If you’re a Tennessee local or an out-of-state visitor looking for the best weekend trips from Nashville, you’ve come to the right place!
I live in East Tennessee, so I frequently visit Nashville and all the places on this list. From the rugged peaks of the Great Smoky Mountains and the underground mines of Red River Gorge to the magazine-worthy waterfalls in Cookeville and the world’s longest cave system in Kentucky, you’re really going to love these weekend trips from Nashville.
Keep reading to discover the eight best weekend trips from Nashville, along with drive times, places to stay with a range of budgets, and the best things to do while you’re at each destination.
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NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE AT A GLANCE
Before diving in, here are a few highlights for planning a trip to Nashville, Tennessee.
- Getting There: The closest airport to Nashville is Nashville International Airport, which is in the heart of the city. Find affordable flights here.
- Where to Stay: Gaylord Opryland, Dream Nashville, or Sheraton Music City.
- How to Get Around: You’ll need to rent a personal vehicle to get around Nashville. Alternatively, there are fun tours you can take to get around the city.
- Best Time to Visit: Spring and fall
- How Long to Visit: 2-3 days
8 Best Weekend Trips From Nashville
1. Cookeville
Distance From Nashville: 1.5 hours
Cookeville, Tennessee is home to some of the most beautiful waterfalls I’ve ever seen. So if you’re a waterfall enthusiast, I’d definitely recommend Cookeville as your next weekend trip from Nashville!
For your weekend in Cookeville, I’m going to recommend several waterfall-related adventures.
The first one is paddling to the base of Burgess Falls! While you can view Burgess’ Upper, Middle, and Lower Falls from above (from Burgess Falls State Park’s River Trail), the only way to get to the base is by boat. Read all about how to paddle to Burgess Falls in my full guide here.
Next, you absolutely must hike to Cummins Falls! This exciting river trail never gets old.
Snag your permit online, head to the small state park, and trek through the river to the base of one of the most spectacular waterfalls in Tennessee. And yes, there’s a swimming hole at the base, so bring your swimsuit! Read all about that wild river/waterfall adventure here.
Rock Island State Park is a little out of the way (it’s about 40 minutes south of Cookeville), but since this is one of my favorite state parks in Tennessee, it’s worth the drive!
Before heading there, call the park office to check that the gorge is open; rock hopping through the gorge and wading in the sparkly swimming holes is one of the best things to do at Rock Island!
If the gorge is closed, don’t worry. You can still hike many of the trails, like the Downstream Trail, and see Twin Falls and Great Falls from the overlooks.
To find out how to access all of the gorgeous waterfalls in Rock Island, including the “secret” unnamed ones, check out my guide!
Finally, with any spare time in the Cookeville area, I’d recommend hiking the fun river trail in Window Cliffs State Natural Area. Window Cliffs is right next to Burgess Falls State Park, so you can conquer both back-to-back if you’d like.
The epic hike involves crossing the creek nine times (one way) and offers picturesque views, a waterfall, and a unique scramble to the Window Cliffs at the end.
Best Places to Stay in Cookeville:
- Red Roof Inn Cookeville OR Camping in Old Mill Camp – Budget
- Comfort Inn & Suites – Mid-range
- Candlewood Suites Cookeville – Luxury
2. Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Distance From Nashville: 3+ hours
You’ve no doubt heard of Great Smoky Mountains; it is the most visited National Park in the entire country! I might be a little biased since I live here, but this is one of my favorite places to explore!
If this is your first time visiting the Smokies, I’d recommend exploring the Gatlinburg area. This is the most developed and accessible section of the park.
If you’ve been to the Smokies before, consider venturing to Townsend, the “Quiet Side of the Smokies.”
I’ll share my ideal weekend itinerary for each area.
In the Gatlinburg area of the park, I’d start by driving the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail (open seasonally). Trailheads for Grotto Falls and Baskins Creek Falls are located along this road, so you can hike one or both of those while you’re there. Both hikes are beautiful!
