Cherokee Lake via Panther Creek State Park

Panther Creek State Park is one of my favorite places for many reasons. One of those reasons lies in the calm waters of Cherokee Lake. If you’re new to kayaking or paddleboarding, then this is your spot!

Panther Creek State Park is located near Morristown, Tennessee which is conveniently position between Knoxville and the Tri-Cities (especially Kingsport and Johnson City). In addition the Cherokee Lake access, Panther Creek State Park has trails for hiking, biking and horse back riding.

Cherokee Lake: Turn Right

Access to the boat ramp is convenient and easy. There’s a nice beach area to the right of a the ramp that is often filled with families and fisherman. I’ve never had an issue finding a close spot to drop off my kayak, and have always found a place to park my care in the parking lot area. Upon leaving the boat ramp you can paddle straight across to the other shore, go left into Cherokee Lake, or venture right to go deeper into the cove.

When starting out, I always hang a right and paddle toward the end of the cove. In that direction, there are several trees growing up from lake which is a cool looking scene. These trees are home to fall webworms, which adds to the interesting features of this section of the lake. The lake gets very shallow in this part very quickly, meaning there aren’t any motorized boats that venture in the area. This is great for new paddlers as they will be able to get a stable paddle going before venturing out to the open water.

To the Left, to the Left

Of course the left of the ramp leads out to Cherokee Lake. The first part is pretty easy to navigate due to the majority of motorized boats in this area drifting at a slow pace. Though this lake isn’t as large as Norris Lake, it still stays pretty busy with locals and people visiting the area. I have found most motorized boaters in this area are very respectful of paddlers. Most boats slow down way ahead of time, plus they’re usually not going fast until you get deeper into open waters.

Along the Shore

A big plus of paddling this part of Cherokee Lake is the fact you can paddle close to the shore. There are several coves along the shore and easy access to get put your board or kayak on land so you can swim in the lake. Depending on the time of the year, you may come across party boats that have occupied a cove. If thats the case, you can either find another cove, share cove with them, or make new friends 🙂 Whatever you choose, its all good. Most people on Cherokee Lake are very laid back and there to relax and have fun.

So check head to Panther Creek and check out Cherokee Lake. Please feel free to share your own experience of the lake in the comments section.

Receive Blog Updates

Stay up to date by receiving notifications when a new blog post drops. Simply fill out the form and you’ll receive an email notification with the latest post.