By: Sara Kate A. & Thomas C.
It’s pretty obvious that we love swimming here at All Knox Swim. We also love nature’s swimming holes! Knoxville and the surrounding areas have plenty of natural bodies of water that provide opportunities to swim safely without owning a pool! We’ve compiled a list of places you can go to swim in and around Knoxville along with important practical information to know for each location. If you are looking for pools or splash pads, we got you covered for that too!
We are passionate about water safety and making our city “A Drowning-Free Knoxville”. Learn more about natural water safety here. While you are at it, join our #JacketUpForLife and #FloatingFamily campaigns to keep your family safer around water and spread the news about water safety.
This article only contains designated places to go swimming. However, if you have a water craft (like a kayak), you can theoretically go swimming wherever you can paddle to. Just be careful if you do!
If there is any missing information or if the listed information here is incorrect, let us know by leaving a comment or emailing us at drowningfree@allknoxswim.com.
Additional Info:
Water safety advisories
This link gives you a resource to check for information about bacteria in the water.
TVA swimming waterways
https://www.tva.com/environment/recreation/swim-beaches
This link gives you general information about swimming beaches that are owned by the TVA.
Knox County Parks Map
https://www.knoxcounty.org/parks/park_map/map.php
This link is a map with some information about all the parks in Knox County, including those that having designated swimming areas.
Table of Contents
Main Waterways of Knoxville and the Surrounding Area
Fort Loudon Lake
This lake stretches from the Fort Loudon Dam to Downton Knoxville. It covers a huge area with several places to go swimming.
– Cove at Concord Park
- 11808 S Northshore Dr, Knoxville, TN
- Farragut
- Swimming: Designated swimming area that is segmented off by rocks and netting
- Parking: Several parking lots around the area
- Safety Alert: Avoid motorized watercraft zones, be aware of boats entering and exiting ramps!
– Yarberry Campground Beach
- 4825 Yarberry Rd. Lenoir City, TN
- Swimming: You can come for the day with their daily rate or stay at the campground
- Parking: Designated parking lot for the campground
Melton Hill Lake
Long stretch of lake extending from Eaton to Norris
– Melton Hill Park
- 3230 Williams Bend Rd, Knoxville, TN
- North of Farragut
- Swimming: Designated swimming and beach area
- Parking: Large parking lot
- Safety Alert: Be aware of incoming and outgoing boats on their nearby boat dock!
Tellico Lake
Starts in Lenoir City and extends south many miles towards Vonroe
– Tellico Dam Beach
- Lenoir City, TN (Link has directions)
- Swimming: Designated beaches and marinas
- Parking: Public access parking lot
Douglas Lake
Situated in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains.
-Douglas Headwater Campground
- 1680 Boat Launch Road Sevierville, TN
- Swimming: You can come for the day with their daily rate or stay at the camp ground
- Parking: Designated parking lot for the camp ground
Cherokee Lake
Long lake that runs from Jefferson City to Kingsport
– Cherokee Dam Beach
- 1000 Cherokee Dam Road, Jefferson City, TN
- Swimming: Designated swimming and beach area
- Parking: Designated public parking
Norris Lake
Lake extending from Norris area to Tazewell area
– Big ridge state park beach
- (Vistor’s Center) 1015 Big Ridge Park Road Maynardville, TN
- Swimming: Desingated swimming area, no other swimming is allowed in park
- Parking: Designated parking area
– Loyston Point
- 730 Loyston Road, Andersonville, TN
- Swimming: You can come for the day with their daily rate or stay at the camp ground
- Parking: Designated parking area
Rivers
Holston River
- (Flows through Knox County; converges with the French Broad River to form the Tennessee River)
- Swimming: No designated swimming areas
French Broad River
- (Flows through Knox County; converges with the Holston River to form the Tennessee River)
- Swimming: No designated swimming area
Tennessee River
- (Flows out of Knox County south to Chattanooga)
- Swimming: No designated swimming area
Quarries
Meads Quarry – Ijams Nature Center
- 2915 Island Home Ave, Knoxville, TN
- South Knoxville
- Swimming: Public access, calm waters
- Parking: Public access onsite
- Safety Alert: Watch for underwater hazards, such as rocks!
Augusta Quarry – Fort Dickerson Park
- 560 Augusta Avenue Knoxville, TN
- South Knoxville
- Swimming: Gain access to swimming sites after hiking a short trail
- Has a swim platform
- Parking: Limited public parking onsite
- Safety Alert: Watch out for sharp rocks!
