The Great Smoky Mountains, located about one hour from campus, includes Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, Tenn., full of mountain activities and shopping fun. Dollywood has arts and crafts, concerts and shows and adventuresome rides.
The Appalachian Trial is a continuous footpath of 2,160 miles connecting Maine and Georgia. The Trail travels a total of 70 miles through Tennessee, part of which is in the Great Smoky Mountains. Twenty-five percent of the entire Trail is in Virginia, and it passes through Damascus and Abingdon, Virginia.
The Blue Ridge Parkway links Great Smoky Mountain and Shenandoah National Parks and offers trails, overlooks, camp grounds, picnic areas and lodges.

Knoxville, Tenn. is home to the Tennessee Smokies baseball league as well as the Zoological Garden, museums and galleries and national parks.
Only 90 miles from Bristol, Va., lies Asheville, N.C., famous for the Biltmore Estate, museums, parks and antique shopping.