Little Kids, Big Adventures: A Guide to Family Hikes Around Knoxville
The Tennessee Valley, Cumberland Plateau, and Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Preface
Please note - this book is in-progress and many sections are not yet drafted or are in draft form! It is set to be published by UT Press with an expected publication date in early 2026.
When we moved to Knoxville in 2018, we arrived as a young family eager to explore but unsure where to begin. Initial, short trips turned into longer, more regular trips that made us start to feel at home.
In “Little Kids, Big Adventures,” we’ve gathered 30 of our favorite trails around Knoxville, chosen not just for scenic beauty but also for their accessibility, variety, and family-friendly qualities.
The book is structured to guide you from getting started to expanding your family’s outdoor adventures. Early chapters provide tips for beginners, from how to prepare for your first hike to choosing trails best suited for your family. Subsequent sections dive into specific hikes across three distinct areas: Knoxville, the Cumberland Plateau, and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Each trail description is crafted to help you understand what to expect, highlighting kid-friendly features, difficulty levels, accessibility, and scenic highlights.
We hope this book helps you feel at home on the trails in Knoxville.
Happy hiking!
Katie and Joshua Rosenberg