Hurricane Mills is a community just south of Waverly and is known for its affiliation with the country music icon Loretta Lynn.
In fact, Loretta Lynn and Hurricane Mills are so deeply connected that she now practically owns the entire community.
The year was 1966 when Loretta Lynn stumbled upon a house on a hill and fell in love with it.
Wanting to buy it, Loretta approached the old owner and found out that she also had to buy the entire town—and so she did.
It’s no surprise then that much of Hurricane Mills’ recent history is related in one way or another to Loretta Lynn, such as its establishments, events, and so on.
Because of the unique situation of Hurricane Mills, it’s a must-visit for those who are in the area.
Here are the 15 best things to do in Hurricane Mills, Tennessee:
One of the most vibrant and lively destinations you’ll find in Hurricane Mills is the Loretta Lynn Ranch.
This 6,000-acre area straddles Highway 13 and is the heart of many events and celebrations in town, as well as the home of museums and shops.
When you visit Loretta Lynn Ranch, you’ll never have to worry about getting bored.
There are frequent events held in the area, oftentimes with only days or weeks in between them.
If you’re visiting during one of the ranch’s downtimes, you can head to the Western Town to see shops that sell souvenirs, apparel, and food.
The ranch is also home to many museums, such as the Native American Artifacts Museum and the Grist Mill Museum.
You can join some of the tours that take you around these destinations.
Whether you’re a natural thrill-seeker or want to gain new experiences, the Middle Tennessee Dirt Riders Annual Spring Race is something you’ll want to check out.
Since 2001, the event has been held annually in the Loretta Lynn Ranch around Easter.
The event offers approximately 30 miles of trail for riders of any skill level, whether you’re a pro at motorcycle riding or just starting out.
Children can also participate as riders during the race, so you’ll be sure this is a great time for some family bonding.
For your post-race adrenaline cravings, there are food vendors near and on the site.
And since the event is held in the Loretta Lynn Ranch, you’ll also have the chance to camp and stay over the weekend.
During your stay in Hurricane Mills, you’ll quickly learn that motorcycles and music are one of the best pairs to ever exist.
The Tennessee Motorcycles and Music Revival is an annual event that started in 2017 and caters to everything that’s … well, motorcycles and music.
This 4-day event takes place come rain or shine and celebrates motorcycles, music, comradery, and the outdoors.
Head to the Loretta Lynn Ranch and watch bike shows or listen to live music performed in one of the three stages open during the event.
You can also shop for bikes and bike parts, eat from local food trucks, or feel the fun festival spirit with drinks from local bars.
Camp out during the event, and don’t miss the fun!
If you own a horse, this event is perfect for you.
The Loretta Lynn’s Trail Ride is an annual event held twice a year and caters to everything related to horses.
The event features a horseback riding trail within the wide area of the Loretta Lynn Ranch, but the activities available for you to do are not just limited to horseback riding.
You also get to swim, watch the nightly entertainment, and participate in dances, scavenger hunts, competitions, and giveaways.
During your stay, you can also get three warm daily meals throughout the five-day event, so you’ll never have to worry about celebrating with an empty stomach.
One of the many events held on the grounds of the Loretta Lynn Ranch is the Tennessee TrailJam, an event that attracts jeep enthusiasts from within the state.
The atmosphere of the Tennessee TrailJam is advertised as a weekend vacation getaway, and its main highlight is a 24-mile one-way trail.
There are also obstacle courses, mud bogs, and hill climbs for those who want to test out their mettle and skills.
Apart from these, there are also live music, giveaways, contests, and demonstrations, so even if you’re just watching, there’s something for you too!
If you want to improve your ride, there are also vendors selling the latest and coolest gear and apparel.
For a weekend experience like no other, go attend the Tennessee TrailJam!
If you’ve ever been to a race, you know exactly how much thrill and adrenaline rush these events can bring.
With the annual Summer Chuckwagon Races & Wild West Show, you’ll not only feel the thrill but also get a unique taste of the west within the comforts of Loretta Lynn Ranch.
While the race is the main highlight of the event, other activities include Team Sorting, Ranch Rodeo, Pasture Roping, and Extreme Cowgirl Up Contest.
There’s also a Horse Trading and Tack sale available if you’re interested in getting the best and strongest horses.
The event takes place over several days, so you can come anytime you want and not miss out on any of the fun.
Drive along the length of Highway 13 in Hurricane Mills, and you’ll soon find a bright red barn on the side of the road.
