Self-guided Tennessee road trips promise big fun from some small towns

Mary Hance
Nashville Tennessean

With fall colors on full display across the state, the department of tourism's "Discover Tennessee: Trails and Byways" is a great way to explore. 

There are 16 self-guided back-road driving trails that take off from metropolitan hubs like Nashville, Memphis and Knoxville, and then lead you off the beaten path to some true Tennessee treasures.

The idea behind the 10-year-old Trails and Byways program is to give travelers a unique experience by showcasing some of the hidden gems in our state and at the same time providing a boost to some of the communities and businesses in lesser-known locations, State Tourism Commissioner Mark Ezell said.

"The goal is to connect travelers to new places," he said. "They are great ...to discover some of these charming areas, but also good for our rural communities."

The driving trails range from about 175 to 475 miles, and each has dozens or even hundreds of points of interest –  historic sites, cultural attractions, shopping, local favorite restaurants, state parks, scenic routes, main streets, courthouses and more.

Tourism officials say there is no accurate way to measure how many people use the trail system, but they seem to be more popular than ever during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"This is a perfect time for this. People are traveling differently," Ezell said. "Families are saying, 'We are not going to Disney this year; what can we do closer to home that would be safe and fun?'"

The network of driving trails touches all 95 Tennessee counties and includes the state's top attractions like Graceland, Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, Great Smoky Mountain National Park and Dollywood.

But you also will be led to off-the-beaten path destinations like a salt-and-pepper shaker museum, a Utopian village that dates to the 1800s, an old-fashioned broom maker's shop and a factory wheredulcimers are lovingly made by hand and sometimes played by the maker. And, then, there's the authentic soda fountains along the way.

"It is a nice mix of historical spots, natural areas, side-of-the-road attractions, local restaurants and state parks," said Melanie Beauchamp, assistant commission for rural tourism and outreach, who has traveled all of the 16 trails. The routes can be designed as day trips or overnight stays, she added.

Once you are on the road, follow the brown signs that showcase the Discover Tennessee: Trails and Byways, with trail names like  "Ring of Fire,", "The Jack," "Promised Land," "Walking Tall" and "Top Secret."

Details can be found at www.tnvacation.com/trails-and-byways or 1-800-GO2-TENN.

Screaming Eagle Trail:  A mural of Hwy 70 welcomes visitors to downtown Dickson's art and antique and art and craft shops Wednesday, Aug. 26 2020. Tennessee Department of Tourism's Discover Tennessee Trails and Byways is a great way to explore our state in the fall or anytime.

Screaming Eagle Trail

"Screaming Eagle" in Middle Tennessee with 88 stops includes some of Nashville's top attractions, like the Parthenon and Country Music Hall of Fame, but once you get out of the city, there are lots of other lesser-known options.

How about kayaking or canoeing on the Harpeth River in the Kingston Springs area, taking a walk in the 3,700-acre Montgomery Bell State Park in Burns, spending some time in downtown Dickson's art and antique shops, or exploring Civil War sites or visiting the Pratt Military Museum in Fort Campbell with its World War II memorabilia?

Clarksville is another worthy stop, with its downtown shops and art galleries, as well as its Beachaven Winery, with samples of award-winning wine. 

Other good places to check out in Clarksville are the Fort Defiance Civil War Park and the Customs House Museum and Cultural Center.

Food is a big part of these outings, and this trail features Carl's Perfect Pig in White Bluff, The Fillin' Station in Kingston Springs and Riverview Restaurant and Marina, known for its catfish, in Ashland City. 

Ring of Fire Trail: As the sun goes down, it's time to close up shop at T.B. Sutton Store after the "Sutton Ole Time Music Hour" in Granville, Tenn.

Ring of Fire Trail

To stick to the "Ring of Fire" theme, you could start at the Johnny Cash Museum in downtown Nashville and hit other Music City attractions like the Ryman Auditorium.

But the trail goes beyond music, to some of Tennessee's historic forts and homes, including Mansker's Station living history site in Goodlettsville, Historic Rock Castle in Hendersonville and historic Cragfont and Wynnewood in Castalian Springs.

"Ring of Fire," with 69 stops, is a good bet for hikers with Bledsoe's Fort Historical Park in Castalian Springs with its self-guided walking trail and other activities at Standing Stone State Park in Hilham, and Winding Stairs loop hike in Lafayette.

There's beautiful scenery all year along the Cumberland Plateau, including Cordell Hull Dam, Dale Hollow Lake and the Cumberland River.

There are charming small towns like Cross Plains, where the Thomas Drug Store's old fashioned soda fountain whips up some of the best milkshakes and burgers in the state.

If you need something stronger, pop into Sumner Crest Winery in Portland for a taste of one of its award-winning wines.

Other quaint towns to explore on this trail include:

• Adams with its Bell Witch cave and lore on the west side;

• Hartsville, with its Trousdale County Courthouse, historic homes, the Cumberland River and a 17-stop self guided Civil War tour.

• Historic Granville, the riverboat town to the east, where you can step back in time in the T.B. Sutton General Store and Sutton Homestead, or check out the new Mayberry/I Love Lucy Museum or the Wildwood Resort and Marina

Other recommended eating options include Chef's Market in Goodlettsville, Keller's in Castalian Springs and Center Point Barbecue in Hendersonville. Or, for "Celtic Fare on the Square," head to Gainesboro's Bull & Thistle Pub,

Walking Tall Trail: Elvis' Graceland. Here, fans wait in line for tours outside Elvis Presley's Memphis, Tenn. home in 2017.

