By car. Cleveland sits at the junction of Interstate 75 and the east–west US Highway 64 (Ocoee Scenic Byway), which makes it easy to reach by road. Chattanooga is about 40 minutes south on I-75, Knoxville about 90 minutes north, Atlanta about two hours south.
By air. The nearest commercial airport is Chattanooga Metropolitan (CHA), about 50 km south, with several daily flights to Atlanta, Charlotte, Houston, and Washington. McGhee Tyson Airport (TYS) in Knoxville is the larger alternative.
By bus. Greyhound stops at a small terminal on Inman Street with daily connections to Chattanooga and Knoxville, but the schedules are limited. There is no passenger rail.
Local transit is provided by the Cleveland Urban Area Transit System (CUATS) with daytime fixed-route buses; most travellers will need a car to explore the surrounding national forest.