This is Overholt’s Farm Market, a family-owned farm that sells a wide array of Amish Dutch products, delicious homemade ice cream, milkshakes, and smoothies.
If you like something more filling, they also sell delis with options for hot or cold sandwiches, fresh baked goods, and meats and cheeses.
Do you want to bring home some tasty souvenirs?
Try their chocolates and candies, jams and jellies, and jarred goods!
But Overholt’s Farm Market has a lot more to offer other than their food; they also have on sale some local crafts, toys, gifts, quilts, swings, chairs, and rockers.
These products will go a long way in making your home a lot more beautiful.
There’s always a nice and warm feeling every time you dine at a quaint diner, and nothing in Hurricane Mills comes quite as close to Loretta Lynn’s Kitchen.
This restaurant has catered to generations of people since it opened in 1981 and left a deep impression with its classic and iconic Loretta Lynn decorations.
Head to Highway 13 and try their regular menu on the weekdays, where they serve patrons from breakfast to dinner.
Their breakfast menu offers the usual staples such as omelets, bacon, and sausage, as well as steak for those who want to start their day with a bang.
For lunch and dinner, they have vegetables, sandwiches, steaks, chicken, catfish, and spaghetti.
One of the popular highlights of the restaurant is their weekend buffet, where they offer vegetables, sides, fried chicken and catfish, and more.
And before you leave, make sure to stop by their gift shop to get unique trinkets and souvenirs.
Head to where Highway 13 is close to Interstate 40, and you’ll see a rustic restaurant that offers authentic country-style cuisine—the Log Cabin Restaurant.
Depending on the time you arrive, the restaurant offers different menus, but you can be sure that the culinary experience remains the same.
For weekend breakfasts, the restaurant has the usual staples, but the real star of the show is its lunch and dinner menu.
Here, they have an impressive set of options for pasta, specialties like pork chop, chicken filet, beef entrees, and country dinners.
For those looking for light meals, there are also salads, burgers, and sandwiches.
To finish off, sweeten your meal with pie and cake desserts or your choice of alcoholic beverage.
Steak and seafood are undeniably two of the most luxurious food options available for your palate, but Jen’s Steak and Seafood takes this one step forward by offering both in the same restaurant.
Located just along Highway 13, Jen’s Steak and Seafood has been serving customers since 2004.
Patrons will enjoy a scrumptious meal full of seafood or steak options.
Try its exotic fresh and raw oysters or seafood combo of lobsters, crabs, and shrimps if you can’t decide.
For steaks, not only does it have a lot of options, but its steaks also come in multiple serving weights for you.
Their real specialty, of course, is their seafood and steak combo, where you can get crab legs paired with a slice of New York steak, making for a fancy dinner while you’re in town.
While you’re in Hurricane Mills, you’ll never have to worry about satisfying your meat cravings, thanks to Rochelle’s Bar None BBQ.
The restaurant is located along Highway 13 and offers customers different barbecue options like pork, brisket, beef, sausage, and chicken.
If you don’t want to be limited to a single meat option, you can try combination dinners where you can pair two or three meats together.
While barbecues are the restaurant’s highlight, they also have hot chicken wings, ribs, and sandwiches made of barbecued meat.
Rochelle’s Bar None BBQ is great for families and groups of friends because they also have family pack options available.
Your visit to Hurricane Mills isn’t complete without a trip to the local Gutter Bound Distillery.
The distillery prides itself on its locally produced alcoholic beverages and American spirits.
Since the store opened in 2018 near Highway 13, it has steadily expanded its alcoholic offerings for customers who want to try something new.
If you want some fruity kick, try their Moonshine alcohols which are brewed from real fruit and fermented until they reach 100 proof.
But they also have rums, cocktails, and vodkas for those who want to stick to more familiar tastes.
With its many alcoholic options, it’s no surprise if it’s difficult to choose what you like to have.
Gutter Bound Distillery offers Stillroom Tours and Tastings where you can sample everything they have for sale, a perfect opportunity for you to see which suits your tastes the best.
One of the highlights of Loretta Lynn’s Ranch is the Coal Miner’s Daughter Museum, a museum occupying an impressive 18,000 square feet.
The museum opened to the public in 2001 and lets its guests experience the life of country music icon Loretta Lynn.
Described as a “hoarder,” Loretta Lynn had amassed a lot of artifacts, gifts, and other things throughout her life, which are displayed in the museum.
Coal Miner’s Daughter Museum is a unique way to experience and relive Loretta Lynn’s life and see the whimsical and political events that colored it.
Plus, if you’d like to keep your own memento of the trip, the museum allows you to take photographs.
