19 Best Beaches in Tennessee
Best Beaches in Tennessee
Tennessee has a lot of nice beaches for a state that is mostly inland. Most lakes and reservoirs in Tennessee have beautiful sandy shores all around them. Some lakes have places set aside for swimming and picnicking, while others have cute little coves where you can tie up your kayak and go for a swim. There are many beaches in state and federal parks, some of which are surrounded by thick woods and are in campgrounds.
1.Tellico Reservoir
Tellico Reservoir is in the woods of eastern Tennessee, less than 30 minutes by car from Knoxville. Because of the building of Tellico Dam, it was made.
The lakeshore is mostly undeveloped, but there are a few places to have fun, like cabins, boat ramps, and a network of hiking trails.
There are walleye, rainbow trout, and a lot of largemouth bass in the lake. People who like to boat love Tellico Lake because it’s big enough to see a lot. A lot of people also like to sail.
Many places around the lake have nice beach shores where people can swim or cool off in the lake during the hot summer months.
2.Watauga Lake, Tennessee
Pristine Watauga Lake can be found in the Appalachians in northeastern Tennessee. The 6,430-acre pond isn’t well known, and not many people go there.
Narrow, twisting mountain roads lead to the lake, which is in the Cherokee National Forest. Also, it’s pretty far from bigger towns, so most tourists don’t know about it.
But Watauga Lake is stunning for people who love being alone and seeing nature as it really is. The lake’s shore is 58 miles long and is on public land that is part of the Cherokee National Forest.
Because there hasn’t been much growth along the lakeshore, a lot of the beautiful forested lakeshore is still wild and unspoiled.
From one of the national recreation places on the western end of the lake, you can reach a public beach. At the Rat Branch Recreational Area, there is a public boat launch.
Watauga Lake, Hampton, TN
3.Watts Bar Lake
Called “King of the Southern Great Lakes,” Watts Bar Lake is in the middle of the area between Knoxville and Chattanooga. When Watts Bar Dam was built, it flooded the Tennessee River and formed the lake. The dam is used for navigation, flood control, and making hydroelectric power.
Between Watts Bar Dam and Fort Loudoun Dam is Watts Bar Lake. The lake is so big that even though millions of people visit it every year, it never feels busy.
A lot of piers let you rent boats and houseboats, and there is plenty of space for sailboats. People who like to fish come to find lots of largemouth, smallmouth, and black bass, as well as catfish, stripers, white bass, and crappie.
After a morning of fishing, it’s great to swim in Watts Bar Lake. There are nice grassy beaches all around the lake, but there are no lifeguards.
4.Cherokee Lake, Tennessee
Cherokee Lake is in East Tennessee, at the base of the Clinch Mountains, about 30 miles from Knoxville, Tennessee. It is surrounded by beautiful, rolling fields and farmlands.
From the Holston River and its branches, the 30,300-acre lake was formed. Cherokee Lake is one of Tennessee’s largest lakes, and its shores stretch for 463 miles.
Cherokee has many places to sleep, a park, and many boat docks. Cherokee Lake is a great place to fish because it has lots of crappie, white bass, strippers, and largemouth and smallmouth bass.
The Cherokee Dam Campground has a playground, a group shelter, heated showers, picnic tables with grills, and a beautiful beach for swimming. There are many tent and trailer sites. There are paved walking tracks and boat ramps both above and below the dam.
Cherokee Lake, Cherokee Marina, 9499 Hwy 11 W., Moorseburg, TN 38380
5.Chickamauga Lake
Chickamauga Lake is a favorite place to go for fun in the water in southeast Tennessee, not far from Chattanooga.
It was built to control flooding and make electricity, and it has more than 810 miles of coast.
Chickamauga Lake is now a popular place for water sports, hikes, sailing, biking, camping, watching wildlife, fishing, golfing, swimming, and more. There are 15 piers, 35 boat ramps, and two state arks on the lake. They are in Booker T. Washington Bay and Harrison Bay.
