The Little Tennessee River flows northwestward from its source in the Appalachian Mountains and traverses a 40-mile (64 km) stretch of northern Monroe County before emptying into the Tennessee River near Lenoir City.
In 1979, the construction of Tellico Dam at the mouth of the river created a reservoir that spans the lower 33 miles (53 km) of the Little Tennessee and the lower 22 miles (35 km) of its tributary, the Tellico River, flooding the former town sites.
 Tanasi was located along the west bank of the Little Tennessee 27 miles (43 km) upstream from the river's mouth.
 The site was opposite a sharp bend in the river known as Bacon's Bend.

Tanasi was situated on a relatively flat terrace flanked by the river on one side and a series of high, steep hills on the other.
 These hills, noted on Timberlake's 1762 map, are part of the Appalachian Ridge-and-Valley Province, which spans much of the upper Tennessee Valley.
 The Appalachian Range proper rises a few miles south of the Chota-Tanasi site.
The Little Tennessee River flows northwestward from its source in the Appalachian Mountains and traverses a 40-mile (64 km) stretch of northern Monroe County before emptying into the Tennessee River near Lenoir City. In 1979, the construction of Tellico Dam at the mouth of the river created a reservoir that spans the lower 33 miles (53 km) of the Little Tennessee and the lower 22 miles (35 km) of its tributary, the Tellico River, flooding the former town sites.  Tanasi was located along the west bank of the Little Tennessee 27 miles (43 km) upstream from the river's mouth.  The site was opposite a sharp bend in the river known as Bacon's Bend.
Tanasi was situated on a relatively flat terrace flanked by the river on one side and a series of high, steep hills on the other.  These hills, noted on Timberlake's 1762 map, are part of the Appalachian Ridge-and-Valley Province, which spans much of the upper Tennessee Valley.  The Appalachian Range proper rises a few miles south of the Chota-Tanasi site.
Tanasi