National Parks

Tennessee’s most significant national park is the Great Smoky Mountains National Park [1], the most visited national park in the United States. This is the crown jewel of the state’s natural areas, and a major draw for visitors.

Other federal lands are more wild and less visited. The Big South Fork and Land Between the Lakes are uncrowded recreation areas along the northern border with Kentucky. The Cherokee National Forest flanks the Smokies [1] on the north and south, creating an uninterrupted buffer of federally protected lands along the entire eastern mountain range.