Short answer
Good places to paint plein air in Tennessee include Pickett CCC Memorial State Park, Cades Cove, Walnut Street Bridge, Meeman-Shelby Forest and the Mississippi Bluffs, Lookout Mountain and the Tennessee River Gorge, The Parthenon at Centennial Park, Dunbar Cave State Park and Mount LeConte from Myrtle Point. PleinScout lists 49 spots in Tennessee, each with parking, shade, restrooms and when the light is best. Always check current hours, fees and rules before you go.
These are places painters set up in Tennessee, grouped by subject. Each one notes the things that decide whether a session works: where to park, whether there's shade, a restroom nearby, and when the light is best. The full map, with directions and spots added by local painters, is in the free PleinScout app.
Lakes, rivers and waterfalls
Greeter Falls
A lush forested cascade pouring into a green pool deep in a plateau cove. Rich woodland greens and dark water make for moody close studies.
Altamont · Best light: morning · Parking: lot · Shade: lots · Restrooms: no · Free · Challenging
Montgomery Bell State Park Lakes
Tranquil wooded lakes and a historic chapel in a quiet park west of Nashville. Calm reflective water and forest shoreline make for restful landscape work.
Burns · Best light: morning · Parking: lot · Shade: lots · Restrooms: yes · Free · Easy
Dunbar Cave State Park
A grand cave entrance framing dark interior shadow above a calm wooded lake. The strong contrast of cave mouth, stone, and water reflection makes a compelling subject.
Clarksville · Best light: afternoon · Parking: lot · Shade: lots · Restrooms: yes · Free · Easy
Cummins Falls
A wide, multi-tiered limestone waterfall tumbling into a swimming hole gorge. Paint the easy overlook or take the rugged permitted hike to the base.
Cookeville · Best light: afternoon · Parking: lot · Shade: lots · Restrooms: yes · Gorge access permit required and limited; overlook is free and easy to reach. · Challenging
Sycamore Shoals
Historic river shoals where the Overmountain Men mustered, with a log fort and open river meadows. A combined river-landscape and frontier-history subject.
Elizabethton · Best light: afternoon · Parking: lot · Shade: some · Restrooms: yes · Free · Easy
Watauga Lake
A pristine high mountain lake ringed by national forest, with deep color and mirror reflections. A serene water-and-mountain subject in northeast Tennessee.
Hampton · Best light: golden hour · Parking: lot · Shade: some · Restrooms: yes · Free · Easy
Long Hunter State Park on Percy Priest Lake
A large reservoir with open shoreline, rocky cedar glades, and wide skies near Nashville. Good for big-water, big-sky compositions and distinctive glade flora.
Hermitage · Best light: golden hour · Parking: lot · Shade: some · Restrooms: yes · Free · Easy
Pickett CCC Memorial State Park
A secluded plateau lake set among sandstone bluffs and arches, far from crowds. Quiet water reflections and rock-and-forest subjects in one of the state's most remote parks.
Jamestown · Best light: morning · Parking: lot · Shade: lots · Restrooms: yes · Free · Moderate
Bays Mountain Park and Lake
A tranquil forested reservoir with reflective water and an easy lakeside walk. A peaceful, accessible lake-and-woods subject in the Tri-Cities.
Kingsport · Best light: morning · Parking: lot · Shade: lots · Restrooms: yes · Small per-vehicle parking fee for this city nature preserve. · Easy
Memphis Riverfront and Mississippi River
The mighty Mississippi at Memphis, with the lit M-bridge, passing barges, and dramatic sunsets. A wide-water and big-sky subject with iconic river-city character.
Memphis · Best light: sunset · Parking: lot · Shade: some · Restrooms: yes · Free · Easy
Meeman-Shelby Forest and the Mississippi Bluffs
Wild bottomland forest and bluffs along the Mississippi just north of Memphis. Cypress sloughs, deep woods, and big-river views provide varied subjects away from crowds.
