Knoxville's best asset as a base is its proximity to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the most visited national park in the United States. The park boundary is less than an hour's drive from downtown; Gatlinburg, the main gateway town on the Tennessee side, is about 55 kilometres southeast.
The Smoky Mountains offer everything from easy waterfall walks to strenuous ridge hikes. Clingmans Dome, the highest point in the park at 2,025 metres, is accessible by road to within a short walk of the summit. The Appalachian Trail crosses the park along the state line ridge.
Other options within a couple of hours of Knoxville include Chattanooga (a worthwhile city with its own attractions), the Cumberland Gap National Historical Park to the north, and the historic town of Jonesborough, Tennessee's oldest town.
