Last updated: April 18, 2026
- Length: ~26 miles
- Counties: Marion and Hamilton (and adjacent land in Alabama)
- Nickname: “The Grand Canyon of Tennessee”
- Management: Tennessee River Gorge Trust and TVA
The Tennessee River Gorge is a canyon carved by the Tennessee River where it cuts through the Cumberland Plateau between Chattanooga and the Alabama line, with the Marion County portion running from around Haletown and Guild to the Alabama state line. Sometimes called the “Grand Canyon of Tennessee,” the gorge is one of the largest river canyons east of the Mississippi.
Geography
The gorge features steep limestone cliffs, hardwood slopes, and a number of side coves with biodiversity notable for the region. Protected by the Tennessee River Gorge Trust and managed in coordination with TVA, it hosts rare plant communities and is used by hikers, paddlers, and climbers.
Historic rapids
Before river modification, the gorge contained rapids known as The Suck, The Boiling Pot, The Skillet, and The Frying Pan. These rapids were notorious as the most challenging passage on the inland river system in the 19th century, destroying many flatboats and steamboats. They were largely submerged by Hales Bar Dam in 1913 and are now entirely beneath the surface of Nickajack Lake. Read more about The Suck →
Human history
The gorge has been a transportation corridor throughout recorded history. Cherokee used it for travel and for refuge, the Cherokee Lower Towns of Nickajack and Running Water stood within the Marion County portion of the gorge in the late 18th century. Later, the gorge carried Union and Confederate movements, steamboat traffic, and eventually TVA's 20th-century hydro projects. Read more about Nickajack & Running Water →
Related
About Nickajack Lake, Cave, and Dam →
About the Sequatchie Valley →