Millington · Best light: afternoon · Parking: lot · Shade: lots · Restrooms: yes · Free · Moderate
Radnor Lake State Natural Area
A peaceful protected lake minutes from downtown Nashville, rich with reflections and wildlife. Excellent dawn water-and-woods studies close to the city.
Nashville · Best light: morning · Parking: lot · Shade: lots · Restrooms: yes · Free · Easy
Big Hill Pond and the West Tennessee Wetlands
A quiet southwest-Tennessee swamp of cypress and tupelo with a boardwalk through dark reflective water. A moody wetland subject seldom crowded with visitors.
Pocahontas · Best light: morning · Parking: lot · Shade: lots · Restrooms: yes · Free · Moderate
Twin Falls at Rock Island State Park
An unusual waterfall that gushes straight out of a cliff wall into a river gorge. The dramatic bluff-and-water composition is unique among Tennessee falls.
Rock Island · Best light: afternoon · Parking: lot · Shade: some · Restrooms: yes · Free · Easy
Ozone Falls
A tall single-drop waterfall into a quiet rock-walled pool, used as a film location for its primeval feel. A quieter alternative to the busier plateau falls.
Rockwood · Best light: afternoon · Parking: lot · Shade: lots · Restrooms: no · Free · Moderate
Norris Dam and Reservoir
A historic TVA dam and its clear mountain reservoir set among forested ridges. Both the engineered concrete face and the calm lake reflections make strong subjects.
Rocky Top · Best light: morning · Parking: lot · Shade: some · Restrooms: yes · Free · Easy
Foster Falls
A photogenic plateau waterfall and turquoise pool framed by sandstone cliffs. The overlook offers an easy, well-composed view of falls and bluff together.
Sequatchie · Best light: afternoon · Parking: lot · Shade: lots · Restrooms: yes · Free · Moderate
Burgess Falls
A chain of waterfalls building to a thundering main drop in a forested plateau gorge. Several trail overlooks give framed compositions of falling water.
Sparta · Best light: morning · Parking: lot · Shade: lots · Restrooms: yes · Free · Moderate
Fall Creek Falls
Tennessee's signature waterfall, a slender 256-foot ribbon dropping into a wooded gorge. Paint the dramatic overlook or descend to the misty plunge pool.
Spencer · Best light: morning · Parking: lot · Shade: lots · Restrooms: yes · Free · Moderate
Bald River Falls
A tall, broad waterfall crashing right beside the road into a clear forest river. Roadside access makes it an easy yet dramatic water subject.
Tellico Plains · Best light: morning · Parking: street · Shade: lots · Restrooms: no · Free · Easy
Reelfoot Lake
A surreal earthquake-formed lake of bald cypress standing in still water, formed by the 1811 New Madrid quakes. Mirror reflections at dawn and dusk are unforgettable.
Tiptonville · Best light: golden hour · Parking: lot · Shade: some · Restrooms: yes · Free · Easy
Mountains, canyons and overlooks
Savage Gulf Stone Door Overlook
A natural cleft in the cliff edge and broad overlooks into a wild plateau gorge. Big canyon vistas reachable on an easy trail from the ranger station.
Beersheba Springs · Best light: afternoon · Parking: lot · Shade: some · Restrooms: yes · Free · Moderate
Lookout Mountain and the Tennessee River Gorge
The classic bird's-eye view of the Tennessee River bending around Moccasin Bend with Chattanooga beyond. A grand river-and-city composition from a historic Civil War summit.
Chattanooga · Best light: golden hour · Parking: street · Shade: some · Restrooms: yes · Point Park (NPS Chickamauga & Chattanooga) charges a small entry fee; nearby overlooks are free. · Easy
Clingmans Dome Observation Tower
Sweeping panoramas of receding blue ridges from the roof of Tennessee. The layered atmospheric distance is the classic Smoky Mountain subject.
Gatlinburg · Best light: sunset · Parking: lot · Shade: some · Restrooms: yes · Parking tag required; steep paved half-mile walk from lot to tower. · Moderate
Mount LeConte from Myrtle Point
A famed sunrise summit high in the Smokies, overlooking seas of fog-filled valleys and layered ridges. A demanding hike rewarded with the park's most atmospheric vistas.
