John Cox

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Tagged tennessee · everything

www.cnbc.com

Chattanooga is the 'all-around best city' to retire in the South

Southern Living and Investopedia ranked the best Southern towns and cities for retirees based on cost of living, home values, hospital access, and continuing education opportunities. Chattanooga, Tennessee emerged as the top overall choice, offering no state income tax, affordable homes averaging $295,930, and proximity to major cities and natural attractions, while the list also includes specialized recommendations like Beaufort, North Carolina for healthy living and Ocean Springs, Mississippi for home affordability with tax-friendly retirement income policies.

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Islands

Less Than An Hour From Knoxville Is Tennessee's Stunning Lakeside Park With Swimming, Camping, And Trails

Anderson County Park on Norris Lake, just under an hour from Knoxville, offers a quieter alternative to Eastern Tennessee's major tourist destinations with 196 acres of forested shoreline, about forty campsites with hookups, and a three-bedroom rental house. The park features six miles of hiking and biking trails, swimming beaches, and boat launches for both day-use and overnight visitors, with generally positive reviews despite some reports of uneven terrain. Its limited cell service and Wi-Fi, combined with proximity to Interstate 75 and nearby attractions like Oak Ridge and downtown Knoxville, make it an accessible yet secluded destination for families and outdoor enthusiasts.

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Outside

The Best Outdoor Adventures in Chattanooga, Tennessee

Chattanooga earned recognition in 2025 as North America's first National Park City, a designation honoring communities that integrate natural resources and outdoor access into daily life. The piece highlights five major outdoor activities available in and around the city: paddling the Tennessee River Blueway, exploring Raccoon Mountain Caverns (part of Tennessee's extensive cave system), visiting the Southeast's largest sculpture park at Sculpture Fields, rafting the Class III-IV rapids of the Ocoee River, and hang-gliding from Lookout Mountain Flight Park.

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www.islands.com

Between Chattanooga And Mammoth Cave Is Tennessee's Fall Creek Falls State Park Gateway With Small Town Charm

Spencer, Tennessee makes the case for itself as a low-key basecamp for exploring Fall Creek Falls and a cluster of lesser-known state parks — Rock Island, Bone Cave, and Scott's Gulf/Virgin Falls — all within a 20-to-45-minute drive of town. It lays out which trails and swimming holes to hit at each park, noting Bone Cave requires a guided tour, and rounds out the practical details with where to eat (Mel's Old Times Cafe, The Ugly Mug) and a small history museum for downtime between hikes.

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www.islands.com

Between Nashville And Chattanooga Is Tennessee's Wildly Underrated State Park With Scenic Trails And Lakes

Fiery Gizzard State Park is one of three new Tennessee state parks carved out of the sprawling South Cumberland State Park between 2022 and 2025, and at roughly 7,800 acres it's the largest of the trio, inheriting the famous Fiery Gizzard Trail, waterfalls, gorges, and Grundy Lakes. The piece is a practical primer covering trail options and difficulty, rock climbing rules at Foster Falls and Denny Cove, fishing and non-motorized boating on the lakes, primitive camping costs, nearby towns like Monteagle and Tracy City, and swimming/beach access — useful for anyone planning a visit now that the old South Cumberland name and boundaries no longer apply. Worth keeping as a trip-planning reference for this lesser-known but highlight-packed replacement park.

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www.islands.com

Between Chattanooga And Knoxville Is Tennessee's Growing City Renowned For Fishing And Downtown Fun

Dayton, Tennessee is a quiet, growing town of about 8,000 people roughly 2.5 hours from Nashville, offering a low-key alternative to the state's busier tourist hubs. The piece highlights its historic downtown—home to the 1925 Scopes "Monkey" Trial courthouse-turned-museum and local shops like The Gathering Place and Main Stage Music—alongside its outdoor draws, especially Chickamauga Lake's trophy bass fishing and the waterfalls and trails of Laurel-Snow State Natural Area. It's worth keeping as a practical guide for a scenic, car-friendly detour near Chattanooga and Knoxville.

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www.outsideonline.com

Highway 19E Is the Most Underrated Road Trip

Highway 19E, a 60-mile stretch of North Carolina and Tennessee backroad north of Asheville, connects eight major outdoor destinations within 25 minutes of the main road, including Mount Mitchell (the highest point east of the Mississippi), Linville Gorge, Grandfather Mountain, and sections of the Appalachian Trail known for exceptional hiking and scenery. The piece details each attraction—from strenuous mountain hikes and wilderness camping to waterfalls, mysterious Brown Mountain Lights, and world-class trout fishing—with practical information about trailheads, difficulty levels, permits, and seasonal considerations for planning a multi-stop adventure through southern Appalachia.

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