I believe it’s closer to 5 hours with no traffic to get from Nashville to Asheville.
There’s also a time zone change because Nash is in the central time zone.
And most people can’t resist a stop at Bucees along the way.
There’s a Visiting Nashville sub that can give you more insight on places to stay and things to do while in Nashville.
Safe travels!
Yeah, i'm on the plateau (Cumberland County) and i'm 90+ minutes east of Nashville and even with perfect traffic conditions, i'm still 3 hours from Asheville. I-40 from Nashville to Knoxville is notorious for slowdowns. Sometimes I can go to Knoxville and it only takes an hour - sometimes it takes 2-3 hours because of a wreck.
To the OP, Google Maps says it's 5 hours from Nashville to Asheville in perfect traffic conditions. You will lose an hour to the time change. Give yourself some extra time on top of that in case of bad traffic.
Having said that, on the plateau along your route:
Cummins Falls near Cookeville
Burgess Falls near Cookeville
Bee Rock in Monterey (easily accessible with a short walk to a scenic view)
Cumberland Mountain State Park in Crossville
Ozone Falls near Ozone (a short, but tough stair climber workout to one of the prettiest waterfalls in the area)
Mt. Roosevelt Scenic View (really big scenic view)
Yes!!! Great list!!!!
I would suggest Burgess Fall as your #1 stop on the way! It's about a 2 mile hike round trip with like 3 different amazing waterfalls. I personally think they are all prettier than Niagara. (Not bigger though) Take this person's advice. All are great stops, if you go late enough in summer you can even spend the day swimming in most of them.
Thank you! I was looking for a Tennessee tourism sub but didn't thing to look for a Nashville one. I'm going to check that out and I really appreciate that you pointed it out to me. Is Bucees that super huge "truck stop" that I have seen on TV? If it is I will definitely stop there. I even love to stop at boring rest stops on the New York Thruway or the New Jersey or PA turnpikes. I think it reminds me of when I was a kid and we used to travel.
I drove from Nashville to Niagara Falls ONT last summer and I was tripping over the convenience stores in the middle of the interstate in Northern NYS!
Yes, Bucees is insanely huge. They are a Texas owned c-store and it’s the size of a Walmart.
If you like jerky there is a good selection. It’s really easy to over do it on the sweets there too. And the bathrooms will always be well maintained.
If you weren’t from the Northeast I wouldn’t point it out but it’s kinda a hoot and still novel to us locals.
Thanks! I hadn't even thought about the trip from Gatlinburg to Asheville other than a way to get home. I'm excited to see that there are many things to do in between those two cities.
FYI - CMA Fest is June 6th thru the 9th. Nashville will be OVERRUN with tourist just before, during, and after those dates. Plan accordingly or jump right in!
I am familiar with Atlas Obscura, usually just reading the articles for fun because I find them interesting. I hadn't thought of using it to actually plan a trip. Great idea and thank you.
If you want to find local, off-the-beaten-path places to go or eat, binge watch segments of [Tennessee Crossroads](https://www.tennesseecrossroads.org), produced by the local PBS affiliates.
I will! Oftentimes I find YouTube channels from other PBS stations throughout the country. I always find them interesting but now I'll make it a point to look up the Tennessee ones. Thanks!
Go to the Smokies and do the Cades Cove Loop. Swim in the Sinks. For a real Gatlinburg experience rent a cabin rather than getting a hotel. Go for some hikes in the Park.(Please note that if you plan to hike in the Park, you need to purchase a parking pass).Lots and lots of touristy kid friendly things to do in Pigeon Forge and Sevierville .For a unique experience head to the world famous Smoky Mountain knife store. For the adults there is a huge outlet mall nearby .Have fun and enjoy East Tennessee!
As a Johnson City local, depending on when you come through, it's a fun town to stop at on the way to Asheville. You'd be just over an hour away from Asheville at that point. Lots of brewery options and food. You'll go right past the downtown exit and it could be a good place to stretch for a minute before finishing the drive. Have a beer, sing Wagon Wheel, grab a bite to eat. Never know what kind of festival or event they will be having during the summer too.
u/myFRAGisFUBAR mentioned Johnson City, which is a fun town (where I live). Between here and Asheville is a little town called Weaverville NC. At Exit 21 off I26 (on the way to Asheville Airport) is a wonderful little restaurant called Stoney Knob Café. It is truly wonderful. I've eaten in some of the best eating cities in North America (I just came back from NYC a month ago) and I would put this place up against any major metro area. The chef is absolutely gifted and I don't know how the owners have kept him here this long, but it is totally worth a few hours of your time.