Gatlinburg · Best light: morning · Parking: lot · Shade: some · Restrooms: no · Parking tag required at trailheads; multi-hour hike to the summit, plan carefully. · Challenging
Newfound Gap Overlook
A roadside overlook at the crest of the Smokies with vast valley and ridge views straight from the parking area. Easy access to grand mountain vistas.
Gatlinburg · Best light: morning · Parking: lot · Shade: some · Restrooms: yes · Free · Easy
Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail
An intimate forest drive packed with tumbling streams, mossy rocks, and old cabins. Ideal for close-in woodland and water studies in deep shade.
Gatlinburg · Best light: morning · Parking: lot · Shade: lots · Restrooms: no · Parking tag required for stops; pullouts are small along the narrow road. · Moderate
Cumberland Gap Pinnacle Overlook
A historic mountain pass overlook where Tennessee, Kentucky, and Virginia meet, the gateway of westward migration. Vast layered-ridge views with a deep sense of place.
Harrogate · Best light: morning · Parking: lot · Shade: some · Restrooms: yes · Free · Easy
Twin Arches
Enormous twin rock arches towering over a forested ravine, monumental geology in deep woods. Strong light-and-shadow studies of stone, moss, and canopy.
Jamestown · Best light: afternoon · Parking: lot · Shade: lots · Restrooms: no · Free · Moderate
Overton Park Old Forest
A rare old-growth forest preserved inside the city, with big trees and quiet wooded trails. Excellent for intimate woodland light-and-shadow studies close to town.
Memphis · Best light: morning · Parking: lot · Shade: lots · Restrooms: yes · Free · Easy
Big South Fork Angel Falls Overlook
A commanding bluff-top view into a deep, wild river gorge on the Cumberland Plateau. A reward for a moderate hike, with sweeping forested canyon compositions.
Oneida · Best light: morning · Parking: lot · Shade: some · Restrooms: yes · Free · Challenging
Roan Mountain Rhododendron Gardens
Open grassy balds blanketed with wild rhododendron blooms in June, high above the surrounding ridges. A rare alpine-feeling subject in the Southern Appalachians.
Roan Mountain · Best light: golden hour · Parking: lot · Shade: some · Restrooms: yes · Seasonal parking fee at the gardens during peak bloom; managed by the US Forest Service. · Moderate
Tellico Plains and the Cherohala Skyway
A National Scenic Byway riding the crest of the mountains with overlook after overlook of layered ridges. Quiet, high vistas with frequent cloud and mist effects.
Tellico Plains · Best light: morning · Parking: lot · Shade: some · Restrooms: yes · Free · Easy
Cades Cove
The most painted valley in the Smokies, full of pastoral cabins, fences, and misty meadows ringed by mountains. Go at dawn for mist, light, and wildlife before crowds arrive.
Townsend · Best light: morning · Parking: lot · Shade: some · Restrooms: yes · Free entry to the park, but a parking tag is required for any stop over 15 minutes. · Easy
Frozen Head State Park
A rugged forested park famous for spring wildflowers and tumbling creeks. Intimate woodland-stream subjects and dense canopy light, with few visitors.
Wartburg · Best light: morning · Parking: lot · Shade: lots · Restrooms: yes · Free · Moderate
Towns, historic sites and gardens
Bristol Motor Speedway Vicinity and State Street
A historic downtown straddling two states, famed as the birthplace of country music and crowned by its glowing arch sign. A nostalgic American main-street subject.
Bristol · Best light: golden hour · Parking: street · Shade: some · Free · Easy
Ruby Falls Vicinity and Lookout Mountain Incline
A historic funicular climbing one of the steepest passenger railway grades in the world up Lookout Mountain. Strong diagonal lines of track against forested slope.
