Cherokee National Forest — Attraction in Newport

This is definitely a place of true peace and tranquility.

You absolutely must visit this beautiful national forest, pictures don't even begin! To do this forest justice.

This will be our first visit here. We didn't know what to expect. Immediately, when we pulled into the parking lot, I hit the brakes, and we all just took in the beautiful scenery for a moment.

There is free parking available. However, it's not a huge parking lot, but it definitely could accommodate 50 people at once if I had to guess. On our visit, there were barely 5 vehicles there for the entire time, so I doubt you would find it difficult to get a parking spot here.

Went to the lake for 3 hours, and you could easily make this visit an entire day's worthy of activity if you chose to.

There is a boat ramp available. We rented kayaks for the day ( 100 bucks ) and took our time up and down the river, getting to know the kayaks and slowly becoming comfortable enough to go further out.

During this time of the year, the max depth was probably 6 ft to 10 feet, and that was underneath the bridge. The water was super clear.

The water was very cold. If you find it difficult to swim in above average cold water, I would probably recommend bringing some wet suits. This might help mitigate the temperature while enjoying and nice swimming in the water so you can get the most out of your visit.

Just to put the temperature of the water into perspective, I walked into the water only up to my calves and stood for no more than 2 minutes max, and our feet literally went numb 😂

If you have been kayaking before then, you definitely have plenty of experience for this area. If you have never gone kayaking before, I would recommend kayak rentals. This would save you a ton of money if you are just looking to do this activity once in a great while without having to fork out alot of money and no where to store all of the equipment.

However, if you do find yourself enjoying kayaking and you plan to invest in all the equipment, I would say go for it. It's definitely worth every penny.

The rental company we found in the immediate area is called

" River Dog Adventures"

Extremely professional, these guys provided top-notch customer service. They offer a private guide but it's not a requirement. The water here doesn't have any real strong currents, so you should be able to manage with any issues. If you or any of your loved ones are not good swimmers, I would probably recommend life jackets for personal safety.

Be mindful of where you are kayaking because there are falling trees and debris within the water and in some areas the trees were an inch below the water surface and hard to see on a bright sunny day until you get right up on it at the last second. Avoid digging your paddle too dip to avoid getting caught or hung up on and debris just below the surface and you should be fine.

We stayed in the mid section of the river and had little to no issues. You also can see in some areas all the way to the bottom of the river. You have the option to take a dip in the water but swim at your own risk there is no one there to help you should you have any issues.

The drive to the Cherokee national forest was quite a drive. At first it seems like a never ending road but real assured it's definitely there 🤣🤣

I hope you get a chance to stop Here and enjoy this area as much as we did. I hope when you do visit your day goes amazing.

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This is a beautiful National forest located in the southern Appalachians. This park provides some of the best hiking in all of Tennessee. The trails range from easy to fairly difficult, also varying in length. This park is beautiful year round, though going in the Fall is always exceptionally scenic. Many of the trails feature waterfalls and lots of wildlife. I’ve encountered tons of different kinds of birds, squirrels, deer, and even snakes. Beware of copperheads, as several trails have them based on the reports of other visitors, and I myself have encountered them near the creeks. This place is dog friendly, however you’re supposed to keep the, leashed. Unlike Great Smoky Mountains National Park, not all of the creeks here have bridges, even on some of the more popular trails, so come equipped with either water shoes or waterproof boots. I’d recommend water shoes, as sometimes the creeks are too high to cross with just boots. Another bonus is that Cherokee tends to be far less crowded then the smokies, and I’ve sometimes gotten through entire trails over three miles long without encountering anyone else. I’d recommend bringing a first aid kit, as odds are you may not encounter other hikers if you are to have an accident. I don’t see them here as often as I do the Smokies, but bears do frequent this area, so be prepared to deal with them if you are to run into one unexpectedly. I’d highly recommend you check this park out if you’re looking to get out onto the mountains in a less heavily...

Such a beautiful spot. But really guys if you could see the amount of trash you leave behind and what it actually does to this place you would be ashamed. Over the course of an entire summer I removed about 20 large trash bags of trash and about 15 heavy jugs of broken glass. It did not make much a difference. But I will continue to pick up, someone has to or we will lose these beautiful spots. Kids walk these trails and swim in this area. Let's be responsible and leave things better than we find them. Keep your Styrofoam at home, leave your glass at home, keep whatever trash you have with you until you get to a proper place to dispose of it. It's not very hard. Please don't be throwing beer bottles, cans, chip bags, glass bottles, Styrofoam products into the water or leaving them behind just because you don't want to carry it out. It does not go away. It's really making an unsafe environment for you and your kids.There is no one paid to clean up after you. I will post videos later of the amount of trash everyone leaves behind. Be prepared...