The Buffalo River snakes the area beside Hurricane Mills, and it’s on its banks that Bone’s Canoe and Campground has taken its roots.
This campground beside the river can be found along Bakerville Road and offers one of the most unique experiences in Hurricane Mills.
Guests who visit will be shuttled upstream for either a full-day or half-day float on Buffalo River, as long as you’re back by nightfall.
Bone’s Canoe and Campground lets you rent either a kayak or a canoe to row on the river.
Kayaks are beginner-friendly and can be rowed alone or with a pair, but if you want more challenge, rent the canoes, which are more difficult to maneuver.
As a campground, the area is also full of camping spots depending on availability and your preference.
Because of the thriving music scene in Tennessee, there are music shops that spring all over the state, such as the Cissie Lynn’s Country Store and Music Barn.
This shop is owned by Cissie Lynn, daughter of the country music icon Loretta Lynn.
You can find her shop along Highway 13, just near the entrance to her mother’s ranch.
This store also doubles as a museum and sells autographed photographs and albums from country music icons.
It also offers some handmade goods from across Tennessee, as well as sandwiches for you to eat while shopping.
If you’re a fan of motocross racing, then you might like Monster Energy AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship.
Started in 1982, this annual week-long event takes place at Loretta Lynn Ranch and has always been a community tradition since its first race.
This festival gathers dedicated amateur riders before they officially join the professional ranks.
The track for the race winds down the ranch’s 6,000-acre property.
Monster Energy AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship happens every late July to early August.
Buffalo / I-40 / Exit 143 KOA Journey is your comfortable stopover within Hurricane Mills.
Located near Pilot Travel Center, this campground features sites for both camping cabins and RVs.
Its amenities also include patio sites, a playground, and a pocket park with sports equipment.
The campground also has a seasonal pool that’s open from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
And the best part is the campground sits in the midst of local Hurricane Mills attractions.
From wineries to historical museums, you can easily flit from one attraction to the next when you choose to camp at this place.
Buffalo / I-40 / Exit 143 KOA Journey is on Barren Hollow Road.
Among Loretta Lynn Ranch’s annually celebrated festivals, Gospel Fest is one of only a few that focus on music.
This 4-day festival brings attention to gospel music with a flurry of other family-friendly attractions as a bonus.
Some of its anticipated programs include an arts and crafts fair and a parade of coal miner cars.
Hear from contenders at the talent search held within the ranch.
And best of all, the ranch’s museums and houses are open for you to explore throughout the festival.
Be part of the Gospel Fest celebration on US Highway 13.
Kozy Cabins offers a tranquil natural escapade from the downtown buzz.
These rentable cabins sit on top of Stagecoach Hill.
Among the amenities you can expect at these cabins include a queen-sized bed, a living room space, and a sleeper sofa.
Going round the back, you’ll find a porch looking into the native Tennessee vegetation common within the area.
Its cabins accommodate up to four people each, so bring your loved ones for a unique sleepover out in the wild.
Kozy Cabins are one of the newest facilities in Loretta Lynch Ranch.
Feel close to Loretta Lynn and her childhood as you visit Butcher Holler Home Replica.
Loretta Lynn herself wanted a replica of her childhood home on her ranch, so many can come and visit.
And after various personal studies and varied research made about Loretta’s original home in Van Lear, Kentucky, this replica home came to be.
The original house was also the home of her famous sister, Crystal Gayle.
From the centuries-old hearth to the classic furniture and upholstery, everything greatly resembles her cabin back in Kentucky.
Find original mementos and photographs of her and her family, too!
Butcher Holler Home Replica is within the vicinity of Loretta Lynch Ranch.
Over 12 miles north of Loretta Lynn’s Ranch, Music City Skydiving is a popular skydiving center frequented by those coming from surrounding areas, including Nashville and Clarksville.
You’ll be taken 14,000 feet into the air and then leap over the gorgeous topography of Tennessee stretching as far as the eye can see.
For first-time divers, tandem skydiving is your go-to, where you’ll be strapped to an expert skydiver.
Music City Skydiving also trains you to skydive on your own, so you’ll be leaping from the skies in no time.
Overall, a skydiving experience can spice up your calm trip to Hurricane Mills.
Despite its quiet ambiance, Hurricane Mills hosts a lot of wild events that bring different communities together.
It’s made even more special because the town is practically centered on Loretta Lynn.
If you’re looking for a blend of good food and equally good activities, visit Hurricane Mills today!
Discover the world.
© All rights reserved.
