📍Big South Fork NRRA, Tennessee

Arrive by 8am and the creek is nearly silent except for water over stone — a gentle way to get your bearings after travel. The cool, earthy smell of the forest after overnight rain mixes with the mineral tang of the water, and towering rust-colored cliffs rise on either side like a held breath. Solo travelers will find this an easy, low-stakes first outing — the trails are short enough to feel manageable but scenic enough to feel like you've arrived somewhere wild.

Trade hiking boots for a train seat and let the gorge come to you — the rhythmic clack of rails, diesel smoke drifting past the windows, and the vertiginous sight of the river far below through rock walls glowing amber and rust. The observation car is a natural spot to strike up conversation with fellow solo travelers, and the slower pace makes for an easy midday reset after the morning's walk. Trestle crossings reveal the canyon floor in dramatic fashion — have your camera ready.

Arrive by 7:30am and you'll likely have the arches entirely to yourself — the cool shade, the smell of damp earth and moss, water trickling somewhere unseen through the rock. Standing beneath both stone portals together, rising from the forest floor, is the kind of moment that's hard to photograph fully but easy to simply stand in for a while. By 9am the moderate foot traffic picks up, especially on spring weekends, so this early window is worth the wake-up call.

This is the day's centerpiece for solo wilderness seekers — a hemlock-sheltered waterfall sanctuary that trades the moderate crowds of the main gorge trails for near-total solitude, especially on a weekday. The thundering rush of water echoes off rock walls, cool mist settles on your skin, and the trail's damp, moss-covered stone demands careful footing but rewards with some of the park's best light, especially at the upper pool where morning sun filters through mist. Pack a trail lunch — this is remote enough that you'll want to be self-sufficient for the stretch.