14 Forgotten Hiking Trails In Tennessee That Tourists Overlook

Some of Tennessee’s best walks begin where the crowds thin, the signposts fade a little, and the forest seems to exhale. These forgotten trails do not come with packed car parks or souvenir shops, just quiet ridgelines, shaded hollows, surprise waterfalls, and the kind of birdsong that reminds you why you laced up your boots in the first place.

Locals treasure them for their calm, their character, and their gentle sense of discovery, while most visitors rush straight past on the way to bigger names. If you enjoy winding paths, unexpected viewpoints, and feeling like you have stumbled onto something special, these overlooked hikes offer the kind of peaceful adventure that stays with you long after the mud has washed off.

1. Northrup Falls Trail

Northrup Falls is the kind of waterfall you hear before you see, rumbling through hemlocks like a secret invitation. The path is short, soft underfoot, and suddenly you’re walking behind the curtain of water with mist on your cheeks.

Light bends through the spray, painting the sandstone alcove in a shifting glow that feels almost otherworldly.

Take it slow on the stairs and watch for damp rock, especially after rain. You can veer to side paths for different angles, each one framing the falls with mossy shelves and ferns.

Early morning brings the clearest pool reflections, plus you will likely have the amphitheater to yourself.

Bring a light jacket if the breeze is strong, because that mist chills fast. Pack out every crumb, since critters learn quickly where snacks fall.

With the roar fading on the return, you might catch warblers threading the canopy, reminding you why short, sweet hikes can feel unforgettable.

2. White House Cliffs Trail (Rocky Fork SP)

This one is scrappy and glorious. The White House Cliffs Trail is more a suggestion than a sidewalk, twisting up rugged slopes through Rocky Fork State Park until the ridge ambushes you with panoramic views.

Expect faint tread, tangled roots, and the kind of silence that makes every footfall feel important.

Navigating takes focus, so bring a reliable map and watch for informal cairns or faint blazes. On clear days, you’ll spot folds of Appalachian ridges fading blue toward forever.

Wind can be fierce along the exposed rock, so a layer helps, and good traction shoes are a must.

Do not expect crowds or cell service. That is the charm.

With the sun angling low, cliffs glow honey colored, and hawks skim thermals while you nibble a quiet snack. Leave time for a slow descent, because knees notice the grade.

If you crave a wild ridge and the feeling of vanishing from the tourist circuit, this is your ticket.

3. Point Trail (Obed Wild & Scenic River)

The Point Trail glides through quiet woods toward Lilly Bluff Overlook, where the Obed cleaves the plateau in sweeping curves. It is not a chest thumper, more a steady stroll with occasional peeks of sandstone walls and rhododendron shadows.

Before you know it, the overlook unfurls a river panorama that hushes conversation.

Boardwalk stretches protect the soil and make footing friendly. Squirrels ricochet through the hemlocks while vultures trace lazy circles over the gorge.

If you time it for golden hour, those river bends catch fire with reflected sky.

Pack a small picnic, stash trash, and step lightly around the overlook edges. The drop is no joke.

I like to linger, letting the wind lift the day’s noise away. On the return, the trail feels even quieter, like the forest is tucking you back into its pocket.

It is an easy win when you want drama without the drama.

4. Starr Mountain Trail

Short, steep, and suddenly spectacular, Starr Mountain pops you above the Hiwassee and Ocoee country with a leg burning climb. Locals know it well, but visitors rarely wander up here.

Pines thin as you gain the ridge, and the view spills open like a secret you promised not to share.

Switchbacks are few, so pace yourself and bring water. On humid days, the air sits heavy, making the gradient feel spicier than the mileage suggests.

At the top, rocks warm in the sun, perfect for a snack while watching distant ridgelines stack like waves.

Descents can be slick with leaves in fall, so poles earn their keep. Cell signal blinks in and out, which is oddly relaxing.

Go early if you want the mountain to yourself, and listen for woodpeckers drumming below. For a quick hit of altitude and a huge payoff, this under the radar climb delivers every time.

