Tennessee has no naturally occurring hot springs above 90°F. The state's folded Appalachian sedimentary geology, without recent volcanism or fault-hosted deep geothermal circulation, does not produce natural hot water at the surface. A handful of 19th-century warm mineral spring resorts operated in Middle Tennessee, including Red Boiling Springs and Beersheba Springs, tapping cool-to-warm mineral water rather than geothermal water. Red Boiling Springs still operates as a historic mineral spa town with heated soaking, but the underlying water is not naturally hot. Travelers searching for hot springs in Tennessee, hot springs near Nashville, or hot springs near Knoxville will find no in-state hot options, only heated mineral spa alternatives. The closest true hot springs are Hot Springs, NC (approximately 1 hour from Knoxville, Tennessee's most convenient real hot springs weekend) and Warm Springs, GA (approximately 4 hours from Chattanooga). Reviewed and updated June 2026.
