Trailblazer

Hartford/Sevierville/Pigeon Forge

Photo Credit: Visit Sevierville

For a true taste of hooch history, drive first to Hartford,Tennessee, home to Bootleggers Distillery. Believed to be the smallest batch distillery in the nation, it was started by the Miller family, whose moonshining roots go all the way back to the Mayflower. The Millers still uphold the centuries-old tradition of brewing in 25-gallon pot stills, insisting that their small batches result in a superior product. Visit the distillery and you’ll be greeted by one of the family’s 14th to 16th-generation distillers, including Megan Miller and Taylor Clay, currently the youngest distillers in the nation.

Afterward, make the half-hour drive to Sevierville, where you’ll find Forbidden Caverns. Once used as a gathering place by the Eastern Woodland Indians, the cave system later became the site of a sizable moonshining operation between the early 1920s and 1943. The stills were seized during a raid by authorities, but much of the moonshining equipment was left in the cave because it was too difficult to remove. You can still see that evidence today on tours of the caverns, along with the world’s largest wall of rare cave onyx.

Once you’ve finished your cave exploration, celebrate the whiskey runners’ legacy with a tasting at Sevierville’s Tennessee Legend Distillery. Here, you’ll find a wide range of spirits, moonshines, whiskies, and cream liqueurs, from their award-winning White Lightning Moonshine to their delicious Blackberry Whiskey.

Next, head over to nearby Pigeon Forge for cocktails and moonshine tastings at the Old Forge Distillery, where spirits are forged using stone-ground grains from The Old Mill, one of the oldest continuously-operated grist mills in the nation. You’ll find Junction 35 Spirits, Tennessee’s first full distillery and restaurant, just a few miles away. Named for a train stop between Pigeon Forge and Sevierville where bootleggers unloaded moonshine stashed on train cars, Junction 35 makes a range of spirits including flavored whiskeys, moonshine, vodka, and tequila.

Gatlinburg/Townsend

photo credit: Isaac Ladd

Head first to Tuckaleechee Caverns in Townsend, where you can explore a vast cave system beneath the world’s oldest mountain chain. On the guided tour, you’ll see an underground river, a subterranean waterfall, and hundreds of fascinating formations. But while the tour is definitely worth taking, Tuckaleechee’s real claim to fame is its seismic station, which is the most sensitive on earth and allows government officials to monitor both earthquakes and nuclear test explosions around the globe.

A few miles away, Company Distilling celebrates the legacy of local moonshiners with its Ace Gap Flavored Spirits, which includes inventive flavors like Oatmeal Cookie and Chocolate Truffle – Ace Gap is the storied spot where local loggers once played cards and sipped on spirits from a makeshift still.  Or, you might opt instead for their Seismic Rye Whiskey, named for the monitoring station at Tuckaleechee Caverns. If you’re hungry, you’re in luck; Company Distilling has partnered with Amico Deli to serve up delicious smoked trout sandwiches, pesto parmesan fries, sliders, and more.

Less than a half-hour away in Gatlinburg, Sugarlands Distilling Co. offers a celebratory atmosphere at its raucous tastings, which feature 12 different moonshines and sippin’ creams for $5. For a more subdued experience, book a whiskey tasting at the back bar, where an expert will guide you through nosing and tasting their award-winning Roaming Man Tennessee Straight Rye whiskey.

Down the road, you can see where the modern moonshine craze began at Ole Smoky Distillery. When moonshine became legal in Tennessee back in 2008, a group of families with bootlegging roots decided to put their secret recipes to good use – that’s how Ole Smoky Distillery was born. Today, it’s still the most-visited distillery in the world, with more than 2.5 million visitors each year.

Knoxville

photo credit: Isaac Ladd

Less than an hour southwest of Knoxville, you’ll find Craighead Caverns. It’s home to The Lost Sea, thought to be America’s largest underground lake, as well as a vast network of cave rooms and passageways where Native American artifacts and the bones of prehistoric animals have been recovered. By the 1900s, bootleggers were using the cave to make moonshine, but that wasn’t the only illegal activity taking place here – cockfights were held in the cave as well. You can learn all about the caverns’ fascinating history and take a boat ride on its massive lake on a tour that’s known as The Lost Sea Adventure.

Back in Knoxville, you’ll find Cherokee Caverns, a cave system once used by early Native Americans that was rediscovered in the 1800s. While daily tours aren’t offered here, special events are held in the cave throughout the year, including Movies in the Cave and Christmas in the Cave. Check the cave’s website for details.

After your cave adventure, head to Knoxville’s Old City district for a tour and tasting at Knox Whiskey Works,a small batch distillery where the whiskey is crafted from local farmers’ corn. Next, head down the road to PostModern Spirits to explore the distillery and sample innovative gins, whiskeys, and liqueurs in The Tasting Room. Tours at both distilleries must be booked online.

