Hiking Knoxville
Family Friendly Adventures from the City to the Smokies
Coming in 2026 from University of Tennessee Press
About the Book
Picture this: A sunny day in nature with your family. Your kids happily climb up and over rocks, stopping only to splash in creeks. At the end, you have a picnic on the grass on a perfect, mild but warm day without a bug to be found.
Record Scratch.
Sure, we’d all love for the above vision to be reality, but the truth is almost always a bit messier and with unexpected bumps in the road.
If you’re like us, you might be ready to throw in the towel before you even leave home. We’ve been there.
However, we’ve also grown as a family who hikes, honed the process, and adjusted our expectations. And sometimes the weather is just right, we and the kiddos are having a great time, and, every once in a while, there really isn’t a bug in sight.
We wrote this to help our friends (and you!)
After moving to Knoxville as a very young family in 2018, our first trip to Ijams introduced us to Knoxville’s incredible outdoor spaces. Katie discovered Seven Islands, and it was awesome—and close to home. A camping trip at Frozen Head opened our eyes. Later, visiting the Smokies sealed the deal: hiking helped us to feel connected to and later to love where we live.
We don’t think we’re very special in this respect (and in most others!): One of the many joys of writing this book was discovering that we’d hiked all 30 of the trails in it.
As we transitioned from newcomers to becoming established, we were increasingly asked questions by our friends:
Where should we hike with our kids?
and
What do I need to hike with our kids?
This book is meant to answer those questions. But, as a sneak preview, we picked out 30 trails with an eye not only toward the trails that are scenic and exciting, but also those that are likely to balance driving distance, crowds, and kid-friendly characteristics. And, one of the many great parts about hiking is that you don’t need much to get started. Indeed, you may not need anything at all.
Whom this book is for
This book is for families and others caring for children who are looking for an accessible introduction to getting started hiking around Knoxville. Furthermore, this book is also for those with a few favorite trails looking to do and learn more—find longer, more challenging hikes or be introduced to hidden gems.
Because this book is for those new to hiking and those with some mud on their shoes, we’ve included a wide range of hikes, from those shorter than a mile on paved trails to epic expeditions into the Smokies. Additionally, we’ve noted trails that are stroller-friendly or accessible for families with additional needs.
Where the Hikes Are
All of the hikes are near Knoxville—from just a few minutes to within an hour or two drive (but no longer). Following our focus on hiking with younger children, most of the hikes are within an hour’s drive of Knoxville.
They are in three regions:
- In and around Knoxville: Hikes within the Knoxville city limits to those within a 30-minute drive.
- The Cumberland Plateau: An often under-appreciated but fantastic region of rock outcroppings and wild rivers to the West and North of Knoxville. The hikes in this region are from around one to two hours from Knoxville, with most being close to one hour.
- The Great Smoky Mountains National Park: The most-visited and the most biodiverse national park—right in Knoxville’s backyard. These are mostly around an hour from Knoxville, though a few are closer to two hours.
Read a sample chapter: Seven Islands State Birding Park →