Downtown Guntersville & City Harbor

Why visit

Guntersville takes its name from John Gunter, a trader who settled on the Tennessee River here in the late 1700s and married into the Cherokee Nation. In 1838, a group of Cherokee people was forced to leave from Gunter’s Landing on the Trail of Tears, and the town is on the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail. Then, in 1939, the new lake surrounded the town with water. Today it is a relaxed, friendly place, busy with anglers and boaters, and it makes the best base for a stay on the lake.

What to see and do

• Gunter Avenue: the main street, lined with older brick buildings, shops, cafés and restaurants.
• City Harbor: a waterfront area on the southern edge of downtown, with restaurants, a pavilion and boat slips. It is the town’s most popular place to eat with a view of the water.
• Lakeside parks: parks and walking paths along the shore are good for a sunset stroll, a picnic or watching the boats come in.
• The Whole Backstage: the town’s community theatre puts on plays and musicals through the year.
• Fishing from the bank: there are places to fish along the shore in and around town.

Eating out

You will find catfish, barbecue, steaks, Mexican food, pizza and Southern breakfasts. North Alabama is the home of white barbecue sauce, a tangy mayonnaise-based sauce usually served with smoked chicken. Restaurants can be very busy on summer weekends and during big fishing tournaments, so go early or book if you can.

Tips

• Downtown is small enough to walk, but you will need a car to reach the state park, the dam and the boat ramps.
• Parking is usually easy, except on holiday weekends.
• Check the town’s event calendar for festivals, fireworks and fishing tournaments.
• Nearby: Guntersville Dam and Lake Guntersville State Park.