A weekend loop through Tennessee's most dramatic reservoir.
Center Hill is the lake Tennesseans don't talk about loudly, because they don't want it to change. Carved through the Caney Fork on the Cumberland Plateau, it is a reservoir of sheer limestone bluffs, hidden waterfalls, and water so clear you can see the bottom in twelve feet.
The Bluff Side
Put in at Hurricane Marina and run north up the main channel. Within twenty minutes the shoreline turns to rock — bluffs that drop straight into deep water, with cedars clinging to the top. Anchor in a quiet cove, swim off the boat, and listen to the waterfall on the east shore that spills straight into the lake after a rain.
“Center Hill is what Tennessee looks like when it stops being polite and starts being wild.”
Dock up at The Boathouse for catfish and hushpuppies, then take the long way back as the sun drops behind the plateau. The bluffs go gold, then orange, then purple, and the whole lake seems to hold its breath. It is the best weekend in Tennessee that doesn't involve a stage.
