, one of the longest cave systems in the nation.
Research at the site has documented evidence of Native American settlement for thousands of years, and one the most prominent examples of this is a 15-foot-tall monument built by Native Americans around 1,000 years ago, located in a meadow beneath the mountain.
The mountain is named for the Cardwell family, who built a homestead on the mountain and lived and farmed for 150 years. Some of the apple trees from original Cardwell orchard still stand on the property.
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The park is not yet open to the public while protective measures are established to allow visitors to explore without disturbing the site.
Tennessee softball knows exactly what it must do to punch its ticket to the super regionals. On Sunday, the Lady Vols will need to beat Virginia once in two attempts to move on.
The first game of the set is scheduled for 2 p.m. ET on ESPN2. If Tennessee wins, it advances and will host the Knoxville Super Regional next weekend between the winner of No. 10 Georgia and Clemson. If UT loses the first game, the pair will play again at approximately 4:30 p.m. ET in a winner-take-all game. That “if necessary” match has no TV designation yet.
The regional finals will be a rematch of Saturday afternoon’s matchup, as well. The Lady Vols defeated Virginia 7-5 to earn their spot in the regional finals. Later on Saturday night, the Hoos took down Indiana for the second time in two days, 9-7, to secure their spot out of the loser’s bracket.
More From RTI: Everything Tennessee Softball HC Karen Weekly Said After Beating Virginia in Knoxville Regional
In Tennessee and Virginia’s first meeting of the Knoxville Regional, the Lady Vols jumped on UVA in a hurry. UT posted five runs in the first inning to take a lead it never gave up. Later in the game, Tennessee used solo home runs from Emma Clarke and Makenzie Butt to create a cushion.
Virginia’s bats did damage against the Lady Vols’ top two pitchers, though. Sage Mardjetko got the ball to start and allowed three runs on a three-run shot in four innings. Karlyn Pickens relieved her, but allowed two more runs on a home run.
If Tennessee advances, it will be the program’s 15th super regional appearance and fourth in a row. Virginia is looking for its first-ever appearance in the round. This is the Hoos’ fourth-ever NCAA Tournament berth, but third in a row.
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