While Nashville is full of tons of stuff to do, it’s always a good idea to get out of town every once in a while and explore all that Middle Tennessee has to offer. These 12 best day trips in Nashville we’ve put together are the perfect ways to get out of town all year round and see some of the most beautiful, fun, and unique spots throughout the state. Check them out!
January - Land Between The Lakes
Land Between the Lakes KY/TN Follow - Flickr Situated between Lake Barkley and Kentucky Lake on the Tennessee/Kentucky border, Land Between the Lakes is a beautiful landscape full of stunning views and abundant wildlife. January is peak bald eagle season, making this 2-hour drive from Nashville ideal for this winter month. Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area, 238 Visitor Center Dr, Golden Pond, KY 42211, USA
February - Rock City
Rock City - Facebook What’s more romantic for February than taking the 2-hour drive down to Lookout Mountain to the famous Lovers Leap waterfall? Rock City even has Valentine’s Day packages for any lovebirds visiting during Valentine’s Day weekend. During February or not, Rock City is one of the most unique things to do around Nashville. Rock City, TN 37030, USA
March - Sewanee
Michael Hicks - Flickr As the state comes alive after the cold winter, Sewanee is the perfect spot to see the budding flora and experience the natural beauty of the state. The hundreds of miles of trails along the Cumberland Plateau in and around Sewanee are the perfect spot for a quick springtime hike. Sewanee, TN, USA
April - The National Cornbread Festival
The National Cornbread Festival - Facebook Every April in the small town of South Pittsburg, the National Cornbread Festival takes over downtown for a weekend. The festival is full of arts, crafts, live music, and tons and tons of cornbread concoctions up for competitions and for tasting. Food demos and samplings are just the beginning of the delicious fun here! South Pittsburg, TN 37380, USA
May - Shiloh National Battlefield
John W. Iwanski - Flickr The Shiloh National Battlefield still has many of the canons from the infamous 1862 battle on the site, making it a sobering but perfect day trip for the Memorial Day weekend at the end of May. You can walk the battlefield and learn all about its importance in the Civil War. Shiloh National Military Park, 1055 Pittsburg Landing Rd, Shiloh, TN 38376, USA
June - RC Cola and Moon Pie Festival
Jimmy Emerson, DVM - Flickr One of the quirkiest but favorite festivals in the state is Bell Buckle’s annual RC Cola and Moon Pie Festival. The small town throws a parade, has all kinds of local artists, and even throws a pageant for Mr. RC Cola and Ms. Moon Pie. The festival usually takes place in mid-June. Bell Buckle, TN 37020, USA
July - Smithville Fiddlers’ Jamboree
Smithville Fiddlers’ Jamboree and Crafts Festival - Facebook Every year on the weekend closest to the 4th of July, the tiny town of Smithville throws one of the biggest parties any small town in Tennessee has ever seen - The Smithville Fiddlers’ Jamboree. The town of 4,000 gets over 30,000 visitors for the weekend as they pay homage to classic Appalachian music. They’ve been going strong every year since 1972, and the festival history, is fascinating Smithville, TN 37166, USA
August - The Lost Sea Adventure
The Lost Sea - Facebook When the hottest months of the year come around, the smart ones head underground. And there’s nowhere better way to escape the heat than the Lost Sea Adventure, where you can ride a glass-bottomed boat across America’s largest underground lake. If you’re searching for “getaway spots near me,” the Lost Sea Adventure should definitely be on your list! The Lost Sea Adventure, 140 Lost Sea Rd, Sweetwater, TN 37874, USA
September - Burgess Falls
Joe Z - Flickr Another great way to cool off in the hottest months? Head to the water. Burgess Falls, located at Burgess Falls State Park, is stunning any time of year, but swimming at the pool at the bottom of the falls is both incredibly refreshing and picture perfect. The falls are only an hour and 20 minutes outside of Nashville, making this an easy day trip.
October - Bell Witch Cave
Cameron Daigle - Flickr You need a good, spooky road trip for October, and what’s spookier than one of the most haunted places in Tennessee? The Bell Witch Cave is only a 45-minute drive from downtown Nashville, and you can tour a cave so haunted, even Andrew Jackson wouldn’t stay on the property! As best day trips in Tennessee go, this is a gooooooood one! Historic Bell Witch Cave, 430 Keysburg Rd, Adams, TN 37010, USA
November - Natchez Trace Parkway
Tim Lumley - Flickr The beginning of November is peak foliage season for most of Tennessee, and there’s no better spot to see the leaves than the stunning, scenic Natchez Trace Parkway. Head south on the highway from Nashville at least to Lieper’s Fork where you can get stunning views of the valley from the parkway’s famous double-arch bridge. Natchez Trace Parkway, Natchez Trace Pkwy, United States
December - Franklin
Heritage Foundation of Williamson County - Facebook Franklin is often lauded as one of the best small towns in America, and they pull out all of the stops when it comes to Christmastime. The Main Street gets decked out with all of the Christmas cheer you could imagine, and their annual Dickens of a Christmas Festival is one of the biggest events in Middle Tennessee. It’s the perfect way to spend a weekend before the holidays start. Franklin, TN, USA
Have you visited any of these places? If so, we’d love to see your photos and hear about your experiences there!
