Overview
Dayton is the seat of Rhea County in Eastern Tennessee.
1 sights · 1 things to do · 1 places to stay
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Best things about Dayton
Rhea County Court House
Where the Scopes Trial, or The State of Tennessee v. John Thomas Scopes, but better known as the Scopes Monkey Trial, took place. The teacher John Scopes was found guilty and fined $100, but it was overturned on a techni…
Laurel Snow State Natural Area
A natural area where you can visit tunnels and remains of a coal and coke mine, the Laurel and Snow Waterfalls, and Buzzard Point. The hilly topography is very serene.
Plan your trip
Best time to visit & weather
Most comfortable: Mar–Nov. Summer highs reach about 88°F; winter lows dip to about 31°F. Wettest: Jan and Mar. (climate data from nearby Historic High Country)
Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).
Getting there
- From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
- CHA Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport (Lovell Field), Chattanooga — 34 mi away. Directions
- TYS McGhee Tyson Airport, Knoxville/Maryville — 61 mi away (major hub). Directions
Budget & where to stay
No prices are listed for this place yet. See the Sleep guide ↓ for options.
Sample 1-day itinerary
Day 1
- Morning Rhea County Court House
- Afternoon Laurel Snow State Natural Area
Stops are grouped by area so each day needs little backtracking. Check opening hours before you go.
Food for you
What to ask about, for your diet
Diet labels come from each listing's description and cuisine; “likely” means the cuisine usually has good choices, not a promise. Check with the restaurant. Open the food finder
Photos
Map
Every listing with a location. Tap a pin for its Google Maps link.
Understand
Though originally settled around 1820, what really put Dayton on the map was the famous Scopes Trial of 1925, where a teacher named John T Scopes challenged the Butler Act of the state of Tennessee which dictated teachers not teach in a way that denied the biblical account of mankind's origin, that is to say, it prohibited the teaching of evolution. The prosecution was led by William Jennings Bryan while the defense lay in the hands of Clarence Darrow.
See
See Rhea County Court House
Where the Scopes Trial, or The State of Tennessee v. John Thomas Scopes, but better known as the Scopes Monkey Trial, took place. The teacher John Scopes was found guilty and fined $100, but it was overturned on a technicality. The prosecutor William Jennings Bryan would die five days later from complications related to diabetes and fatigue. The trial would bring light to the contention between religion versus rational thought in the curriculum of schools, and, in a bigger sense, between Fundamentalism and Modernism, but the Butler Act wouldn't be repealed until the 1960s. Pictures and news clippings relate the story inside the courthouse, while statues of Bryan and Darrow lurk outside.
Do
Sleep
Nearby
Cleveland
City / town · 8 listings · 25 mi away
Ocoee
City / town · 9 listings · 31 mi away
Crossville
City / town · 3 listings · 31 mi away
Chattanooga
City / town · 112 listings · 35 mi away
Kingston
City / town · 1 listings · 39 mi away
Harriman-Rockwood
City / town · 39 mi away
Fort Oglethorpe
City / town · 9 listings · 40 mi away
Tracy City
City / town · 15 listings · 44 mi away
My experience
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