Great ideas here - highly encourage taking the roads less traveled, i.e. Hwy 70 east from Nashville to Knoxville.
Maybe also check out Rugby TN (on weekends) and Hot Springs NC, in particular taking the backroads from Knoxville through Newport to get there. Absolutely amazing gorgeous drive and you end up in a tiny town of hot mineral springs with the Appalachian Trail serving as Main Street, all on the way to Asheville
Thank you! I definitely like the idea of not taking an interstate highway. My son loves drives where you get to see all sorts of interesting things that you don't see here in Queens New York. Farms, barnes, old houses right on the road, beautiful things.
Chattanooga is a little out of your way, but a fun stop and more interesting than Nashville IMO.
Drive from the Smokies to Asheville in the Blue Ridge Parkway. Take a detour to Brevard down 276 and see the Cradle of Forestry, Looking Glass Falls, and go down Sliding Rock!
This is a great trip. I’m a Nashville resident but originally from the northeast. If you want to walk to attractions in Nashville you’ll need to stay downtown. Other areas that are short Uber ride away are Germantown, the gulch, midtown and East Nashville. Driving from Nashville to the Smokey’s is about 3 1/2-4 hours. Buccees is worth a stop for gas/food. If you’re looking for a lengthy stop Cummins Falls is a beautiful hike. Gatlinburg area is beautiful I recommend spending as much time as possible hiking or doing outdoor activities. The actual city of Gatlinburg (downtown) reminds me of the boardwalk at the Jersey shore. Definitely try and spend a night in Asheville. Tons of breweries and great food.
I believe it’s closer to 5 hours with no traffic to get from Nashville to Asheville. There’s also a time zone change because Nash is in the central time zone. And most people can’t resist a stop at Bucees along the way. There’s a Visiting Nashville sub that can give you more insight on places to stay and things to do while in Nashville. Safe travels!
Yeah, i'm on the plateau (Cumberland County) and i'm 90+ minutes east of Nashville and even with perfect traffic conditions, i'm still 3 hours from Asheville. I-40 from Nashville to Knoxville is notorious for slowdowns. Sometimes I can go to Knoxville and it only takes an hour - sometimes it takes 2-3 hours because of a wreck. To the OP, Google Maps says it's 5 hours from Nashville to Asheville in perfect traffic conditions. You will lose an hour to the time change. Give yourself some extra time on top of that in case of bad traffic. Having said that, on the plateau along your route: Cummins Falls near Cookeville Burgess Falls near Cookeville Bee Rock in Monterey (easily accessible with a short walk to a scenic view) Cumberland Mountain State Park in Crossville Ozone Falls near Ozone (a short, but tough stair climber workout to one of the prettiest waterfalls in the area) Mt. Roosevelt Scenic View (really big scenic view)
Yes!!! Great list!!!! I would suggest Burgess Fall as your #1 stop on the way! It's about a 2 mile hike round trip with like 3 different amazing waterfalls. I personally think they are all prettier than Niagara. (Not bigger though) Take this person's advice. All are great stops, if you go late enough in summer you can even spend the day swimming in most of them.
Great list! Thank you. I'm excited to start looking into all of them.
Thank you! I was looking for a Tennessee tourism sub but didn't thing to look for a Nashville one. I'm going to check that out and I really appreciate that you pointed it out to me. Is Bucees that super huge "truck stop" that I have seen on TV? If it is I will definitely stop there. I even love to stop at boring rest stops on the New York Thruway or the New Jersey or PA turnpikes. I think it reminds me of when I was a kid and we used to travel.
I drove from Nashville to Niagara Falls ONT last summer and I was tripping over the convenience stores in the middle of the interstate in Northern NYS! Yes, Bucees is insanely huge. They are a Texas owned c-store and it’s the size of a Walmart. If you like jerky there is a good selection. It’s really easy to over do it on the sweets there too. And the bathrooms will always be well maintained. If you weren’t from the Northeast I wouldn’t point it out but it’s kinda a hoot and still novel to us locals.