There are different types of campgrounds near the lake, as well as playgrounds, picnic areas, and seven well-kept swimming places. Marinas have places to dock your boat, food, fuel, and boat rentals.
There is a PGA golf course with 18 holes at Harrison Bay State Park. There are lots of black bass, crappie, largemouth, smallmouth, and spotted bass for fishermen to catch.
Chickamauga Lake, TN-153, Chattanooga, TN 37406, Phone: 256-267-4881
6.Cordell Hull Lake, Tennessee
Cordell Hull Lake is a 12,000-acre lake on the Cumberland River in north-central Tennessee, about 40 miles east of Nashville. The lake is a pond that was made when Cordell Hull Dam was built.
It was built by the US Army Corps of Engineers from 1963 to 1973 so that electrical power could be made, the river could be navigated, and people could have fun.
People can enjoy the outdoors at Cordell Hull Lake by camping, fishing, boating, having picnics, hiking, biking, horseback rides, and watching wildlife.
You can camp at either Defeated Creek Campground or Salt Lick Creek Campground. It’s nice to swim, have a picnic, or play with your kids at any of three day-use places.
7.Dale Hollow Lake
The Obey River was dammed to make the Dale Hollow Reservoir, which is on the line between Kentucky and Tennessee. Its main purpose was to stop flooding. The lake is a popular place for people from nearby counties to go for leisure. It has more than 620 miles of beautiful, undeveloped shoreline and clear, spring-fed water.
The beautiful houseboats on Dale Hollow Lake are what make it famous. People can swim in the lake almost anywhere, but it’s safer to swim in places with nice sandy beaches that are set aside for swimmers and can’t be reached by boats.
There isn’t a lifeguard on duty. Water skiing, wakeboarding, and tubing are the most common water sports, but fishing is still the most popular way to relax. Dale Hollow is a great place to fish for smallmouth bass.
Dale Hollow Lake, 540 Dale Hollow Dam Rd, Celina, TN 38551, Phone: 931-243-3136
8.Douglas Lake, Tennessee
The 28,000-acre Douglas Lake is located about 25 miles east of Knoxville in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains.
It has 500 miles of coastline that are mostly used for farming and building homes. Because Douglas Dam was built on the French Broad River, Douglas Lake was formed.
Today, Douglas Lake is a famous place for recreation. It has twelve boat ramps and places to fish, swim, watch birds, and do water sports.
Douglas Lake is great for fishermen because it has lots of largemouth bass, bluegill, crappie, and catfish. People can swim at the nice grassy beach at Douglas Dam Headwater Campground during the day. It runs along the shore next to the boat ramp. The beach and campsite are backed by a lovely wooden forest.
Douglas Lake, Dandridge, TN
9. J. Percy Priest Lake
The 14,000-acre J. Percy Priest Lake was made when the J. Percy Priest Dam was built. It is only a short drive from downtown Nashville.
People can have fun at the beautiful lake by boats, fishing, camping, horseback riding, watching wildlife, having a picnic, swimming, sailing, jet skiing, water skiing, hiking, and more.
There are a number of marinas where all types of boats can be kept or hired. A nice stretch of sand with grills and picnic tables can be found at the Anderson Road Recreation Area. This is the best beach.
If it gets too hot, there is a lot of shade. People come to fish for catfish, bluegill, sunfish, trout, striped bass, large mouth bass, small mouth bass, white bass, and Cherokee bass.
3737 Bell Rd, Nashville, TN 37214, Phone: 615-889-1975, Map
10.Kentucky Lake
At 160,000 acres, Kentucky Lake is one of the biggest man-made lakes in the world. The lake was made when the Kentucky Dam was built on the Tennessee River in 1938. It is only three hours from St. Louis and six hours from the Great Smoky Mountains.
Outdoor enthusiasts, especially those who like to fish, shoot, and boat, love to go to the lake for fun. For the most part, there are no marked sandy beaches or lifeguards away from the better campgrounds.
