Beat the Heat with a Cool Weekend Getaway
It's 5-8 degrees cooler here, with shady forests, pleasant breezes, cool mountain streams and refreshing swimming holes...
As concrete and smog turn the city into a sweltering greenhouse, you wish for a magic weather wand to give you just a little relief. But all you really need is a short drive to the Mountains of Adventure to give you a much-needed break from the heat (and the traffic, and the noise...)
The Mountains of Adventure are actually a geological feature known as the South Cumberland Plateau. The "top" of the Plateau is around 1,000 feet higher than the elevations of Chattanooga, Nashville, Huntsville or Atlanta. As meteorologists note, in clear weather, the air temperature drops by an average of 5.4 degrees for every 1,000 feet in elevation change. So when it's 90 degrees in Nashville, you'll likely find mid-80s here on the South Cumberland Plateau. Also, a process called orographic lift often creates a pleasant breeze up here. (Here's a deeper dive on South Cumberland weather: The Story of Weather in the Mountains of Adventure)
Conveniently located along I-24, just an hour and a half from Nashville and a little over 2 hours from Atlanta, the South Cumberland makes for an easy weekend getaway. So how might that weekend look?
Mountain streams & swimming holes galore
The three state parks on the mountain offer miles of shaded hiking trails, several of which follow along cool mountain streams with refreshing swimming holes. One of the most scenic is the Grundy Forest Day Loop, a 3-mile hike in South Cumberland State Park, which includes a couple of nice swimming holes. Another favorite is Blue Hole, which is accessed from Savage Gulf West trailhead, also home to Greeter Falls.
If you'd like to take a plunge without the hike, try the base of Foster Falls, the area's tallest waterfall. Or you might choose to have a picnic and playtime at Grundy Lakes near Tracy City.
Go underground!
No matter the season or weather above ground it's always 59 degrees in The Caverns, a world-class underground music venue that also offers cave tours. They offer simple one-hour tours or more intense "adventure" tours. And check out their concert calendar to catch a show and experience the unique acoustics of the cave.
Sweet treats and al fresco eats
Your hike and plunge wouldn't be complete without a sweet treat, like ice cream from Hwy 56 Coffee, Ice Cream. & Creative Eats in Altamont. And if it's been too hot for your favorite al fresco dining in the city, try the beautiful patio at Al Capone's former hideout, High Point Restaurant in Monteagle. There are many more yummy choices on our Food & Drink page.
Cool lodging with outdoor spaces
There's a wide variety of unique lodging across the mountain as well. Choose from luxury bluff-view Tree Lofts in Beersheba Springs, unique glamping options at The Falls at Sewanee Creek or whimsical Camp Swann cabins near Tracy City, glass-walled domes at Terralodge near Monteagle or a vintage Airstream at The Grove in Sewanee. Check out our Lodging page for more options.
So book a place, hop in your car and take off for some sweet relief from the summer heat in the Mountains of Adventure!