Burnsville, North Carolina

Lake Powhatan is located just minutes away from Asheville, NC and offers a number of fun activities for you, your friends, and your family. In the warm summer months, the Lake is a popular spot for swimming. The small stretch of beach along the lake is a nice place to lay out and soak in the sun....

Gray Quarry is a perfect destination for scuba diving in TN! The quarry is about 70 feet deep with ~3 acres of clear water. They have sunk a plane, bus, truck, firetruck, boat, seedoos, and more to the bottom. There is also a large variety of aquatic animals in the quarry. This is an awesome, loc...

Park at the end of The World's Edge Road, but be aware that parking is very limited. There is a private residence up to the right so do not block their driveway/gate. Begin your hike by going through the leftmost gate, and continue straight until you reach the first view less than half a mile in....

Worley’s Cave, also known as Morrill Cave, lies just outside of Boone across the Tennessee border. It is the second longest cave in the state of Tennessee at a whopping 4.4 miles in total length. It is a non-lit cavern that’s path is lit only by those who venture in its depths (i.e. headlamps, la...

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...

From TN 91, turn onto Panhandle Road. Follow Panhandle for 1 mile and park in the parking lot to the left.  Waterfall Follow the path to your right downwards until you encounter wooden stairs. The main waterfall will be to your right less than .1 mile from the parking lot. There are two other wat...

Max Patch Mountain was once cleared for pasture land, leaving an expansive flat summit that now serves as the ideal location for a picnic hike, flying a kite, or laying in the sun surrounded by the Great Smoky Mountains. With little elevation gain and a short distance it is also very family (and ...

The Bouton Trail Loop is an approximately 1.5 mile round trip on TVA land. There is a gravel parking lot with an information sign and trail map. Sections of the trail are gravel and sections are dirt. There are multiple places along the trail that cut off and lead down to the river for prime fish...

The Emmett Trail is one of the TVA South Holston Tailwater Trails. This trail began as a footpath created by anglers. The trail now has gravel, which makes for easier access for families and pets. The trailhead begins on Piney Hill Road where it the traverses down to the waters edge and leads to ...

On the first Saturday of November the best creek boaters in the world gather at the Green River in North Carolina to see who can storm the Narrows and claim the top title (at least for the next year!). For paddlers, creek boating is a pursuit along tight and narrow steeps that most of us have ne...

The Osceola Island Loop is a 1.50 mile gravel loop on an island in the South Holston River. There are multiple benches along the loop to stop and observe the wildlife. Fishing is a common activity along the edge of the trail. There is a large parking area and bathrooms at the start of the trail.

This is an awesome place to check out if you are driving Interstate 40 or if you are visiting the area for awhile. The access point for Buzzards Roost is located on the same exit as the well known Max Patch Mountain, just in the other direction. Once off the exit, you will travel down a gravel Fo...

Coming from US-421 turn off on Emmett Rd and keep left to get on Holston View Dam Rd and continue straight on this road by the river. There are parking spaces by the river below the dam and short easy trails to walk on next to the river. You’ll see fly fishers in the river below the dam on early ...

Bay's Mountain Firetower overlooks the city of Kingsport, the South Fork Holston River, and the surrounding Tennessee mountains. Part of Bay's Mountain State Park, this is the most popular hike of the 25 miles of trails. The hike to the fire tower passes the Kingsport Reservoir which is essential...

History, solitude and wildlife abound in this quiet corner of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, but getting here is not easy. Take the scenic route via Cove Creek Road from Cosby, TN. Drive 40 miles along the twisting, gravel road to Cataloochee, NC. The scenery along the way is outstanding, b...

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 gat...