For another day, I’d venture onto Newfound Gap Road to access points of interest like Chimney Tops, Alum Cave, and Kuwohi (formerly Clingmans Dome). Andrews Bald, which is right off the Kuwohi Observation Tower Trail, is one of my favorite trails in the park.
If you’re an avid hiker, I’ve got two longer, more difficult hikes for you: Ramsey Cascades and Low Gap to Mount Cammerer. These are phenomenal hiking trails that we locals are obsessed with!
In the Townsend area of the park, I’d recommend spending one day in Cades Cove. If you happen to visit on a Wednesday in the summer, you absolutely must rent bikes from the camp store and cycle the 11-mile scenic Cades Cove Loop!
Since vehicles are not allowed to enter Cades Cove on Wednesdays in the summer, the landscape is much quieter and more peaceful. And the best part…bears come out to play!
Next, I’m going to recommend that you hike to a lesser-known waterfall, just a few miles from the Cades Cove entrance: Spruce Flats Falls! This hike starts behind the Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont and leads to a spectacularly underrated waterfall.
Finally, take a drive down Little River Gorge Road. There are excellent hiking trails off this road, like Laurel Falls and Meigs Creek, plus access to epic swimming holes like The Sinks and Townsend Wye!
Pssst: If you visit in the summer, consider adding river tubing to your itinerary. River Rat in Townsend offers all-day tubing and shuttle tickets. One tubing route is more of a lazy river, suitable for all ages (even dogs!), while the other tubing route is more of an adventure.
Best Places to Stay in/near Great Smoky Mountains National Park:
- Elkmont Campground or Cades Cove Campground – Budget (camping inside the park)
- Little Arrow Resort – Mid-range (cute cabins in Townsend)
- Westgate Smoky Mountain Resort & Water Park – Luxury (family-friendly resort in Gatlinburg)
3. Chattanooga
Distance From Nashville: 2 hours
Chattanooga, tucked between the mountains of southeast Tennessee, is consistently winning destination awards. And it’s easy to see why! It’s an adorable town along the Tennessee/Georgia border with plenty to see and do.
For your weekend in Chattanooga, you absolutely must visit Rock City! Located atop Lookout Mountain, Rock City features massive rock formations, a waterfall, caverns, suspension bridges, and the famous “See Seven States” panoramic view. Walk through the 4,100-foot walking trail and discover beautiful gardens and spectacular views of the surrounding peaks and valleys.
Next, you can’t visit Chattanooga without taking a cave tour to Ruby Falls. Ruby Falls is the tallest underground waterfall in the USA! Journey 1,000 feet below Lookout Mountain to see the thundering 145-foot waterfall crashing from the ceiling to the cave’s floor. Watch as the tour guide bathes the waterfall in an array of colored lights to showcase its beauty.
Aside from the cave tours at Ruby Falls, you can also zipline, take in the views from the observation tower, and spend the night in a luxury treehouse!
Finally, it’s time to see some more waterfalls! The beautiful Falling Water Falls, Glen Falls, and Lula Falls are all within a half-hour of downtown Chattanooga. If you’re willing to drive a little bit further, consider venturing to Foster Falls, Denny Cove Falls, and Greeter Falls; these are all fantastic!
PRO TIP: Denny Cove Falls is seasonal, so only hike to it if you’ll be visiting in the spring or after a heavy rain.
Best Places to Stay in Chattanooga:
- Holiday Inn Express & Suites Chattanooga-Lookout Mountain – Budget
- The Hotel Chalet – Mid-range (unique train car rooms!)
- The Read House – Luxury (Gatsby-style, historic getaway)
4. Red River Gorge
Distance From Nashville: 4 hours
Red River Gorge, Kentucky is a spectacular place to backpack, day hike, canoe, kayak, zipline, and rock climb. This geological area features natural sandstone arches, lofty cliffs, a snaking river, and rugged backcountry wilderness.
