15 Best Places to Visit in Tennessee for a True Taste of the Volunteer State, According To Reddit
Tennessee stretches nearly 500 miles from the Mississippi River lowlands to the Blue Ridge peaks — a state of dramatically shifting landscape, culture, food, and music. Reddit's r/Tennessee, r/travel, and r/VisitingTennessee communities have spent years documenting its best destinations. These are the 15 places they agree define the Volunteer State.
1. Nashville — Music City at Full Volume
No Tennessee list begins anywhere else. Nashville is the state's loudest, most electric version of itself: Lower Broadway's neon honky-tonks, the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Ryman Auditorium, songwriter nights at The Bluebird Cafe, and a food scene that rivals any American city. Reddit visitors consistently say Nashville exceeds expectations — the energy is real, the live music is constant, and the hot chicken at Prince's Hot Chicken Shack is genuinely life-changing. Give it at least three days.
Don't miss: Ryman Auditorium tour, The Listening Room songwriter night, Arnold's Country Kitchen meat-and-three.
2. Great Smoky Mountains National Park — America's Most Visited Park
The most visited national park in America earns every visit. GSMNP's 800 miles of trails, old-growth forest, and extraordinary wildlife are unmatched in the eastern U.S. Reddit's top picks: Alum Cave Trail to Mt. LeConte, Charlie's Bunion, and early-morning wildlife watching in Cades Cove. Visit in shoulder season — October or April — to avoid peak summer crowds.
Don't miss: Cades Cove loop, Alum Cave Trail, Clingmans Dome at sunrise.
3. Memphis — Where American Music Was Born
Memphis is where Elvis, Johnny Cash, and Jerry Lee Lewis all recorded at Sun Studio, where the blues was codified on Beale Street, and where the National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel delivers one of the most affecting museum experiences in America. Reddit travelers consistently call Memphis the state's most underrated city — and it has Tennessee's best barbecue by unanimous consensus.
Don't miss: Sun Studio tour, National Civil Rights Museum, Cozy Corner BBQ.
4. Chattanooga — The Outdoor City That Has Everything
Reddit consistently names Chattanooga Tennessee's most underrated city. Rock City on Lookout Mountain is a quirky geological wonderland. Ruby Falls, 1,120 feet underground, is unique in the state. The Tennessee Aquarium is world-class. And the Ocoee River — 30 minutes east — still runs the 1996 Olympic whitewater course. A complete city in a compact, walkable package.
Don't miss: Rock City, Tennessee Aquarium, Walnut Street pedestrian bridge at sunset.
5. Gatlinburg — The Smokies Gateway Worth the Crowds
Reddit is divided on Gatlinburg — touristy, crowded, and still the best trailhead town in Tennessee. For hikers, the tradeoff is simple: endure the strip, gain access to some of the finest trails in the East. The SkyLift Park glass bridge delivers the best Smokies overview short of a summit climb. Reddit's verdict: go for the trails, not the T-shirt shops.
Don't miss: Alum Cave Trail, SkyLift Park bridge, breakfast before the park.
6. Fall Creek Falls State Park — Tennessee's Waterfall Crown Jewel
Fall Creek Falls, with a 256-foot drop, is the tallest waterfall in the Eastern U.S. — centerpiece of a state park Reddit's outdoor community celebrates as one of Tennessee's finest natural assets. Multiple waterfalls, gorge overlooks, trails, and an inn make it a full multi-day destination without the Smokies crowds. "Fall Creek Falls is what Tennessee's state parks look like at their best," reads a well-upvoted r/Tennessee thread.
Don't miss: Fall Creek Falls plunge pool, Cane Creek Falls, Gorge Overlook Trail.
7. Franklin — The Perfect Small City
Twenty-five minutes south of Nashville, Franklin offers history Nashville's entertainment corridor can't match. The Battle of Franklin Civil War site, Carnton Plantation, an intact boutique-lined Main Street, and a growing live music scene make it the perfect Nashville companion. Reddit road-trippers call it one of Tennessee's best two-day state itineraries.
Don't miss: Carnton Plantation, downtown Main Street, Puckett's Grocery songwriter nights.
