Back in the 1990s, we took a family trip to Gatlinburg and briefly drove through the Smokies. I wanted to go back. When figuring out where we wanted to go on vacation this spring instead of Arizona, Florida got tossed out and I mentioned wanting to stop at the Smokies on the way through, the hubby was like why not just go to Tennessee. So I planned on two days in Gatlinburg where initially I only planned on exploring the Smokies the first day but we ended up spending most of our time there, specifically Great Smoky Mountain National Park.
Great Smoky Mountain National Park (GSMNP) is the most visited National Park in the US. It is located in Tennessee and North Carolina. There is no park entrance fee but it does cost $5/day to park ($15/week) in any lot more than 15 minutes. So unless you are just driving through the park, buy the parking pass.
GSMNP has 4 visitors centers, three of which are open year round and the 4th on top of Clingman's Dome (yes, I know it has a new name but Clingman's Dome is easier to spell and I'm too lazy to go up the Native American name) is open seasonally started in April. We made it to the other 3.
We started out our adventure by coming in from the southwest through Townsend and then onto Little River Gorge Road. Even though this route was windy, it followed the Little River and you were still in the foothills. The reason I picked this route was I wanted to see Meigs Falls. Meigs Falls can be viewed right along the road (no hiking required) and it's on the right hand side of the road coming from Townsend. There is a small pullout in front of the falls.
All along the route we saw rapids and falling water of the side of the mountain. I am glad I picked this route to introduce the hubby to GSMNP.
We stopped at Sugarlands Visitor Center to grab a map and doing our only actual hike. We hiked to Cataract Falls.
Then we drove the Newfound Gap Road. The main road between the North (Sugarlands) and the South (Oconaluftee) Districts. It is windy mountain road so it does close in bad weather. Always check the app or website for closures The hubby handled it okay on the way there and liked it much better on the way back as it is more downhill from Oconaluftee. There are a few tunnels you need to go through.
About halfway through is the Newfound Gap Overlook which provides you the chance to stand in Tennessee and North Carolina. It is where you can easily pick up the Appalachian trail in the park. We stopped for some pictures and I walked part of the Appalachian Trail.
The main reason I wanted to drive the entire Newfound Gap Road was to try to see the elk. There is a elk herd near the Oconaluftee visitor center. Usually my wildlife quests are unsuccessful but we were able to see the elk.
On Tuesday, we decided to skip most of the touristy stuff in Gatlinburg and drive the Cades Cove Loop. This was on my list of things to do because it's the one area of the park I never been to and I heard that it's something you should do. Cades Cove Lop is open from dawn to dusk. It is a one way loop with scenic pullouts and old buildings to explore. It is essentially a valley within the mountains. It is also where the bears really like to hang out. We saw no bears but I didn't expect too.
Cades Cove was the hubby's favorite part of the Smokies. It was unique. I loved all the log cabins and old churches. We explored a few off them but after a while there are all the same. Kind of like another castle on the Rhine.
The only things we didn't get to do was drive up Clingman's Dome and drive Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail which is another seasonal mountain road. I'm not sure the hubby could handle either of them.
Everyone needs to see the Great Smoky Mountains. I am glad we went at the beginning of March when it is not quite starting to get busy. Spring Break, Summer, and Fall are the busiest times to be there so bring your patience and enjoy the scenery. It definitely now has become my favorite National Park.
