Jared BeelerExplorer

Buffalo Creek is located near Rutledge, Tennessee and Cherokee lake. It is a wilderness area with a fish hatchery run by TWRA and a few acres of game land. You can drive straight up to the falls then hike around a little bit through the river to see the rest of the river and fishing areas. The best place to fish is right under the falls. The TWRA stocks trout right under the falls they can vary...

This greeway is located in north Knoxville near the Sterchi Hills neighborhood. The greenway is 2.1 miles one way so it can make for a good run through the woods. All of the greenway is paved and most of it is under tree cover so it is shaded most of the time. This is a great trail to see birds and other wildlife on. The trail does make several road crossings so be careful and always look for c...

This park is located in south Knoxville right off of Cherokee trail road. The parking lot is very large and can accommodate 15-20 cars. The park is home to the historic Fort Higley which was a Civil War fort built by the Union to protect Knoxville.  This is a great place to walk or run through the woods and to learn about local history. The trail is paved the entire way and is mostly flat maki...

The hike to Tom's Creek Falls is a short but enjoyable hike right off the side of the road. The hike is on a wide and mostly flat gravel road that goes right up to the waterfall and a viewing platform that makes for a perfect place for pictures. This hike is a great hike for families and young kids. The road to get to the falls trailhead is a small gravel and paved road. There is no hiking to t...

The trail starts at the parking lot which has some nice bathrooms and a nice small picnic area that is open year-round. From the trailhead, you will follow the signs that will lead you to a short mostly flat, 7-mile hike to the first arch. Once you get to the first arch there is a small area with some rocks that make great seats to cool off in the shade and drink some water. The trail will cont...

There are a few options for getting to Citico Creek, you can either go up the windy gravel road from US 411 or get off of the Cherohala Skyway and go down the mountain past the Indian Boundary campground. The Citico Creek campground has about 5 or 6 spots but is rarely full because it is very secluded. It is a free campground but it has no amenities including no bathrooms however there are bath...

The hike to this waterfall is very short and well worth it. The waterfall is about 40 feet tall and has a large volume of water.  This makes for a great place to swim. The bottom of the pool is about 15 feet deep and offers cool mountain water. To get there it is just outside of Cashiers, North Carolina right off of the highway. The parking is pretty easy and offers a large gravel area that can...

Halls Top Fire Tower is a special untouched spot in the Cherokee National Forest. The road that leads you into the CNF is known as Halls Top Road  just a few miles off of Interstate I-40. This road will take you 4.4 miles to the next turn onto Stone Mountain Road this road is 2.1 miles to the gate before the tower.  On the way to the tower about 1 mile down Stone Mountain rd there is a great p...

Hooker Falls is located in Dupont State Forest in southern North Carolina. The hike is a great hike for kids to go on and to have a picnic. The waterfall is a beautiful waterfall that offers a great place to swim. Along the hike there are also other places you can see the river and you can swim at some of the small parts of the river. The parking for the trailhead is large but during the summer...

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED TO HAVE A 4WD VEHICLE OR ALL WHEEL DRIVE.  The road to the trail-head can be very dangerous at times because of mud and debris, because of this an all wheel drive at least is very useful if you only have a 2WD car or truck I suggest only going in dry conditions.  When you get to the trail-head it is about a half mile to the tower to view the elk. Due to the wild nature of the...

The gravel road heading to the trailhead is on the rougher side to take it slow. When you get to the trailhead it’s a small gravel pull off right off the road. There are no maps at the trailhead but there are only a few trails to take and they are marked with a blue marker. To get to the upper falls head down the trail until you reach a three way split. It is about .75 miles to the campsites. A...

The parking at the trailhead is right off of the Oak Ridge turnpike so its very easy to park and there are plenty of spots to park. The trail is very wide and is a great place for taking kids and riding your bike. There are more than one trail that you can take to get to the quarry from the trailhead but they all lead to the quarry so you can take any trail. The best trail to take is to go to t...

