Spring is once again approaching here in East Tennessee. Trees will be sprouting new leaves and you’ll soon be able to find wildflowers scattered throughout the landscape.  This season of renewal is the perfect time to visit our area and makes for a perfect spring break getaway. Come spend your spring break in the Lakeside of the Smokies!

Make a Splash in the Lakeside of the Smokies

Jefferson County, TN, is known as the Lakeside of the Smokies because it’s nestled between two lakes, Douglas Lake and Cherokee Lake, and sits in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains. When you are looking for things to do in East Tennessee during your spring break, go spend some time out on one of our lakes, soaking up the sun and enjoying all the spring scenery. 

Douglas Lake and Cherokee Lake are great for swimming and fishing, but the best way to have fun on the lake is aboard a watercraft. Boats, jet skis, paddleboards, kayaks, inner tubes. Whether you are into relaxing on the water, exploring the fingers of the lake, or flying across the water’s surface, you can find the perfect watercraft to suit your spring break style. Boats are great for fishing and relaxing in the sun while taking in the breathtaking mountain views. If you want a little more excitement, a jet ski or inner tube is the thing to do. Getting pulled behind a boat or a jet ski while hanging onto a tube for dear life is every adrenaline-chaser’s dream. For those with an adventurous spirit, a paddleboard or kayak is a great choice—you can paddle around and explore the different fingers of the lake at your own pace.

If you don’t have your own water vessel, don’t worry! There are a number of boat rentals and marinas located on both Douglas Lake and Cherokee Lake. Lighthouse Pointe Marina has Bentley and Tracker boats available for rent. Each rental comes with life vests and all the necessary safety equipment, as well as stereos and bimini tops for shade. H2O Sports has a variety of pontoon boats, jet skis, and paddleboards available to rent. They also offer a great selection of towables, including tubes, water skis, kneeboards, and wakeboards. Indian Creek Dock is a marina that also offers pontoon boats for rent on Douglas Lake. Douglas Lake Marina rents out a large selection of watercrafts, including boats, kayaks, canoes, paddleboards, paddle boats, and tubes. Each rental comes with a life jacket and free ice cream. From Swann’s Marina, you can rent a pontoon boat for relaxing or a Jon boat for fishing on Douglas Lake. If you want to go out on Cherokee Lake, go to Black Oak Marina to rent a pontoon boat, tritoon boat, kayak, or paddleboard. No matter what you rent, you are sure to have a blast out on the water during your East Tennessee vacation in the Lakeside of the Smokies this spring!

Unwind in a Cozy Cabin on the Lake

What better way to enjoy your East Tennessee spring break than by renting a lakeside cabin in Jefferson County? You can rent a cabin for just a weekend or for the whole week. With a cabin on the lake, you can enjoy the calming sights and sounds of spring: green trees blowing in the spring breeze, flowers blooming in vibrant colors, water flowing, birds singing. You can witness all of this from the front porch of a lakeside cabin. After your hard day of playing out on the lake, retreat back to your quiet cabin for some relaxation. Whether you are taking a vacation with just your significant other or with all your friends, you can find the perfect size cabin for your peaceful yet exciting East Tennessee spring break.

Douglas Lake Vacations has two- to four-bedroom cabins with private lake frontage. Some of their cabins have hot tubs, pool tables, paddle boats, jetted tubs, and more. Lakefront Cabin Rentals rents cabins with one to seven bedrooms. Most of their cabins include fireplaces, hot tubs, and private docks on Douglas Lake. Smoky Mountain Lake Rentals has cabins available on both Douglas Lake and Cherokee Lake. Their cabins range from one to four bedrooms and include an array of different amenities. Swann’s Marina and Cabins has everything from studio cabins to a three-bedroom lake house. Each cabin rental comes with a boat slip and a discount on boat rentals. Lake Cove Resort has a variety of rental units available, including log tent cabins and a Smoky Mountain Beach House. When you rent from them, you will also have access to the resort’s pool, basketball and volleyball courts, boat ramp, and more. Wherever you choose to stay in Jefferson County, you are guaranteed to have a relaxing and fun East Tennessee vacation!

Just a Short Drive from Your College or University

If you go to school in East Tennessee, don’t waste half your vacation by driving to a faraway beach. With our lakes, Jefferson County offers all the beach fun you’re looking for right here in East Tennessee. Whether you go to UT, ETSU, Carson-Newman, Tusculum, Walters State, or any of the other universities or colleges nearby, you can enjoy a fun East Tennessee vacation with your friends during your spring break or spring recess. Staying in East Tennessee is an especially great idea for those who won’t be getting a full week for spring break this year. If you’re only getting a spring break weekend, don’t spend the whole trip driving 6+ hours to the beach because then you won’t have much time left for having fun. Instead, find all the water fun you need right here in the Lakeside of the Smokies. Jefferson County is only 30 minutes from UT and just over an hour from ETSU, so you’ll still have plenty of time to fill your weekend or week with all sorts of fun and relaxing activities.

Spend Your East Tennessee Spring Vacation in the Lakeside of the Smokies

For spring break, you want to go somewhere you can relax, breathe in the fresh spring air, and have some fun. Jefferson County, TN, is the perfect place to get away from the craziness of school life and enjoy the best things to do in East Tennessee. Our two lakes offer so many fun activities you can partake in, from fishing to kayaking to water skiing. We are also located just a short drive from the much-sought-after Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Have your outdoor spring break fun, then come back to your cabin for a peaceful night’s rest. Visit the Lakeside of the Smokies for a memorable East Tennessee spring break!