If you’re into backpacking, Red River Gorge is a great place to do it! You can read all about the best routes, what to bring, what to expect, and more in my Red River Gorge backpacking guide.
If backpacking isn’t your thing, spend your weekend day hiking and exploring Red River Gorge and Natural Bridge State Park. These parks are right by each other, so you won’t have to do a lot of driving!
Double Arch, Gray’s Arch, Auxier Ridge, and Whittleton Arch are all great day hikes in Red River Gorge. These hikes lead to impressive rock formations, waterfalls, and natural arches.
And when you visit Natural Bridge State Park, you must see the natural arch, of course! The natural arch is 65 feet tall and spans 78 feet. You can take the short but steep hike up to it, or you can save your legs the effort and take the skylift to it.
What I love about this bridge, aside from how spectacularly massive it is, is that you can hike on top of it and underneath it!
Finally, you absolutely must take a boat or kayak tour through the dark underground mine below Red River Gorge! Enjoy a classic adventure on a guided boat or kayak tour, or splurge for a deluxe tour on a crystal-clear glow kayak or SUP.
If you go with the crystal kayak tour, you’ll explore the depths of the mine in pitch darkness with only the colored glow underneath your kayak and the light from your headlamps to guide your way. You’ll learn interesting historical facts while you paddle over schools of bright rainbow trout, slowly delving deeper and deeper into the nooks and crannies of the dark mine.
Best Places to Stay in Red River Gorge:
- Backcountry camping or stay at Natural Bridge Campground– Budget
- Natural Bridge State Resort Park – Mid-range
- Holiday Inn Express & Suites Mt Sterling North – Luxury
5. St. Louis
Distance From Nashville: 4.5 hours
If you’re more of a “city person,” St. Louis is a great place to enjoy some weekend adventures from Nashville!
First, you can’t visit St. Louis without seeing the Gateway Arch! Sure, you can see the massive 630-foot arch from downtown, but you should visit the National Park, walk the grounds beneath it, and take the slightly claustrophobic elevator up to the very top of the arch!
Aside from a stop at Gateway Arch National Park, you could spend your weekend exploring the downtown streets, visiting the aquarium, riding one of the gondolas on the St. Louis Wheel, and stopping by Union Station to see the light show.
Best Places to Stay in St. Louis:
- River City Casino & Hotel – Budget
- Hollywood Casino St. Louis Hotel – Mid-range
- Hyatt Regency St. Louis at the Arch – Luxury
6. Mammoth Cave National Park
Distance From Nashville: 1.5 hours
Mammoth Cave is the longest cave system in the entire world! While you can’t explore the full 400+ discovered cave miles, you can take several unique tours to see small sections of the impressive system.
During your weekend at Mammoth Cave, take at least one guided tour. Since there are a variety of tours offered by the NPS, you could easily spend an entire day embarking on the different tours. If you only have time for one, I’d recommend either the Frozen Niagara Tour or the Domes & Dripstones Tour.
Sometimes, the park service offers more advanced caving tours that involve crawling through tight spaces and exploring parts of the cave that fewer people explore. So there’s truly a tour for every age, ability, and adventure level!
While you’re in the Mammoth Cave area, I’d recommend stopping by Lost Cave! Just 30 minutes from Mammoth Cave National Park, Lost River Cave offers underground boat tours, walking trails, gem mining, and a butterfly habitat. Book your exciting 45-minute cave boat tour here!
Best Places to Stay in Mammoth Cave National Park:
- Quality Inn & Suites Horse Cave – Budget
- The Lodge at Mammoth Cave – Mid-range
- Holiday Inn Express Horse Cave – Luxury
7. Gatlinburg
Distance From Nashville: 3 hours 45 minutes
Gatlinburg is the gateway to the Smoky Mountains. There are enough things to do to fill several weeks, so you definitely won’t be bored on your weekend in Gatlinburg!