Most people like to swim at the Moss Creek Day Use Area, which is at the northern end of the Land Between The Lakes (between Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley). There are grills, picnic tables, and public bathrooms on the sandy beach.
Kentucky Lake , Buchanan, TN
11.Tennessee Beaches: Lake Barkley
Lake Barkley is a lake that Kentucky and Tennessee both use. It covers 58,000 acres. It was made by damming up the Cumberland River so that Barkley Dam could be built.
About a mile from the dam, there is a canal that connects Lake Barkley to Kentucky Lake. This makes the Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area, which is one of the largest freshwater recreation places in the country.
Lots of people like to fish and boat on the lake, and there are lots of places to cool off in the summer.
A lot of campgrounds have their own beaches with sand or pebbles and only a few basic services. Not a single worker is in sight.
Lake Barkley , 200 Barkley Dam Overlook, Grand Rivers, KY 42045, Phone: 270-362-4236
12.Nickajack Lake
Nickajack Lake is a very pretty lake ringed by the rough, steep walls of the Tennessee River Gorge. The lake was made by holding back the Tennessee River while Nickajack Dam was being built. The dam was built to help with navigation, water control, and power production.
Today, it’s a great spot to fish, swim, or boat while taking in the beautiful scenery. People come to fish because there are so many catfish, pan fish, spotted bass, black bass, and largemouth bass.
Both sides of the river below the dam have a lot of steps for getting into boats. There is also a concrete fishing pier. Boaters love the lake, and the best way to see its 215 miles of beautiful shorelines is slowly from a kayak or canoe.
During the summer, there are many beaches and pebbly spots to cool off in the lake.
Nickajack Lake , Chattanooga, TN
13.TN Beaches: Norris Lake
The lake was filled in 1937 when Norris Dam was built. Norris Lake is about 25 miles from Knoxville, Tennessee.
Big Ridge State Park is all around the lake and has more than 15 miles of well-kept trails and a variety of camping spots. One of the best places to swim on the lake is in the park, where there is a beautiful hole.
Along Norris Lake, the Loyston Point Recreation Area lets you camp, swim, and go fishing. Many water sports can be done at Norris Lake, including boats, water skiing, swimming, and great fishing.
Norris Lake, 433 Deerwood Ln, La Follette, TN 37766-6733
14.Old Hickory Lake
Old Hickory Lake is a famous vacation spot in north Tennessee, about 25 miles from Nashville. It has 22,500 acres and is great for boating, fishing, jet skiing, paddleboarding, sailing, kayaking, camping, and swimming.
When the Old Hickory Lock and Dam was built, it blocked the Cumberland River. This made the lake.
On the lake, there are 41 boat ramps, two cabins, and four marinas. On the lake, there are four approved swimming beaches: Cedar Creek in Mt. Juliet, Laguardo in Lebanon, Lock 3 in Hendersonville, and Old Hickory Beach by the dam in Old Hickory.
There are bathrooms, grills, picnic tables, and launch ramps at the beaches.
Old Hickory Lake, 5 Power Plant Rd, Hendersonville, TN 37075, Phone: 615-822-4846
15.Paris Landing State Park
The 160,000-acre Kentucky Lake has the 841-acre Paris Landing State Park on its widest part. The park is on the western side of the Tennessee River.
The park is in a great spot for all kinds of water sports, like swimming, fishing, boats, and water skiing. A tough 18-hole golf course is also in the park. There is a public swimming place, but there are no lifeguards on duty. There are some dining areas and bathrooms.
The area is very beautiful, and there are outdoor trails on land that go through it. A lot of animals live there. Watch out for coyotes, turkeys, deer, and foxes. They love Kentucky Lake because it has more than 100 kinds of fish.
Paris Landing State Park, 16055 Highway 79 N, Buchanan, TN 38222, Phone: 731-641-4465
16.Closest beach to me: Reelfoot Lake
The 10,400-acre shallow Reelfoot Lake is the biggest natural lake in Tennessee. It is in the northwest of the state.