Chattanooga · Best light: afternoon · Parking: lot · Shade: some · Restrooms: yes · Free · Easy
Walnut Street Bridge
One of the world's longest pedestrian bridges, a graceful blue truss over the Tennessee River. Excellent urban-river subject with skyline, water, and structural rhythm.
Chattanooga · Best light: golden hour · Parking: paid · Shade: some · Restrooms: yes · Bridge is free; paid garages and metered parking nearby in the riverfront district. · Easy
Covered Bridge at Elizabethton
A picturesque white covered bridge over the clear Doe River in a small mountain town. A quintessential historic-bridge-and-water subject.
Elizabethton · Best light: morning · Parking: street · Shade: some · Free · Easy
Carnton Plantation
A poignant Civil War mansion and garden beside a historic cemetery shaded by old trees. A layered architecture, garden, and memorial-landscape subject.
Franklin · Best light: afternoon · Parking: lot · Shade: lots · Restrooms: yes · Grounds access policy varies; confirm whether exterior painting needs a ticket. · Easy
Franklin Historic Main Street
One of the South's best-preserved Main Streets, full of ornate Victorian storefronts and a town square. A rich historic-streetscape subject with strong architecture.
Franklin · Best light: morning · Parking: street · Shade: some · Free · Easy
Rock Castle Historic Site on Old Hickory Lake
An early stone mansion overlooking a quiet reservoir, one of Tennessee's oldest homes. A combined historic-architecture and lakeshore subject.
Hendersonville · Best light: afternoon · Parking: lot · Shade: some · Restrooms: yes · Free · Easy
Jonesborough Historic District
The oldest town in Tennessee, a beautifully preserved brick Main Street of historic shops and steeples. A picturesque small-town streetscape subject.
Jonesborough · Best light: morning · Parking: street · Shade: some · Restrooms: yes · Free · Easy
Beale Street Historic District
The legendary home of the blues, packed with neon signs and historic facades. A vibrant urban-character subject best captured at dusk when the signs glow.
Memphis · Best light: golden hour · Parking: paid · Shade: some · Street is free; paid garages and lots nearby. Sketch from sidewalks to stay clear of crowds. · Moderate
Belle Meade Historic Site
A columned Greek Revival mansion amid old trees and historic outbuildings on a former horse farm. A quiet antebellum architecture and landscape subject.
Nashville · Best light: afternoon · Parking: lot · Shade: lots · Restrooms: yes · Grounds access may be included with admission; confirm whether exterior sketching needs a ticket. · Easy
Cheekwood Estate and Gardens
A historic estate of formal gardens, fountains, and statuary around a stately stone mansion. Manicured garden rooms give structured, color-rich painting subjects.
Nashville · Best light: morning · Parking: lot · Shade: lots · Restrooms: yes · Admission charged; check whether plein air setup requires advance permission. · Easy
Nashville Riverfront and Downtown Skyline
The Nashville skyline rising over the Cumberland River, with pedestrian bridges and riverfront parks. Classic city-and-water golden-hour subject from the east bank.
Nashville · Best light: golden hour · Parking: paid · Shade: some · Restrooms: yes · Parks are free; paid garages and lots downtown and near the stadium. · Easy
The Parthenon at Centennial Park
An astonishing full-size Parthenon replica set in a green city park beside a reflecting lake. The neoclassical columns and lake reflections offer endless compositions.
Nashville · Best light: afternoon · Parking: lot · Shade: lots · Restrooms: yes · Free · Easy
Rugby Historic District
A 19th-century English utopian colony of gingerbread Victorian buildings tucked in the plateau forest. A storybook architectural subject with few crowds.
Rugby · Best light: afternoon · Parking: lot · Shade: lots · Restrooms: yes · Free · Easy
Run a plein air group or sketch chapter in Tennessee? Get it listed free, with a link to your page.
Find more spots in Tennessee
Painters add new spots to PleinScout every week, with photos, parking and the light. Get the free app to see them on the map, or find a paint-out near you.
Hours, fees and rules change. Always check with the park or venue before you go.