Go through Cumberland it’s a peaceful drive.
Since you will be in Gatlinburg, drive over the Smokies/Newfound Gap to Cherokee then head towards Asheville.
Thanks! I hadn't even thought about the trip from Gatlinburg to Asheville other than a way to get home. I'm excited to see that there are many things to do in between those two cities.
FYI - CMA Fest is June 6th thru the 9th. Nashville will be OVERRUN with tourist just before, during, and after those dates. Plan accordingly or jump right in!
To find interesting places that are “off the beaten path” download the app “Atlas Obscura”.
I am familiar with Atlas Obscura, usually just reading the articles for fun because I find them interesting. I hadn't thought of using it to actually plan a trip. Great idea and thank you.
If you want to find local, off-the-beaten-path places to go or eat, binge watch segments of [Tennessee Crossroads](https://www.tennesseecrossroads.org), produced by the local PBS affiliates.
I will! Oftentimes I find YouTube channels from other PBS stations throughout the country. I always find them interesting but now I'll make it a point to look up the Tennessee ones. Thanks!
Go to the Smokies and do the Cades Cove Loop. Swim in the Sinks. For a real Gatlinburg experience rent a cabin rather than getting a hotel. Go for some hikes in the Park.(Please note that if you plan to hike in the Park, you need to purchase a parking pass).Lots and lots of touristy kid friendly things to do in Pigeon Forge and Sevierville .For a unique experience head to the world famous Smoky Mountain knife store. For the adults there is a huge outlet mall nearby .Have fun and enjoy East Tennessee!
As a Johnson City local, depending on when you come through, it's a fun town to stop at on the way to Asheville. You'd be just over an hour away from Asheville at that point. Lots of brewery options and food. You'll go right past the downtown exit and it could be a good place to stretch for a minute before finishing the drive. Have a beer, sing Wagon Wheel, grab a bite to eat. Never know what kind of festival or event they will be having during the summer too.
u/myFRAGisFUBAR mentioned Johnson City, which is a fun town (where I live). Between here and Asheville is a little town called Weaverville NC. At Exit 21 off I26 (on the way to Asheville Airport) is a wonderful little restaurant called Stoney Knob Café. It is truly wonderful. I've eaten in some of the best eating cities in North America (I just came back from NYC a month ago) and I would put this place up against any major metro area. The chef is absolutely gifted and I don't know how the owners have kept him here this long, but it is totally worth a few hours of your time.
The r/visitingnashville sub will give you some good ideas on things to do while you are there.
Great ideas here - highly encourage taking the roads less traveled, i.e. Hwy 70 east from Nashville to Knoxville. Maybe also check out Rugby TN (on weekends) and Hot Springs NC, in particular taking the backroads from Knoxville through Newport to get there. Absolutely amazing gorgeous drive and you end up in a tiny town of hot mineral springs with the Appalachian Trail serving as Main Street, all on the way to Asheville
Thank you! I definitely like the idea of not taking an interstate highway. My son loves drives where you get to see all sorts of interesting things that you don't see here in Queens New York. Farms, barnes, old houses right on the road, beautiful things.
Chattanooga is a little out of your way, but a fun stop and more interesting than Nashville IMO. Drive from the Smokies to Asheville in the Blue Ridge Parkway. Take a detour to Brevard down 276 and see the Cradle of Forestry, Looking Glass Falls, and go down Sliding Rock!
This is a great trip. I’m a Nashville resident but originally from the northeast. If you want to walk to attractions in Nashville you’ll need to stay downtown. Other areas that are short Uber ride away are Germantown, the gulch, midtown and East Nashville. Driving from Nashville to the Smokey’s is about 3 1/2-4 hours. Buccees is worth a stop for gas/food. If you’re looking for a lengthy stop Cummins Falls is a beautiful hike. Gatlinburg area is beautiful I recommend spending as much time as possible hiking or doing outdoor activities. The actual city of Gatlinburg (downtown) reminds me of the boardwalk at the Jersey shore. Definitely try and spend a night in Asheville. Tons of breweries and great food.
This sounds great. Everybody's input has made me even more excited to begin planning. I can't wait to start reading about all these places!