Cove Lake State Park

April in Knoxville is usually pretty warm. Except for this year. On Monday, it snowed. The next day was 80 degrees, and today there's a high of 51. I don't know what is going on with the weather this year, but I would like some consistency here Mother Nature. Since the warm, sunny days are rare this year, my roommate and I decided to skip one of our classes and go enjoy the warm weather we were experiencing. We wanted to do something outdoors, and go somewhere we hadn't been yet. After researching fun places near Knoxville, we came across Cove Lake State Park.

Cove Lake State Park is located in Caryville, Tennessee; a short 35 minute drive north of Knoxville. Turns out my roommate had been to Caryville before, but had no idea this place existed... Caryville is a place where the mountains meet the water; in this case a gorgeous lake. There were families fishing on the dock, children playing on the playground, and couples taking a stroll along the multiple trails. Although there is not much to do in Caryville, it's literally in the middle of nowhere, I found this place to be very intriguing because of the contrast between mountains and water. It's not something you see everyday. Because there isn't much to do, but we wanted to be outside, my roommate and I picked up some food and decided to have a little picnic while we were up there. Solid choice on our part because not only was the view incredible, but food is always a good option.

The park is also located about 10 minutes away from Norris Lake, which if you're from the Knoxville or surrounding area, you should know about. When I first moved to Knoxville, I had never heard of it, but as I made friends, I realized Norris Lake was the popular hangout for warm summer lake days. Surprisingly Norris Lake has it's own state park, and an overlook with an incredible view of the dam. I recommend grabbing some food, friends, and a dog and heading up here for a picnic, bonfire, and friendly hangout. It's not something that may be on everyone's list of things to see, but if you like pretty views like I do, you'll appreciate it!