Tennessee Fall Traditions: Camping
Our guide to some of the best places for fall camping in Tennessee State Parks.
South Cumberland State Park (Credit: Tennessee State Parks)
Fall in Tennessee just feels right.
The cool mornings tingle perfectly. The changing leaves dazzle the eye. Hearty soups and frothy mugs of coffee hit home.
If nothing else, fall is that annual reprieve from hot Tennessee summers that delivers right on time. It draws us out of our homes once again, to gather outdoors for a walk in the neighborhood, a hike in the park, a meal on a patio, a concert with our friends, a pumpkin patch with our kids, or a huge street festival with the masses.
Fall is one of Tennessee’s best seasons. And Tennesseans know how to enjoy it. Here are five Tennessee fall traditions that we look forward to every single year — camping, college football, fall festivals, family farm adventures, and peeping those glorious fall leaves.
CAMPING
Those first cool breezes of Tennessee mornings begin to loosen the mental grip on swim towels and flip flops and turn thoughts instead to tents and hiking boots.
Tennessee holds an embarrassment of outdoor riches. It covers a dynamic range of terrain from the flat woodlands and wetlands of the west to the mountains and waterfalls in the east. Tennessee State Parks has captured much of these landscapes in its 58 state parks and made getting there easier and staying there more comfortable.
So, if fall has you yearning for flannel and campfires, here are three state parks to get you cozied up.
South Cumberland State Park
The park has it all — 20 miles of hiking (no mountain bikes, though), four amazing waterfalls, lakes, rock climbing, hunting, fishing, and more.
South Cumberland stretches over three counties — Grundy, Franklin, and Marion — but the welcome center is located in Monteagle.
Fiery Gizzard is the park’s best-known trail. The name’s origin are unclear. Did it come from the gizzard fish and bad weather? Was it from Davy Crockett and a hot piece of turkey? Did it come from an old coal blast furnace? Pick your pleasure here. But know that Backpacker magazine has ranked Fiery Gizzard as one of the top 25 hiking trails in the country.
Take the kids on the two-mile Grundy Day Loop for a good walk and the promise of swimming holes. Experienced hikers can find challenges aplenty in the park’s 10-mile Raven’s Point Loop. There are varying degrees of difficulty between these two.
And don’t miss Buggy Top. This four-mile trail leads explorers to one of the largest cave openings in Tennessee.
Norris Dam State Park
Who doesn’t want to stay in good, ole Rocky Top?
Stay at Norris Dam State Park (located in Rocky Top, Tennessee) and you’ll never hear the song the same way ever again.
It boasts 800 miles of shoreline on Norris Lake, which makes it a summertime destination for sure. But the park’s 21 miles of hiking trails give hard-to beat views of fall with gorgeous red and yellow leaves set against the deep blue of the lake. Or, hop on a pontoon with a park ranger for weekly cruises that leave form Norris Dam Marina. ($10 for those under 6 years old. $15 for those over 6 years old.)
Don’t miss the annual Pickin’ In the Park event. Held this year on October 4, Pickin’ hosts live music, food vendors, and arts and crafts booths. It all happens at Norris Park right by the dam, looking out over the lake. Feels like fall to me.
Pickwick Landing State Park
Yes, again, Pickwick is another summertime magnet. But it’s an amazing place to unwind for hardcore tent campers and comfort-loving resort folks.
Watersports remain a draw at Pickwick, even in the fall. Rent a canoe or kayak and paddle out for a day of exploring. Rent a pontoon boat and moor up somewhere for a secluded picnic. Any angler knows Pickwick is a paradise. The lake is a Bill Dance Signature Lake and hosts fishing tournaments (small and large alike) all year.
Indoors-y/outdoors-y types can find fun at the Lodge at Pickwick Landing. The 119 newly renovated rooms there offer balconies with amazing lake views. Many of the holes on the 18-hole golf course feature water views of Kentucky Lake. The Lodge’s restaurant serves generally Southern and American fare from soup and salad, to fried shrimp and patty melts.