Bristol

photo credit: Isaac Ladd

Boasting three caverns within 15 minutes of its downtown, Bristol is a cave explorer’s dream. Bristol Caverns has an underground river once used as an attack and escape route for Native Americans in their raids on settlers during frontier days. You can see that river on a tour of the caverns, as well as a breathtaking dropoff known as Lover’s Leap. Worley’s Cave in Bluff City is considered one of the best spelunking spots in the Southeast, with more than 4.5 miles of caverns. Experienced cavers can explore on their own; newbies will want to opt for a guided adventure trip

After a day of exploring the ancient beauty of Worley’s Cave, there’s nothing like unwinding at USA Raft Adventure Resort’s Red Banks Campground. Nestled right by the riverside, the peaceful sounds of the water create the perfect backdrop for an evening under the stars, blending adventure and relaxation in the heart of nature.

And in Blountville, Appalachian Caverns is yet another cave once used by Tennessee moonshiners, who took advantage of its natural ventilation and pure limestone water to produce their brews. Tours of the cave range from moderate hour-long walks to mucky adventures that let cavers crawl and climb their way through some of the caverns’ undeveloped areas.

Once you’re aboveground, make time for a visit to Bristol’s Lost State Distilling, where small batch spirits including rum, gin, and Tennessee Whiskey are made using locally-sourced ingredients. In the distillery’s tasting room, you can sample a special selection of spirits you won’t find anywhere else. Also coming soon to Bristol is the second location of Jonesborough’s Tennessee Hills. Here, handcrafted, small batch bourbon and spirits will be distilled alongside barrel-aged beer.

Chattanooga

photo credit: Isaac Ladd

Moonshining history runs deep in the mountains surrounding Chattanooga, where caves, grottos, and hidey-holes gave bootleggers plenty of places to stash their mash. And speaking of hidden treasures, you won’t want to miss Ruby Falls if you’re headed to the area. You’ll take an elevator more than 1,120 feet underground, then go on a guided walk through the cave to a 145-foot tall underground waterfall that is truly awe-inspiring. Chattanooga is also the spot where you can book a guided kayak tour at sunset to Nickajack Cave. The easy 3-mile paddle takes two hours and culminates in witnessing thousands of endangered gray bats leave the cave at dusk to hunt for insects.

For even more underground adventure, visit Raccoon Mountain Caverns, boasting over 5.5 miles of passageways filled with countless natural formations that offer a stunning, well-preserved landscape. When you’re ready to relax, their campground offers a variety of amenities to suit RVers, tent campers, and cabin-dwellers alike, ensuring your stay is as comfortable as it is memorable.

Combine your cave experience with a visit to the Chattanooga Whiskey Distillery downtown – it’s the first distillery to produce whiskey here in more than 100 years. A tour and tasting will guide you through their experimental distillery and offer samples of hand-crafted bourbons you won’t find anywhere else. Next, head across the street to the historic Chattanooga Choo Choo terminal where you’ll find Gate 11 Distillery, a family-owned, small batch distillery that got its start in 2018. Take the distillery tour and taste their award-winning vodka, gin, rum, absinthe, agave, and whiskey.

South Central

Photo Credit: Matt Morrison

South of Chattanooga, don’t miss The Caverns in Pelham, beloved both for its fascinating cave tours and underground amphitheater, which holds up to 1,200 guests and draws headlining acts from across the country. While experts haven’t found any evidence of moonshine-making in the cave, they have found signs of human activity there dating back as far as 25,000 years ago. More recently, the cave’s water was used to extract saltpeter from cave soil during the War of 1812 and the Civil War – saltpeter is a key component of gunpowder.

Next, head to the Jack Daniel Distillery in the historic town of Lynchburg, where local cave water similar to what you’ll find at The Caverns is used to make every bottle of Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey. Established in 1866, the Jack Daniel Distillery is the oldest in the nation and includes Cave Springs Hollow, where water is drawn from an underground cave system for use in the distilling process. Offering five different tours, there’s something for every taste and interest at the Jack Daniel Distillery, from history buffs to whiskey connoisseurs.

Clarksville

Photo Credit: Globe Guide

Book a tour of Dunbar Cave between the months of May and September and prepare for a truly unique cave experience that includes prehistoric Mississippian Native American cave art dating back to the 14th century. The Mississippians believed the cave to be a portal to the Underworld, and the cave is the only place in the world where Native American cave art can be viewed by the public.

Afterward, head to Old Glory Distilling Co. for a tour and tasting at this popular small batch Tennessee Bourbon distillery. Owned and operated by Clarksville native Matt Cunningham, Old Glory mills its own grains and distills and ages all its whiskey in-house, turning out around 3,500 barrels of Tennessee Bourbon each year, along with gin, vodka, and moonshine. The place stays packed with locals and out-of-town visitors, so you’ll want to make tour reservations online before your visit.

Nashville

photo credit: Chris Shackleton

Less than an hour’s drive from Nashville in Adams, Tennessee, you’ll find one of the most legendary caves in the nation – The Historic Bell Witch Cave. Said to be home to the terrifying Bell Witch, the 40-minute cave tour details how she terrorized the Bell family back in 1817, and covers more recent paranormal activity within the cave as well. You’ll also see an ancient Native American burial site within the cave, as well as natural cave formations. Head back to the Nashville area to visit a wide range of well-known distilleries.

Lindsay Ferrier, Writer

Lindsay Ferrier has spent decades exploring Tennessee’s towns, trails, and food culture. She is an Emmy Award-winning journalist and television host, travel writer, and author of the blog Something Totally Different. Follow her on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.