8. Knoxville — Tennessee's Most Livable City
Long overlooked, Knoxville has emerged as one of Tennessee's most genuinely enjoyable cities. Market Square downtown anchors an excellent restaurant and live music scene. Ijams Nature Center offers Tennessee River trails for all abilities. And the University of Tennessee campus brings energy to a city that hasn't yet been overrun by tourism.
Don't miss: Market Square dining, Ijams Nature Center, Old City neighborhood bars.
9. Cades Cove — Wildlife and History in One Valley
Technically part of GSMNP but worth its own entry, Cades Cove is Tennessee's most beloved wildlife-watching experience: black bears, white-tailed deer, and red foxes on an 11-mile valley loop that also passes preserved 19th-century homesteads, mills, and churches. Reddit hikers call early morning visits among the most peaceful experiences in all of Tennessee.
Don't miss: Arrive before 8 a.m., visit Abrams Falls trailhead nearby.
10. Beale Street, Memphis — The Blues in Its Natural Habitat
Beale Street merits its own entry. This two-block stretch of neon is the birthplace of the urban blues — where W.C. Handy heard a Delta musician and transcribed what became the first published blues music in America. Reddit recommends going after 9 p.m. when serious musicians take the stage. Blues City Café is the community's top pick.
Don't miss: Blues City Café for live blues, A. Schwab for authentic Memphis souvenirs.
11. Andrew Jackson's Hermitage — Presidential History Outside Nashville
The remarkably preserved estate of America's seventh president — mansion, formal gardens, enslaved quarters presented with honest historical context, and Andrew Jackson's tomb — makes The Hermitage one of the best presidential sites in the country. Reddit history travelers call it the most important Nashville-area day trip.
Don't miss: Mansion tour, slave cabin interpretive exhibits, book timed entry online.
12. Townsend — The Smokies Without the Crowds
For those who want GSMNP access without Gatlinburg's crowds, Townsend is Reddit's answer. The "Peaceful Side of the Smokies" provides direct access to Cades Cove and the park's western trail network. Tubing in Little River and Tuckaleechee Caverns fill out itineraries. "Same mountains, no traffic, half the price" is a recurring Reddit verdict.
Don't miss: Little River Road scenic drive, summer tubing, Tuckaleechee Caverns.
13. Jack Daniel's Distillery, Lynchburg — The World's Most Famous Whiskey, Unexpectedly Moving
The world's most famous distillery sits in a dry county — and that Tennessee absurdity is just the beginning. The Cave Spring Hollow production facility is genuinely beautiful, the charcoal mellowing caves are fascinating, and rickhouse rows hold millions in aging whiskey. Reddit visitors find the whole experience unexpectedly moving.
Don't miss: Cave Spring Hollow tour, Miss Mary Bobo's for lunch (reservations essential).
14. Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area — Tennessee's Hidden Wilderness
Along the Kentucky border, Big South Fork is the wilderness destination Reddit's most adventurous travelers keep to themselves. Deep river gorges, sandstone arches, remote waterfalls, and some of the least-trafficked backcountry in the Mid-South make it a serious multi-day destination. Twin Arches — massive natural stone spans deep in the gorge — is one of Tennessee's most undervisited wonders.
Don't miss: Twin Arches loop trail, Big South Fork Scenic Railway from Oneida.
15. Jonesborough — Tennessee's Oldest Town
Tennessee's oldest town — founded in 1779 — delivers a main street that feels earned rather than curated. Historic brick storefronts, the International Storytelling Center, and the annual National Storytelling Festival (October) make Jonesborough one of the most rewarding East Tennessee detours.
Don't miss: Main Street walking tour, National Storytelling Festival (October).
Reddit's Tennessee Travel Tips
- Rent a car. Tennessee's best experiences span hundreds of miles — Nashville to Franklin, Knoxville to Cades Cove, Memphis to the Delta corridor.
- Go in spring or fall. October brings fall foliage, cooler temperatures, and dramatically smaller Smokies crowds.
- Don't skip Memphis. It's the most-overlooked Tennessee destination and the one Reddit visitors most consistently call their favorite.
- Eat local at every stop. Hot chicken, Memphis BBQ, meat-and-three, songwriter café cooking — Tennessee's food culture rivals its music.
Tennessee never runs out of itself. For every overcrowded overlook there's a gorge with no trail sign. For every Broadway honky-tonk there's a songwriter night with forty people and no cover charge.
The Volunteer State's best quality is that it volunteers more than you asked for — every time.