5. Twin Arches Trail (Big South Fork)

Just when you think you’ve seen sandstone, Twin Arches proves you wrong with two colossal spans guarding the forest like ancient gates. The loop is short and lively, dropping stairs and weaving through shadowy corridors beneath the arches.

Every angle offers a new silhouette, especially when sunlight stripes the rock with amber and charcoal.

Kids and geology nerds both light up here. Keep hands free for the stair sections, and watch your head under low ledges.

After a rain, puddles mirror the arches for dramatic photos without needing a crowd.

It is surprisingly quiet given how jaw dropping it feels. Start early to hear thrushes tuning up under the stone acoustics.

Bring a small flashlight to peek into recesses, but resist the urge to scramble on fragile edges. This loop reminds you that Big South Fork hides its greatest hits in plain sight, waiting for those who leave the main highway behind.

6. Pickett CCC Memorial Trails

Pickett State Park keeps its voice low, and the CCC Memorial Trails are the perfect volume. Gentle loops pass stone bridges, boardwalks, and small island pathways where turtles plop into dark water as you approach.

The forest here smells like rain even on dry days, thanks to sandstone bluffs and shaded coves.

Families love the mellow grades, but solitude is easy if you linger on the outer loops. Interpretive signs tip their hats to the Civilian Conservation Corps, whose stonework still holds the park together.

Photography fans will appreciate reflections in the lake on calm mornings.

Expect birdsong, soft mud after showers, and a quiet gratitude that builds with every step. When you need a reset without a death march, this network delivers.

Pack a thermos, find a bench, and watch clouds slide over the water. It is a lesson in unhurried hiking, and it sticks with you long after the trail dust fades.

7. Pogue Creek Canyon Trails

Pogue Creek Canyon feels like a secret maze drawn in sandstone and sky. Trails split and rejoin, guided by arrows and viewpoints that seem to appear right when you need them.

Rugged walls glow orange in late light, and the wind threads through arches and shallow caves with a low whistle.

Navigation is straightforward if you pay attention, but it helps to download a map just in case. Solitude is common, even on weekends, which makes the overlooks feel like private balconies.

Watch footing on sandy, pebbled slopes that roll under boots.

It is easy to add or trim mileage with connecting paths, so play with the route. Carry extra water, especially on hot days when the canyon radiates warmth.

You will leave dust streaks on your calves and a grin you cannot shake. The place has a way of reminding you how big the sky feels when cliffs sharpen the edges.

8. Stringer’s Ridge Trails (Chattanooga)

Just minutes from downtown, Stringer’s Ridge hides a pocket of quiet woods and sly river views that feel like you snuck out of the city. The trails twist through second growth forest, flirting with overlooks that frame the Tennessee River and bridges in miniature.

Cyclists share the space, so ears open and smiles ready.

It is an easy place to grab a quick dose of green between errands, with enough elevation waves to wake your legs. After rain, the clay can cling to shoes like a stubborn friend, so consider the weather.

Deer appear at dusk, stepping delicately across switchbacks like they own the lease.

Bring a simple snack and watch the skyline soften as the sun dips. Benches are perfectly placed for catching your breath without breaking the mood.

You will leave surprised that the city stayed so quiet, like it agreed to keep your little escape under wraps.

9. Grundy Forest Day Loop (South Cumberland)

Everyone rushes past this loop to chase Fiery Gizzard, which is exactly why it feels so peaceful. The Grundy Forest Day Loop threads along burbling creeks, crossing flat rock slabs and slipping under hemlocks that make noon feel like evening.

Waterfalls here are petite but generous with music.

Expect roots, slick stones, and a few rocky scrambles that keep it playful. In summer, the air runs cooler near the water, and in fall, leaves clatter downstream like tiny canoes.

Pause on the bridges for fern framed views that belong on postcards.

It is perfect for a mellow morning, a warm up, or an unhurried cool down after bigger miles. Pack a snack and tuck away near the cascades where the white noise cancels phone thoughts.

