SPRING CITY - Knoxville is sandwiched between two physiographic regions - the Blue Ridge Province to the east and the Cumberland Plateau to the west - that are prime breeding grounds for waterfalls.

A skier or snowboarder would have characterized the snow as "loose powder." It was 6 inches deep, and untouched except for animal tracks. On this cold winter morning, it felt like we had the 125,000-acre Big South Fork National River ...

GATLINBURG - It was the first day of winter, and U.S. Highway 441 through Great Smoky Mountains National Park was closed due to ice and snow.

CUMBERLAND GAP, Tenn. - At the southwest end of Cumberland Gap National Historical Park is a 1,990 foot-high overlook called Tri-State Peak where you can stand in three states at once.

SPARTA, Tenn. - Some of the most impressive waterfalls in Tennessee are tucked away in the geologic folds of the Cumberland Plateau. Some, like Fall Creek Falls and Burgess Falls, are surrounded by state parks, while others, like Virgin Falls ...

Abrams Falls is one of the top hiking destinations in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, especially during the dog days of summer.

TELLICO PLAINS - For sheer mass and thundering sound effects, Bald River Falls in Monroe County might be the most impressive waterfall in Tennessee.

Harry Pearle and Alice Yow Ijams were adventurers. They hiked in the Smokies during their 1905 honeymoon. Lost one night, they sheltered in a mountain church.

WATERVILLE, N.C. - There are a number of ways to reach the Mount Sterling fire tower, the shortest being the 2.8-mile Mount Sterling Trail, which starts at Mount Sterling Gap on the eastern border of Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

OAK RIDGE - Don't go hiking or biking on the Dyllis Orchard Road Trail expecting to find scenic vistas or waterfalls. Instead, listen to the songbirds calling from the brushy corridors beneath the power lines.

NORRIS - Completed in 1936, Norris Dam impounds the Clinch and Powell rivers to create Norris Lake, the cleanest of all the Tennessee Valley Authority's reservoirs.

JAMESTOWN, Tenn. - The Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area showcases some of the prettiest river gorge scenery on the Cumberland Plateau, and the Rock Creek Loop is one of the park's finest trails.

WARTBURG - Frozen Head State Park and Natural Area is a hiker's park with enough backcountry to satisfy even the most serious backpacker.

GATLINBURG - Knowing where the park service sends its snow plows can make winter hiking in the Smokies a lot easier. On the Tennessee side of the Smokies, the Gatlinburg Spur is one of the first roads to be cleared ...

ALLARDT, Tenn. - Some of East Tennessee's finest - and most often overlooked - hiking destinations can be found among the state's natural areas.