Clifton, Tennessee
Clifton, TN is best known for its ability to make the most out of its beautiful vistas of the Tennessee River. Historic hotspots and charming small businesses are its claim to fame, as well as its relaxing marina and riverside park.
Visit Clifton!
Getting Outside
For almost 200 years, Clifton has been a hotspot for river travelers in need of respite on their Tennessee RiverLine journeys. It was founded in 1840 and was originally called Ninevah before it was renamed in recognition of the cliff that the city sits upon.
Outdoor recreation is a staple in Clifton, as the city center is a short walk from the marina and riverside park right on the banks of the Tennessee River.
Clifton Marina is the main attraction for paddlers and boaters, complete with open space for relaxing, sitting around a campfire, playing games, and watching the sunset. The restaurant on-site, Clifton Marina Bar & Grill, offers a variety of meals, from a rack of lamb, to shrimp and grits, to a Nashville chicken salad. It’s known for its wide variety of cocktails, too, including fun options like pineapple upside down cake shots, and the “Trash on the River” cocktail, which is mixed with a full can of Redbull.
Clifton City Park is a popular place to play and relax, with its family-favorite splash pad sitting right on the edge of the river. The park features open space for recreation, as well as Civil War era reproduction cannons, which memorialize the spot where, in 1892, Nathan Bedford Forrest and his troops crossed what would eventually become Clifton Ferry. The historic landing was also a relevant rendezvous on the Trail of Tears.
Clifton is also the proud home of Ross Creek Landing Golf Course. Not far from the RiverLine and just outside downtown, there is no shortage of pleasant scenery and peace across its affordable, well-kept 18-hole stretch.
Heading into Town
Clifton’s town center can feel like a walk back in time as it features mostly historic buildings, including several that are on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Landing at 100 Main is one such structure, just steps away from the riverbank. The bricks carry well over 100 years of storied past, and the rooms guests can stay in are curated to fit the classy late 1800s aesthetic.
The Commodore Inn also made the Register, thanks to its Queen Anne-Stick style architecture hailing from 1892. It has been a popular bed and breakfast ever since, and it still features a one-room schoolhouse, which is the oldest house in the area. It has become a popular wedding destination as well, and offers a gazebo and gardens to boot.
Sticking with the same booming period in Clifton’s history, the Water Street Historic District is made up of 14 contributing buildings on 10 acres of land, which were all constructed between 1870-1940. Perhaps the most notable of these structures is the T.S. Stribling Museum, which was once the longtime home of the famous author.
Stribling was one of the most revered and popular writers of the 1930s, and his famous trilogy of books covering social injustices in the Reconstruction Era Southeast included The Store, which earned him a 1933 Pulitzer Prize for fiction. A Tennessee native, Stribling was a brilliant and eclectic man with a soft spot for adventure stories in pulp fiction magazines.
Clifton, TN, is a perfect example of a charming Southern town which embraces its river heritage as a central part of its lifestyle. Whether you want to escape the hustle-and-bustle of everyday life for a day or a full week, Clifton is a great stop on the Tennessee RiverLine.