Walking Tall Trail

Walking Tall," with 121 stops in West Tennessee, includes big-name Memphis attractions like Elvis's Graceland and the historic Hunt Phelan Home, which was built by slave labor in 1828 and served as a Union hospital from 1863-65.

From the Bluff City, head east to learn about railroad legend Casey Jones in Jackson, and the legacy of McNairy County Sheriff Buford Pusser at his Home and Museum in Adamsville. (Don't miss the room where Elvis is said to have mourned during the sheriff’s funeral.)

The trail also features Shiloh National Military Park in Shiloh, Pinson Mounds State Archaeological Park in Pinson and the Tennessee River Museum in Savannah.

If you are looking for a quirky stop, check out Hockaday Brooms in Selmer, where Jack Martin makes all kinds of handmade brooms, using broomcorn grown on his farm and the same equipment that his grandfather used in the early 1900s.

Eating on this trail is a high priority, with Hagy's Catfish Hotel restaurant in Shiloh serving up catfish, hushpuppies and hospitality for generations on the banks of the Tennessee River.

Another culinary treasure is Pat's Cafe in Selmer, a down-home cafe with award-winning slugburgers.

Rocky Top Trail: Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Here, fall foliage surrounds Meigs Falls in the national park Nov. 4, 2018.

Rocky Top Trail

This trail, with 139 stops, features major East Tennessee attractions like the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Dollywood, and smaller wonders like Gatlinburg's Salt and Pepper Museum, with its 20,000 S and P sets from around the world and  Wood-N-Strings Dulcimer Shop in Townsend, where you can see artist Mike Clemmer make his handcrafted dulcimers from walnut, cherry, butternut, sassafras or chestnut.  

Check out the Sequoyah Birthplace Museum in Vonore, and learn about Sequoyah, who created the Cherokee syllabary.

The Tennessee Museum of Aviation in Sevierville brings aviation history to life with a historic aircraft collection, live demonstrations and artifacts. Vintage aircraft are sometimes seen performing unscheduled flight demonstrations. 

Carver’s Applehouse Restaurant and Orchard in Cosby has more than 40,000 trees and 126 varieties of apples. The Carver family has been growing apples in the area since the 1940s. The restaurant gets high marks for home cooking.

The trail, which offers a plethora of outdoor activities in and near the Smokies, also includes several wineries and distilleries and a couple of pancake houses, including Gatlinburg's Pancake Pantry, that has been flipping hot cakes for more than 50 years.

This trail also leads to serious outlet shopping  in Sevierville.

Top Secret Trail: Green McAdoo Cultural Center and Museum. Here, a life-sized bronze statue that includes William Lathan, right, Minnie Dickey Jones, left, and other members of the Clinton 12 outside the Green Cultural Center and Museum in Clinton, Tenn. The 12 students were pioneers in the battle against public school segregation.

Top Secret Trail

This Knoxville-area trail takes you into the Upper Cumberland Plateau and the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, offering more than 100 stops, including Oak Ridge Children's Museum, Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary, lovely Rugby and the scenic Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area.

Sadly, the trail's Oak Ridge top "secret city" attractions, the American Museum of Science and Energy and parts of the Manhattan Project National Historical Park, are closed temporarily because of COVID-19.

But once they reopen, visitors will get an insider look at the "secret city"  – the site of the historic Manhattan Project, where U.S. scientists developed the atomic bomb during World War II.

Here are some other trail highlights that are open now: 

• Historic Rugby is the site of a Utopian village created by Thomas Hughes.  At its peak in the mid-1880s, about 300 people lived in the colony. Today, Rugby is both a living community and a public historic site offering guided walking tours of its  historic buildings, including the 1882 Thomas Hughes Free Public Library, the founder’s home 1884 Kingstone Lisle, 1887 Christ Church Episcopal and the 1907 Schoolhouse featuring Rugby images through the years. 

If you are hungry (or looking for nostalgia) while in Rugby, stop in the almost century old R.M. Brooks General Store for a true step back in time and a burger or fried bologna sandwich. 

• Historic Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary in Petros, which was a maximum-security prison housing criminals including James Earl Ray, Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassin, now offers fascinating tours led by former prison guards. The prison offers lunch at the Warden’s Table, and you can sample moonshine distilled on site. 

• The Museum of Appalachia in Clinton is a living history museum of pioneer, frontier and early artifacts of mountain life in the Southern Appalachians. This 65-acre complex includes dozens of authentic log structures, the Appalachian Hall of Fame showcasing unusual mountain relics, the Mountain Heritage Room, live mountain musicians, traditional farm animals and a restaurant. 

• Green McAdoo Cultural Center, in Clinton, which operates under the auspices of the Tennessee State Museum, tells the compelling story of 12 high school students, who braved threats of violence in 1956 to attend Clinton High School, making it the first desegregated public high school in the South. It is also a destination on the U.S. Civil Rights Trail.

• Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area encompasses 125,000 acres on the Cumberland Plateau and offers paddling, hiking, horseback riding, rock climbing and more. 

• Hoskins Drug Store & Soda Fountain in Clinton is a popular lunch spot with home-cooked meals and old-fashioned milkshakes.

Reach Ms. Cheap at 615-259-8282 or mscheap@tennessean.com. Follow her on Facebook at facebook.com/mscheap, and at Tennessean.com/mscheap, and on Twitter @Ms_Cheap, and catch her every Thursday at 11 a.m. on WTVF-Channel 5’s “Talk of the Town.”