Living in such close proximity to such a marvelous body of water may entice you not to do anything else except enjoy its many recreational opportunities. But, residing in one of Cherokee Lake’s communities also allows you the freedom to easily explore your surrounding areas.
Tennessee’s third largest city, Knoxville,1 is 29 miles away. The University of Tennessee’s cultural and sports attractions are tough to beat. The Tennessee Volunteers offer football, basketball, baseball, and other collegiate sports as members of the Southeastern Conference, playing some of the top teams in the nation on a yearly basis. Neyland Stadium, home of the football team, is the fifth-largest stadium in the nation, sitting 102,455 people and, during a home game, the festivities that surround the game are a must see. Thompson-Boling Arena, home of the men’s and women’s basketball teams, again offer some of the finest games one can view, with The Lady Vols having won 8 National Championships. Thompson-Boling Arena has also offered entertainment events, such as Prince, the Eagles, Aerosmith, Garth Brooks, Kenny Chesney, Jimmy Buffet, Cher, as well as others over the years. Besides this, you have the historic Tennessee Theater, the Knoxville Convention Center, and the Knoxville Coliseum which have attracted entertainers, conventions, circuses, ice shows, and many others. The Knoxville Opera, a proud member of Opera America, celebrated its 40th Anniversary Season in 2018. And, if you need to take a flight, McGhee-Tyson Airport is only 41 miles away with Frontier, Allegiant, Delta, Envoy Air, American, and United among the airlines serving the airport.
Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg, and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park are also a short drive from Cherokee Lake. Pigeon Forge is 33 miles, and Gatlinburg is 40 miles away. Pigeon Forge is home to many entertainment attractions including Dollywood, which was voted by USA Today as the 2018 Readers’ Choice number 2 pick for best attraction in the state of Tennessee.2 A wide array of restaurants and shopping options are also available. The Old Mill restaurant was just selected in 2020, by Food and Wine Magazine, as the “Best Classic Restaurant in Tennessee.” No instant potatoes here, the staff hand peels and smashes 1,100 pounds of potatoes daily. Then there is Gatlinburg, which offers even more restaurant and entertainment, including Ober Gatlinburg Amusement Park and Ski Area, high above Gatlinburg. In the mood for pancakes, there are quite a few places that serve some of the best pancakes in the country, including the Pancake Pantry, which in 1960 became Tennessee’s first pancake house. Architectural Digest recently compiled a guide to “The Prettiest Town in Every U.S. State,” and Gatlinburg was chosen to represent Tennessee. In their write-up for Gatlinburg, Architectural Digest noted that “as the gateway to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Gatlinburg’s smoky sky and lush green hills are eye candy for nature explorers.” Drive through Gatlinburg and enter the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, “World renowned for its diversity of plant and animal life, the beauty of its ancient mountains, and the quality of its remnants of Southern Appalachian mountain culture, this is America’s most visited national park.”3 According to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park’s official news release, the park saw a record-breaking number of 12,547,743 visitors in 2019. This is 1,126,540 more visitors than in 2018! This is the fifth year in a row the Great Smoky Mountains National Park has seen a record number of visitors! A lot of visitors, a lot of tourists. And, unfortunately, the traffic that comes with all the good that these towns offer. However, by living in the Cherokee Lake community, you can be away from all of this daily congestion, yet be just a half hour away, give or take a few minutes, if you wish to enjoy all of the fun stuff. The best of both worlds.