First, I’d recommend spending a day at Ober Mountain. Ober Mountain is an adventure park and ski area that’s open all four seasons. In the winter, they offer snow tubing, skiing, snowboarding, and ice skating, and in the summer, they offer mountain coaster rides, an alpine slide, a chairlift, summer tubing, a rock wall, and more!
To fill the rest of your weekend, I have several recommendations; you might not have time for them all. Spend a half or full day at Anakeesta (a mountaintop adventure park), visit the SkyPark, hike the Gatlinburg Trail, or get an aerial view of the town and surrounding mountains from the top of the Space Needle. The choice is yours! You’ll likely want to come back for an entire week next time.
Best Places to Stay in Gatlinburg: – Budget
- Park Vista – Budget (near the Roaring Fork)
- Westgate Smoky Mountain Resort & Water Park – Mid-range (family-friendly)
- Elk Spring Resort – Luxury (cute cabins)
8. Knoxville
Distance From Nashville: 2 hours 45 minutes
Knoxville is somehow a big city and a small town all in one. This East Tennessee city offers a great mix of city and outdoorsy, so it’s a perfect weekend destination for all types of travelers. In Knox, you can find everything from fun and adventure to fine arts and dining.
For your weekend in Knoxville, I’d first recommend taking the elevator to the top of the Sunsphere. Even though this is a “touristy” thing to do, a trip to the Sunsphere is a classic introduction to Knox! The view of the surrounding skyscrapers, rivers, and mountains from the top of the shiny globe is incredible. (And 10/10 recommend coming back for New Year’s Eve when the ball drops from the Sunsphere!)
Next, I’d spend some time in a local park. We’ve got so many great urban parks! My two favorites are Fort Dickerson Quarry and Ijams Nature Center because there is so much to do at each one. Even though both parks are in the middle of the city, you’ll feel like you stepped miles outside of it.
At Fort Dickerson, you can hike, swim, paddle, and bike. There’s a deep blue quarry framed with rugged cliffs that sits in the center of the park; this is the hub for summertime water adventures. You can swim and launch a nonmotorized boat, but you can’t cliff jump. Like many places in Knoxville, the park is pet-friendly!
At Ijams Nature Center, you can hike, bike, swim, paddle, zipline, and climb. There are 12 miles of hiking trails, mountain and road biking trails, a boat launch and rentals, a children’s play area, a treetop adventure park, and an outdoor exercise space. And it’s home to the only outdoor rock climbing area in Knoxville! This nature center is also pet-friendly.
Next, you can venture just a little outside the city to hike some of my favorite trails in the area: Triple Falls and House Mountain!
The Triple Falls (sometimes called Little Egypt) hike offers spectacular waterfalls and 360-degree views at the summit – all in just 2 miles.
The House Mountain hike is difficult, but it is so rewarding. Climb steeply up the tallest mountain in Knox County, and travel along the ridgeline for some of the wildest views in the area.
Coming in the winter? Make sure to catch an Ice Bears hockey game, check out the winter markets downtown, and go ice skating at Market Square!
Best Places to Stay in Knoxville:
- Country Inn & Suites – Budget
- Hampton Inn & Suites Knoxville-Downtown – Mid-range
- The Tennessean – Luxury
READ NEXT: 7 Jaw-Dropping Hikes Near Knoxville
Want more Tennessee adventures?! Grab my custom Google map! It has 200+ locations all over East and Middle Tennessee – from swimming holes and hiking trails to waterfalls and unique activities. Grab the map!
Plan Your Trip to Tennessee By Season
No matter what season you’ll be visiting, find out the most epic things to do in my home state of Tennessee!
- Summer in Tennessee: 18 Unforgettable Things to Do
- Fall in Tennessee: 14 Unforgettable Things to Do
- Winter in Tennessee: 12 Unforgettable Things to Do
- Spring in Tennessee: 11 Unforgettable Things to Do
Discover Your Next Adventure
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Um, these places are gorgeous! I want to do all of them right now.