A weekend getaway from Nashville Tennessee doesn’t have to mean a four-hour drive, a flight, or a hotel that costs as much as a car payment. The Cumberland Plateau is about 90 minutes south on I-24, and most people in Nashville don’t know it exists.
That’s a good thing for the ones who do.
What the Drive Looks Like
Take I-24 East. Once you clear Murfreesboro the traffic thins out. The terrain starts rising well before you reach the plateau, and by the time you exit toward Coalmont you’re winding up through some genuinely scenic back roads. From Nashville to The Getaway on Ranger Creek is about an hour and a half, less from the south side or Brentwood.
What the Cumberland Plateau Actually Is
The Cumberland Plateau is a sandstone table roughly 1,000 feet above the surrounding valleys. It holds more waterfalls, gorges, and trail miles than most people realize. It’s not a tourist destination like the Smokies. No Dollywood, no Gatlinburg traffic, no souvenir shops, and no line to park.
The trailhead for Greeter Falls is approximately 12 minutes from the property. Grundy Forest and the northern trailhead of the Fiery Gizzard Trail are about 22 minutes away. Fall Creek Falls, one of the tallest waterfalls in the eastern United States at 256 feet, is approximately an hour away. Our FAQ has the full list of nearby trails and attractions with drive times from the property.
The Caverns
If you haven’t heard of The Caverns, this is going to be one of those “how did I not know about this” moments. It’s a working concert venue inside an actual limestone cave near Pelham, Tennessee, approximately 30 minutes from The Getaway on Ranger Creek. The cave stays 59 degrees year-round. Bands play underground, with cave formations lit up around the stage and acoustics that no engineered venue can replicate.
The Caverns hosts shows year-round across a wide range of genres. Check their schedule at thecaverns.com before you book. It’s worth planning a weekend around a show if you can.
A Weekend Getaway from Nashville Tennessee: How to Spend It
The Getaway has five units: the Geodesic Glamping Dome, the Scandinavian Cabin, the Glamping Tent with Deck, the Porch House Cabin, and the Nordic Spruce Cabin. None of them feel like roughing it. Real beds, climate control, private decks, and creek noise instead of city noise.
Friday evening: arrive, get settled, sit outside. No schedule.
Saturday morning: hike. Greeter Falls is the obvious first choice: about two hours out and back, two waterfalls, a spiral metal staircase into a sandstone gorge, and a pool at the base of the lower falls cold enough to wake you up but worth every second. Add Grundy Forest if you want more miles. Saturday evening, you have options. If The Caverns has a show, that’s one kind of night. Or stay on the property: grill something on the propane grill, move to the fire pit when the sun goes down, and watch the stars come out through the tops of the trees. Both are good nights.
Sunday: sleep in. Coffee on the deck. Drive back to Nashville with enough time to not feel rushed.
Book Your Stay
Check availability at thegetawayon.com. Weekends fill up, especially when The Caverns has a show on. If you see a date that works, don’t sit on it.