Land Between the Lakes KY/TN Follow - Flickr
Situated between Lake Barkley and Kentucky Lake on the Tennessee/Kentucky border, Land Between the Lakes is a beautiful landscape full of stunning views and abundant wildlife. January is peak bald eagle season, making this 2-hour drive from Nashville ideal for this winter month.
Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area, 238 Visitor Center Dr, Golden Pond, KY 42211, USA
Rock City - Facebook
What’s more romantic for February than taking the 2-hour drive down to Lookout Mountain to the famous Lovers Leap waterfall? Rock City even has Valentine’s Day packages for any lovebirds visiting during Valentine’s Day weekend. During February or not, Rock City is one of the most unique things to do around Nashville.
Rock City, TN 37030, USA
Michael Hicks - Flickr
As the state comes alive after the cold winter, Sewanee is the perfect spot to see the budding flora and experience the natural beauty of the state. The hundreds of miles of trails along the Cumberland Plateau in and around Sewanee are the perfect spot for a quick springtime hike.
Sewanee, TN, USA
The National Cornbread Festival - Facebook
Every April in the small town of South Pittsburg, the National Cornbread Festival takes over downtown for a weekend. The festival is full of arts, crafts, live music, and tons and tons of cornbread concoctions up for competitions and for tasting. Food demos and samplings are just the beginning of the delicious fun here!
South Pittsburg, TN 37380, USA
John W. Iwanski - Flickr
The Shiloh National Battlefield still has many of the canons from the infamous 1862 battle on the site, making it a sobering but perfect day trip for the Memorial Day weekend at the end of May. You can walk the battlefield and learn all about its importance in the Civil War.
Shiloh National Military Park, 1055 Pittsburg Landing Rd, Shiloh, TN 38376, USA
Jimmy Emerson, DVM - Flickr
One of the quirkiest but favorite festivals in the state is Bell Buckle’s annual RC Cola and Moon Pie Festival. The small town throws a parade, has all kinds of local artists, and even throws a pageant for Mr. RC Cola and Ms. Moon Pie. The festival usually takes place in mid-June.
Bell Buckle, TN 37020, USA
Smithville Fiddlers’ Jamboree and Crafts Festival - Facebook
Every year on the weekend closest to the 4th of July, the tiny town of Smithville throws one of the biggest parties any small town in Tennessee has ever seen - The Smithville Fiddlers’ Jamboree. The town of 4,000 gets over 30,000 visitors for the weekend as they pay homage to classic Appalachian music. They’ve been going strong every year since 1972, and the festival history, is fascinating
Smithville, TN 37166, USA
The Lost Sea - Facebook
When the hottest months of the year come around, the smart ones head underground. And there’s nowhere better way to escape the heat than the Lost Sea Adventure, where you can ride a glass-bottomed boat across America’s largest underground lake. If you’re searching for “getaway spots near me,” the Lost Sea Adventure should definitely be on your list!
The Lost Sea Adventure, 140 Lost Sea Rd, Sweetwater, TN 37874, USA
Joe Z - Flickr
Another great way to cool off in the hottest months? Head to the water. Burgess Falls, located at Burgess Falls State Park, is stunning any time of year, but swimming at the pool at the bottom of the falls is both incredibly refreshing and picture perfect. The falls are only an hour and 20 minutes outside of Nashville, making this an easy day trip.
Cameron Daigle - Flickr
You need a good, spooky road trip for October, and what’s spookier than one of the most haunted places in Tennessee? The Bell Witch Cave is only a 45-minute drive from downtown Nashville, and you can tour a cave so haunted, even Andrew Jackson wouldn’t stay on the property! As best day trips in Tennessee go, this is a gooooooood one!
Historic Bell Witch Cave, 430 Keysburg Rd, Adams, TN 37010, USA
Tim Lumley - Flickr
The beginning of November is peak foliage season for most of Tennessee, and there’s no better spot to see the leaves than the stunning, scenic Natchez Trace Parkway. Head south on the highway from Nashville at least to Lieper’s Fork where you can get stunning views of the valley from the parkway’s famous double-arch bridge.
Natchez Trace Parkway, Natchez Trace Pkwy, United States
Heritage Foundation of Williamson County - Facebook
Franklin is often lauded as one of the best small towns in America, and they pull out all of the stops when it comes to Christmastime. The Main Street gets decked out with all of the Christmas cheer you could imagine, and their annual Dickens of a Christmas Festival is one of the biggest events in Middle Tennessee. It’s the perfect way to spend a weekend before the holidays start.
Franklin, TN, USA
If you want an adrenaline rush of an adventure, check out this epic ziplining tour through the mountains of East Tennessee.