This waterfall is located inside of the Chimney Rock State Park. There is a fee of 15 dollars to go to the State Park but it is very worth it because of the beautiful scenery and beautiful views. The hike to the waterfall is partially uphill on the way. When you get to the waterfall there are a few good places to take pictures from and a spot right under the falls with mist spraying you. The tr...

This trail is located in Big South Fork National Recreation Area. This is more of a walk than a hike. The entire trail is paved except for the wooden boardwalk overlook at the end. The overlook shows the gorgeous views of the river valley and some of the rock formations in the area. The trail is almost flat so it is kid and wheelchair friendly. The parking lot here is very large so there will b...

This is an amazing gem in south Knoxville only 7 minutes away from Gay Street. This is one of the newest parks in Knoxville but it has been a part of Knoxville for centuries. The quarry is a gorgeous place for swimming and kayaking. This park offers numerous outdoor activities all in a great place for recreation. The GPS to the park will take you to the entrance of the swimming area so make sur...

Meadow Creek Fire Tower is a great place to spend an afternoon watching the sunset or spend the night gazing at the stars. You can bring a blanket then lay out on the top of the tower and view the entire sky. The tower itself was made back in the early 1920's. Over the years it changed appearance many times and got renovated. The last renovation that was done to the tower made it so that visito...

The tower is located in the far northeast corner of Fall Creek Falls state park. The road to get there can be rough especially if it has rained recently but any 2 wheel drive vehicle should be able to make it. When you get to the trailhead it is a small gravel pull off with a gate. From the gate it is a short half mile hike to the tower. At the bottom of the tower is a small sign with the histo...

Elrod Falls is a great place to cool off in a cool clear river stream. It is located near a very small town in East Tennessee and is a great secluded place if you want to get away from people. When you get to the area you will see signs for it on the side of the road. When you get to the field and the parking lot it is only about a 1000 feet walk from there straight up the river. The path is we...

Look Rock tower has spectacular views and is a great hike to enjoy year round. The tower is an old fire tower used for spotting smoke in the valley. Because of this the tower is placed on the highest ridge around making for some amazing views. The only way to get to the tower is along the Foothills Parkway. On the parkway you park at parking lot #6. Once you park all you have to do is follow th...

Rich Mountain fire tower is located in the Cherokee National Forest just outside of Hot springs North Carolina. Getting there is pretty easy once you get off of US 25W you drive up a gravel road for about 5 miles until you get to the tower. Once you get to the top its about a 100 foot walk until you get to the tower. This location is perfect for camping because it is secluded and you can drive ...

The trailhead to this hike is easy to find but the gps is hard to match so it might try to take you through the middle of the trees but its easy to follow the road. The best way to get here is to go off of I-40 at the Harmon Den exit and then go up the road towards Max Patch. To get to the trailhead you take the first right after the exit. Once on this road you will pass the Harmon Den horse ca...

Potter's Falls is a semi locally known area that is used for lots of different activities. To get there the roads are pretty simple and easy to follow the directions. The parking can be a bit tricky especially if its during the summer or extreme cold in the winter. There are only about 15 spots off the side of the road on gravel patches so if you drive a large truck be careful on the back end s...

The Black Canyon of Gunnison is know for 2000 foot cliffs and a beautiful raging river below. The south side of the canyon is the most popular and the easiest to get to. The visitor center is also on the south side making it convenient for information and getting souvenirs. The scenic drive also has 12 easy to get to overlooks. The overlooks vary in length of walking but are mostly all on flat ...

This trail is located in Pickett State Park which is a close neighbor to Big South Fork National Recreation Area. This is one of the many trailheads that connect to the Natural Bridge loop however, this trailhead is the closest to the natural bridge. From the road it is only a few hundred feet walk to the natural bridge.  The hike to the bottom of the bridge can be considered hard due to its u...