The lake is really a flooded forest, with narrow paths connecting the swampy parts to the open water. The scenery is dominated by tall cypress trees, and the shore is covered with a variety of water plants and flowers.
Birdwatchers will love the lake. An American and a golden bald eagle live there, along with many kinds of shore and wading birds.
A lot of different kinds of fish love the lake because it’s a great place for them to live. Around 200 American bald eagles spend the winter at Reelfoot Lake. The lake is very small, and the beautiful shoreline makes it a great place to kayak. However, you are not allowed to water ski, wake board, or tube.
Some soft shores, like the old Sunkist Beach at the Washout and Magnolia Beach, are nice places to swim in the lake.
Reelfoot Lake , 2595 TN-21, Tiptonville, TN 38079, Phone: 731-253-9652
17.Rock Island State Park, Tennessee
The 883-acre Rock Island State Park is on a peninsula made when the Caney Fork River and the Collins River meet. It is also at the source of Center Hill Lake.
Caney Fork Gorge is in the park, and it is just below Great Falls Dam. The Great Falls is a beautiful 30-foot-tall horseshoe-shaped waterfall.
You can’t swim from the engine to the main beach boat ramp because there are dangerous currents that run under the water. You can hike, fish, swim, boat, and just look around in Caney Fork River Gorge.
People from all over the world come to the park to kayak on the whitewater part. The park has a small beach with natural sand and a place to launch a boat on Center Hill Lake.
Rock Island State Park, 82 Beach Rd, Rock Island, TN 38581, Phone: 931-686-2471
18.Big Ridge State Park
Big Ridge State Park is the 3,687-acre park with lots of trees that includes the Valley Range and the Appalachian Ridge. There are three narrow ridges in the park, and fertile valleys circle them. The scenery is breathtakingly beautiful.
There are more than 15 miles of hiking trails in the park. Some of them go along dry ridges, old roadbeds, lush hollows, and lakeshores. Others go by old cemeteries and early historic towns.
On the shore of Big Ridge Lake, there is a dirt beach where you can swim and cool off in the summer. There is a place with a concrete floor just for kids.
There is also a basketball court, sand volleyball, tennis, and softball in the park. The best time to visit Big Ridge State Park is in August, when the Bluegrass Festival takes place every year.
Big Ridge State Park, 1015 Big Ridge Park Rd, Maynardville, TN 37807, Phone: 865-992-5523
19.Center Hill Lake, Tennessee
Center Hill Lake is an 18,000-acre lake in the Eastern Highlands of Tennessee, about 60 miles from Nashville. Tall, lush forests circle the lake on all sides. Around 400 miles of the lake’s shore are beautiful small sandy beaches, coves, and inlets. There are also 20 boat ramps and seven piers.
Three state parks circle the lake and all have great places to camp, hike, swim, boat, and do other water sports. If that wasn’t enough, there are three beautiful waterfalls close by.
Many people like to fish at Center Hill Lake. They come to catch largemouth, smallmouth, and Kentucky bass, as well as crappie, catfish, bream, bluegill, and other fish.
Center Hill Lake, 158 Resource Dr, Lancaster, TN 38569, Phone: 931-858-3125
20.Cheatham Lake
Cheatham Lake is more of a wide spot in the Cumberland River than a real lake, but it makes the area a great place to enjoy nature.
Because they were building the Cheatham Lock and Dam near Nashville, the US Army Corps of Engineers had to build this. Approximately two million people use the long, narrow lake every year to fish, camp, go boating, and watch wildlife.
The Cheatham Dam Right Bank Recreation Area has two campgrounds, fourteen parks, sixteen boat ramps, and one beach where you can swim. There are also almost one hundred picnic areas. Every year, a lot of boats go to Cheatham Lake.
People also like to sail, water ski, tub, wakeboard, and windsurf on the lake. The little coves and secret sand spots in the lake are great to see by kayak.
Cheatham Lake, 1798 Cheatham Dam Rd, Ashland City, TN 37015, Phone: 615-792-5697