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The OIYS Visitor Center
Best day trips in Nashville July 08, 2022 Lysa Allman-Baldwin I’m looking for a unique music festival in Tennessee. Well, as you know, Tennessee—Nashville in particular—is home to some of the greatest musicians in the world. As such, the Volunteer State plays hosts to a wide array of music festivals covering just about any genre imaginable. In the tiny town of Manchester, a little over an hour from Nashville, there’s the annual Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival. Its uniqueness is exemplified in the names of the over half dozen stages. Think monikers like, “The Other” and “What Stage” just to name a few. Another quirk is that it’s held out in the middle of a 650-acre countryside farm, so a large majority of the thousands of guests who come to the festival camp for the four-day event. Bonnaroo (as the Tennesseans call it) is the place to enjoy some of the best live music in the country. I want to take a day trip to the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville. The Country Music Hall of Fame is a fantastic day trip option and believe me, you could literally spend an entire day there! Located in downtown Nashville, it is easy to get to from Franklin (30 minutes), Chattanooga (a little over two hours), Knoxville (two hours and 45 minutes), and Memphis (3 hours and 15 minutes). The Country Music Hall of Fame is the city’s flagship attraction and the home of one of the most amazing collections of photographs, sound recordings, costumes, musical instruments, and other artifacts about some of the most influential songwriters, performers, and sound technicians the world has ever seen. Where can I go to learn about Civil War history in Tennessee? Tennessee played an integral role in the Civil War and there are historical markers and battlefields dotted all over the state. One of the most popular is the Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park. Located on Lookout Mountain about 20 minutes south of downtown Chattanooga, it is where the Union and Confederate forces initially fought in 1863, each alternately coming out victorious as the battle raged on. The history here is absolutely fascinating and the remnants left behind tell a sobering yet historically important story. It is one of the best day trips in Tennessee – hands down.
The OIYS Visitor Center
Best day trips in Nashville
July 08, 2022
Lysa Allman-Baldwin
I’m looking for a unique music festival in Tennessee. Well, as you know, Tennessee—Nashville in particular—is home to some of the greatest musicians in the world. As such, the Volunteer State plays hosts to a wide array of music festivals covering just about any genre imaginable. In the tiny town of Manchester, a little over an hour from Nashville, there’s the annual Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival. Its uniqueness is exemplified in the names of the over half dozen stages. Think monikers like, “The Other” and “What Stage” just to name a few. Another quirk is that it’s held out in the middle of a 650-acre countryside farm, so a large majority of the thousands of guests who come to the festival camp for the four-day event. Bonnaroo (as the Tennesseans call it) is the place to enjoy some of the best live music in the country. I want to take a day trip to the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville. The Country Music Hall of Fame is a fantastic day trip option and believe me, you could literally spend an entire day there! Located in downtown Nashville, it is easy to get to from Franklin (30 minutes), Chattanooga (a little over two hours), Knoxville (two hours and 45 minutes), and Memphis (3 hours and 15 minutes). The Country Music Hall of Fame is the city’s flagship attraction and the home of one of the most amazing collections of photographs, sound recordings, costumes, musical instruments, and other artifacts about some of the most influential songwriters, performers, and sound technicians the world has ever seen. Where can I go to learn about Civil War history in Tennessee? Tennessee played an integral role in the Civil War and there are historical markers and battlefields dotted all over the state. One of the most popular is the Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park. Located on Lookout Mountain about 20 minutes south of downtown Chattanooga, it is where the Union and Confederate forces initially fought in 1863, each alternately coming out victorious as the battle raged on. The history here is absolutely fascinating and the remnants left behind tell a sobering yet historically important story. It is one of the best day trips in Tennessee – hands down.
The OIYS Visitor Center
The OIYS Visitor Center
Well, as you know, Tennessee—Nashville in particular—is home to some of the greatest musicians in the world. As such, the Volunteer State plays hosts to a wide array of music festivals covering just about any genre imaginable. In the tiny town of Manchester, a little over an hour from Nashville, there’s the annual Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival. Its uniqueness is exemplified in the names of the over half dozen stages. Think monikers like, “The Other” and “What Stage” just to name a few. Another quirk is that it’s held out in the middle of a 650-acre countryside farm, so a large majority of the thousands of guests who come to the festival camp for the four-day event. Bonnaroo (as the Tennesseans call it) is the place to enjoy some of the best live music in the country.
I want to take a day trip to the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville.
The Country Music Hall of Fame is a fantastic day trip option and believe me, you could literally spend an entire day there! Located in downtown Nashville, it is easy to get to from Franklin (30 minutes), Chattanooga (a little over two hours), Knoxville (two hours and 45 minutes), and Memphis (3 hours and 15 minutes). The Country Music Hall of Fame is the city’s flagship attraction and the home of one of the most amazing collections of photographs, sound recordings, costumes, musical instruments, and other artifacts about some of the most influential songwriters, performers, and sound technicians the world has ever seen.
Where can I go to learn about Civil War history in Tennessee?
Tennessee played an integral role in the Civil War and there are historical markers and battlefields dotted all over the state. One of the most popular is the Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park. Located on Lookout Mountain about 20 minutes south of downtown Chattanooga, it is where the Union and Confederate forces initially fought in 1863, each alternately coming out victorious as the battle raged on. The history here is absolutely fascinating and the remnants left behind tell a sobering yet historically important story. It is one of the best day trips in Tennessee – hands down.
