East Tennessee

===Tourism===
[[File:Thunderhead (Dollywood) 03.JPG|thumb|upright=1.1|Riders aboard the roller coaster [[Thunderhead (roller coaster)|Thunderhead]] at [[Dollywood]], one of the nation's most popular theme parks.<ref name="rhodes">{{cite web |last1=Rhodes |first1=Elizabeth |last2=Romano |first2=Andrea |title=These Are the Best Theme Parks in the United States |url=https://www.travelandleisure.com/attractions/amusement-parks/tripadvisor-best-theme-parks-in-america |website=[[Travel + Leisure]] |access-date=January 30, 2021}}</ref>]]
While the mountain springs of East Tennessee and the cooler upper elevations of its mountainous areas have long provided a retreat from the region's summertime heat, much of East Tennessee's tourism industry is a result of land conservation movements in the 1920s and 1930s. The [[Great Smoky Mountains National Park]], established in 1934, led to a tourism boom in Sevier and Blount counties, effectively converting the tiny mountain hamlets of [[Gatlinburg, Tennessee|Gatlinburg]] and [[Pigeon Forge, Tennessee|Pigeon Forge]] into resort towns. Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the most visited national park in the United States, receiving more than 14 million visitors annually. The park also anchors a massive tourism industry in nearby Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, and [[Sevierville, Tennessee|Sevierville]], which is the third largest in the state.<ref>{{cite report|author=<!--Not stated-->|date=August 2020|title=2019 Economic Impact of Travel on Tennessee|url=https://industry.tnvacation.com/sites/industry/files/component/pod/2019%20Economic%20Impact.pdf|publisher=Tennessee Department of Tourist Development|access-date=2021-04-18}}</ref> Attractions include [[Dollywood]] (the most visited ticketed attraction in Tennessee), [[Ober Gatlinburg]], and Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies.

Other tourist attractions maintained by the [[National Park Service]] are [[Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area]] and [[Cumberland Gap National Historical Park]], both in the Cumberland Mountains, [[Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park]], [[Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail]], [[Trail of Tears#Landmarks and commemorations|Trail of Tears National Historic Trail]], and the [[Manhattan Project National Historical Park]]. East Tennessee is home to several scenic roadways including the [[Foothills Parkway]], the [[East Tennessee Crossing Byway]], the [[U.S. Route 441 in Tennessee|Norris Freeway]], [[Tennessee State Route 63|Cumberland National Scenic Byway]], the [[U.S. Route 129 in Tennessee|Tail of the Dragon]], the [[Cherohala Skyway]], and the [[Ocoee Scenic Byway]].<ref name="scenicbyway">{{cite web |title=Tennessee Byways |url=https://nsbfoundation.com/blog/tennessee-byways/ |website=National Scenic Byway Foundation |access-date=September 13, 2020 |date=March 25, 2020}}</ref>

The [[Appalachian Trail]], one of the world's most well-known hiking trails, was built in the mid-1930s and passes along the Tennessee-North Carolina border. The Cherokee National Forest was established during the same period and preserves most of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Tennessee that are not part of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The [[Ocoee River]] in Polk County attracts thousands of whitewater rafters each year and is the most rafted river in the nation. The nearby gentler Hiwassee River is also a top attraction in East Tennessee.<ref>{{cite news|last=Coco|first=Claudia|date=June 6, 2019|title=Rafting on the Ocoee River brings millions in revenue for Polk County|url=https://www.wrcbtv.com/story/40606983/rafting-on-the-ocoee-river-brings-millions-in-revenue-for-polk-co|work=[[WRCB-TV]]|location=Chattanooga, Tennessee|access-date=2020-06-29}}</ref> Reservoirs created in the aftermath of the TVA's hydroelectric projects in the upper East Tennessee region, including [[Cherokee Lake|Cherokee]], [[Douglas Lake|Douglas]], [[Fort Loudoun Lake|Fort Loudoun]], and [[Norris Lake (Tennessee)|Norris]] provide recreational opportunities on and along the shores via water sports, boating, fishing, and [[Holiday cottage|"second-home" development]].<ref name="TVA99">{{cite journal |title=Supporting a Thriving River System |journal=Tennessee Valley Authority Annual Report |date=1999 |page=14 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uFq_VeUhdIIC |access-date=October 7, 2021}}</ref>

Attractions in Chattanooga include the [[Tennessee Aquarium]], the nation's largest freshwater aquarium, and [[Rock City (roadside attraction)|Rock City]], and [[Ruby Falls]] on Lookout Mountain, the latter two of which are perhaps best known for their unique advertisements painted on barn roofs across the southeast.<ref>Gary Jenkins, [http://tennesseeencyclopedia.net/entry.php?rec=808 Lookout Mountain].  ''Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture'', 2002.  Retrieved: August 18, 2009.</ref> The Tennessee Aquarium coincided with the revitalization of Chattanooga's riverfront, which helped to bolster the downtown districts.<ref>{{cite web|last=Morrison|first=Chloe|url=http://www.nooga.com/167888/hamilton-county-expected-to-bring-in-1-billion-in-tourism-revenue/|title=Hamilton County expected to bring in $1 billion in tourism revenue|date=September 24, 2014|work=Nooga.com}}</ref> The city has become an outdoor sports mecca, being heralded as the "Best Town Ever" by [[Outside (magazine)|''Outside'']] magazine.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.outsideonline.com/adventure-travel/best-towns/Sweet-HomeChattanooga.html|title=America's Best Towns 2011|date=August 29, 2011}}</ref>