You will finish feeling like you stole extra hours from the day, and nobody will demand them back.

10. Honey Creek Loop (Grundy Co.)

Wild and pocketed with surprises, Honey Creek Loop runs you through boulder gardens, ladder like roots, and riverside outcrops that feel worlds away. Expect to use hands occasionally, and do not be shocked when you’re grinning at the challenge.

The river chatters beside you, bouncing light off riffles that look like quicksilver.

Trail signs appear when you need them, but this is real backcountry flavor. After heavy rain, water levels can complicate crossings, so check conditions and bring dry socks.

The solitude is profound, with only the rush of water for company.

If you like a little scramble with your scenery, this loop hits the sweet spot. Pack extra snacks and a small first aid kit, then give yourself time for photo pauses along cliffy bends.

You will head home equal parts tired and euphoric, which is a decent bargain for a day outside.

11. Piney Falls Trail

Piney Falls feels like walking into a storybook where the pages rustle with water. The trail is short and sweet, dipping through quiet woods to a tall ribbon of falls that drops into a shadowy bowl.

Sometimes you can step behind the cascade, listening to the echo as mist freckles your arms.

The approach is gentle, but roots and mud keep it honest. Birdsong is constant, and wildflowers spark in spring like confetti tossed by the understory.

If the flow is strong, be cautious around slick ledges and keep cameras on straps.

It is a perfect detour when you crave an hour of wonder. Pack a thermos, occupy a mossy rock, and watch sunlight snag on drifting spray.

You will notice your breathing slow, as if the forest has switched your settings from rush to hush. Simple, quiet, unforgettable.

12. Curry Mountain Trail (Smokies)

Curry Mountain is the Smokies without the spectacle, and that is why it shines. The trail parallels the Little River high above, letting water music float through hardwoods and hemlocks as you climb.

No famous vista, just beautiful forest that shifts light and color all day.

It is steady grade hiking, the kind that warms legs and quiets thoughts. Spring wildflowers decorate the lower miles, while autumn drops a quilt of leaves that muffles every step.

If you need solitude in a park known for traffic, this path will hand it to you.

Bring layers for shade, mind the occasional blowdown, and watch for bear sign like turned stones or scat. Give wildlife space and keep snacks sealed.

By the time you step back onto pavement, you will feel like you slipped through a secret door in the Smokies and returned with your calm intact.

13. Lower Mount Cammerer Trail

The Lower Mount Cammerer approach is the grittier way to that classic fire tower, and it absolutely earns the view. Long stretches climb through hushed forest before breaking into rockier terrain where the air thins and the horizon starts to swagger.

It is a day that tastes like effort, and you will love it.

Pack plenty of water and respect the distance. Weather rolls through fast near the top, shifting from cozy sun to jacket time in minutes.

The tower itself feels like a time capsule, braced above wilderness that folds into ridges and valleys without end.

Start early, pace yourself, and give the knees some care on the descent. Poles can be heroes here.

When you reach the car, salt crystals on your hat brim will testify, but so will the grin you cannot suppress. This is a backcountry path that turns hikers into storytellers.

14. Pogue Creek Upper Canyon Trail (Killdeer Arch)

The Upper Canyon route at Pogue Creek leads to Killdeer Arch and dips through a wonderland of sculpted stone. You move from shady forest to bright alcoves, as if the canyon keeps flipping the lighting on you.

Killdeer Arch appears quietly, a smooth arc framing blue sky like a portal.

It is not crowded, which makes the soft sand and layered rock patterns feel personal. Watch for lizards sunning on ledges and swallow nests tucked into crevices.

The trail undulates enough to wake the legs without wearing them out.

Bring extra water and a hat, since open stretches reflect heat. Footprints erase quickly here, so tread lightly and leave the formations untouched.

On the hike out, the canyon seems to grow larger, as if it is proud you found the arch. You will carry that image home and set it on a mental shelf for rainy days.