Cherokee National Forest

This is definitely a place of true peace and tranquility. You absolutely must visit this beautiful national forest, pictures don't even begin! To do this forest justice. This will be our first visit here. We didn't know what to expect. Immediately, when we pulled into the parking lot, I hit the brakes, and we all just took in the beautiful scenery for a moment. There is free parking available. However, it's not a huge parking lot, but it definitely could accommodate 50 people at once if I had to guess. On our visit, there were barely 5 vehicles there for the entire time, so I doubt you would find it difficult to get a parking spot here. Went to the lake for 3 hours, and you could easily make this visit an entire day's worthy of activity if you chose to. There is a boat ramp available. We rented kayaks for the day ( 100 bucks ) and took our time up and down the river, getting to know the kayaks and slowly becoming comfortable enough to go further out. During this time of the year, the max depth was probably 6 ft to 10 feet, and that was underneath the bridge. The water was super clear. The water was very cold. If you find it difficult to swim in above average cold water, I would probably recommend bringing some wet suits. This might help mitigate the temperature while enjoying and nice swimming in the water so you can get the most out of your visit. Just to put the temperature of the water into perspective, I walked into the water only up to my calves and stood for no more than 2 minutes max, and our feet literally went numb 😂 If you have been kayaking before then, you definitely have plenty of experience for this area. If you have never gone kayaking before, I would recommend kayak rentals. This would save you a ton of money if you are just looking to do this activity once in a great while without having to fork out alot of money and no where to store all of the equipment. However, if you do find yourself enjoying kayaking and you plan to invest in all the equipment, I would say go for it. It's definitely worth every penny. The rental company we found in the immediate area is called " River Dog Adventures" Extremely professional, these guys provided top-notch customer service. They offer a private guide but it's not a requirement. The water here doesn't have any real strong currents, so you should be able to manage with any issues. If you or any of your loved ones are not good swimmers, I would probably recommend life jackets for personal safety. Be mindful of where you are kayaking because there are falling trees and debris within the water and in some areas the trees were an inch below the water surface and hard to see on a bright sunny day until you get right up on it at the last second. Avoid digging your paddle too dip to avoid getting caught or hung up on and debris just below the surface and you should be fine. We stayed in the mid section of the river and had little to no issues. You also can see in some areas all the way to the bottom of the river. You have the option to take a dip in the water but swim at your own risk there is no one there to help you should you have any issues. The drive to the Cherokee national forest was quite a drive. At first it seems like a never ending road but real assured it's definitely there 🤣🤣 I hope you get a chance to stop Here and enjoy this area as much as we did. I hope when you do visit your day goes amazing. Now what are you waiting for Start making plans to stop by! 😆

The Cherokee National Forest is one of our absolute favorite places to visit year-round! There are so many options for recreation that you will find something new every trip!

I look forward to each visit I make to this park! Every visit it seems like I experience nature's beauty in a new light. When you visit make sure you get there in the evening when the elk heard comes down to graze. The elk heard is a must see when visiting Cherokee National Forest!!!

One of my favorite places to visit on earth. The waterfalls are so abundant and beautiful. Really resets all the city life and atmosphere of the real world and reminds you there’s still untapped by humans nature areas. I made sure to leave it with less trash than when I came and collected trash as we hiked and camped. Very little to collect thankfully I’m glad this place is so hidden from the rest of the world. It has a lot of dirt roads you have to travel on to get there though so be weary of rainy seasons

We stopped along the road at 1 of the many pull offs. There was a stream and shade with plenty of parking. The girls had so much fun splashing in the cool waters it made our long trip so much more enjoyable! Let me encourage you to take this drive. I plan on making many more drives out here to find all the little spots for them to explore.