Spring City, Tennessee
Spring City, TN, offers a peaceful stop just off Tennessee River mile 532-533 in East Tennessee. Offering several lodging options in close proximity to gorgeous natural attractions, Spring City makes for an optimal stop for travelers looking to take a load off and enjoy the waterfront.
Visit Spring City!
Docks and Lodges
Spring City has a few spots to pull up boats and other craft, including Rhea Harbor, Terrace View Marina, Spring City Harbor, and Piney River Ramp.
Rhea Harbor offers a small sandy shoreline and is often used as a vantage point for fireworks in the city thanks to the beautiful views from the water’s edge. It offers a dock out to the water for some extra depth, and it is also a popular fishing spot.
Just around the bend is Spring City Resort & Marina, which offers recently renovated cabins for weary travelers, as well as a restaurant on site called Nick’s Lake Grill. Nick’s is a popular spot with locals during the offseason because of its relaxed vibes, and is even more popular during busier outdoor seasons thanks to its creative drinks including boozy Italian ice.
Terrace View Marina across the water offers a spot to dock and grab some grub as well, as it is home to Terrace View Restaurant. With a bar and occasional live music, it can be a great place to relax after taking to the water all day. It also has a gift shop to pick up some bait, souvenirs, candy, or ice cream novelties.
Upstream, the Piney River Ramp connects to the Piney River and the Tennessee, and it’s a little bit more secluded but it also connects to the Piney River.
Arrowhead Resort miles upstream offers a large variety of places to stay, including cabins, lodges, lake houses, and RV hookup sites. With laundry, Wi-Fi, walk-up concessions, boat and paddle craft rentals, and a general store and Front Porch Restaurant which are temporarily closed (as of July 2023, give them a call for updated information), Arrowhead offers everything a visitor could need.
Spring City’s other most notable place to stay is the Grand Hotel, which offers a more modern feel with its carefully curated interior design. It has a wide variety of room sizes, including a magnificent suite with a large balcony over downtown Spring City. It even has a theater room with reclining chairs and a unique atmosphere for catching a movie on a rainy day.
Parks and Activities
Spring City is a great home base for getting out and enjoying some nature, history, and racing.
It’s one of the closest municipalities to Piney Falls, which sits on a large and beautiful nature preserve that is covered in creeks, deep gorges, and old growth forests. With trees reaching over 100 feet in height and 40 inches in diameter, it is not to be missed by either casual or expert arborists.
It is a key preserve for scientific research, and the falls have been bestowed the rare honor of National Natural Landmark status. Note that the hiking trails are open sunrise to sunset and do not welcome campers. It is also part of the famous Cumberland Trail.
The town sits right on the edge of an inlet of Watts Bar Lake, meaning there are world-class fishing opportunities all over the place. Anglers come from across the nation and beyond in search of hogs to fill their bags, and don’t often leave empty-handed from is serene waters.
Closer to town, Spring City Nature Park offers a playground and lots of open green space for families that need to blow off some steam. And Spring City Park right on the edge of the water has a quick trail, boat launch, and community splash pad.
Mountain View Raceway can also be found in Spring City, offering a 1/4 mile dirt track for all different kinds of racing events. Its events schedule is quite full during the season, so odds are you can catch a race of some kind while in town.
For history buffs and train enthusiasts, the Spring City Historical Museum and Depot celebrates Spring City’s past, dating back to the arrival of the railroad in the area in the 1870s.
While in town, there is a nice selection of restaurants, with American food from BB’s Cafe, Winstead American Bar & Grill, and Blondie’s a little further outside town. There is also Mexican food available at back-to-back spots downtown, Ayala’s Grill and La Hacienda.
Spring City makes for an exemplary RiverTown with its abundant access to natural spaces including the massive Watts Bar Lake, as well as its hometown feel and the opportunities it provides to slow down and enjoy a relaxing weekend or more.