2022 Smokey's Day Trip (Done)

At Pigeon Forge, a moment can last a lifetime. For generations, visitors have returned to explore our little mountain town in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains. As a year-round family-friendly vacation destination, Pigeon Forge is filled with fun activities. From thrilling attractions and award-winning shows to countless options for dining, shopping and lodging, it’s easy to see why so many consider Pigeon Forge their home away from home. We can’t wait to welcome you this holiday season!

Gatlinburg is nestled at the entrance to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the most visited national park in America. There are three entrances to the Smokies from downtown Gatlinburg. Gatlinburg attracts more than 11 million visitors a year and can grow to a population of 40,000-plus on any given night. This little town of 3,944 residents is dedicated to welcoming all of its guests with a taste of Appalachian hospitality at its best. Folks come from all over the world for vacations, outdoor adventures, family fun and memory-making. Gatlinburg is one of America’s great mountain resort destinations, with accommodations of every kind, dozens of local and national restaurants and attractions galore–all nestled in the foothills and surrounded on three sides by the natural beauty of the Great Smoky Mountains. Gatlinburg prides itself on its walkability amidst mountain heritage and the arts, crafts and shops that reflect that tradition.

“America's most visited National Park” Ridge upon ridge of forest straddles the border between North Carolina and Tennessee in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. World renowned for its diversity of plant and animal life, the beauty of its ancient mountains, and the quality of its remnants of Southern Appalachian mountain culture, this is America's most visited national park. Snow falls infrequently in the park's foothills, but at high elevation, snow is more common. Feel the cool spray of a waterfall. Camp under the stars. Explore a historic grist mill. There's plenty to see and do in the park! Approximately 1,500 black bears live in the park. This equals a population density of approximately two bears per square mile. Bears can be found throughout the park, but are easiest to spot in open areas such as Cades Cove and Cataloochee Valley. Great Smoky Mountains National Park preserves a rich cultural tapestry of Southern Appalachian history. The mountains have had a long human history spanning thousands of years-from the prehistoric Paleo Indians to early European settlement in the 1800s to loggers and Civilian Conservation Corps enrollees in the 20th century. The park strives to protect the historic structures, landscapes, and artifacts that tell the varied stories of people who once called these mountains home. Biological diversity is the hallmark of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which encompasses over 800 square miles in the Southern Appalachian Mountains. No other area of equal size in a temperate climate can match the park's amazing diversity of plants, animals, and invertebrates. Over 17,000 species have been documented in the park: Scientists believe an additional 30,000-80,000 species may live here. Why such a wondrous diversity? Mountains, glaciers, and weather are the big reasons. The park is the largest federally protected upland landmass east of the Mississippi River. Dominated by plant-covered, gently contoured mountains, the crest of the Great Smokies forms the boundary between Tennessee and North Carolina, bisecting the park from northeast to southwest in an unbroken chain that rises more than 5,000 feet for over 36 miles. Elevations in the park range from 875 to 6,643 feet. This range in altitude mimics the latitudinal changes you would experience driving north or south across the eastern United States, say from Georgia to Maine. Plants and animals common in the southern United States thrive in the lowlands of the Smokies while species common in the northern states find suitable habitat at the higher elevations. The Great Smoky Mountains are among the oldest mountains in the world, formed perhaps 200-300 million years ago. They are unique in their northeast to southwest orientation, which allowed species to migrate along their slopes during climatic changes such as the last ice age, 10,000 years ago. In fact, the glaciers of the last ice age affected the Smoky Mountains without invading them. During that time, glaciers scoured much of North America but did not quite reach as far south as the Smokies. Consequently, these mountains became a refuge for many species of plants and animals that were disrupted from their northern homes. The Smokies have been relatively undisturbed by glaciers or ocean inundation for over a million years, allowing species eons to diversify.

https://www.smokymountains.org/

https://www.nps.gov/grsm/index.htm

Note: This visitors Center is in Gatlinburg and at the entrance to the Smokey Mountains National Park, so it should be good source of information for both.

Begin your exploration of the park at a visitor center. Here you can pick up a park map or newspaper, have your questions answered by a ranger, and purchase books and guides to the park.

Four visitor centers are located within the national park at Cades Cove, Oconaluftee, Sugarlands and Clingmans Dome. In addition, three information centers are located outside the park in the communities of Gatlinburg, Sevierville, and Townsend.

Two historic grist mills are open seasonally in the park. Both provide demonstrations of corn meal milling.

“all the info you need” Ranger-staffed facility offering park maps, a plant & animal museum, a 20-minute film & a bookstore.

Special Programs Ranger-led programs conducted seasonally. Check at the visitor center for locations and times.

Exhibits Free admission to 20-minute film about the park. Extensive natural history exhibits.

Available Facilities Great Smoky Mountains Association bookstore and shop. Public restrooms. Soda and water machines. Backcountry Information Office.

Inside the national park. Seasonal ranger-led programs.Indoor and outdoor exhibits of Southern Mountain life and culture. Includes Cable Mill, a grist mill which operates spring through fall, the Becky Cable house, and other historic structures. Great Smoky Mountains Association bookstore and shop. Public restrooms.

Cades Cove is a broad, verdant valley surrounded by mountains and is one of the most popular destinations in the Great Smokies. It offers some of the best opportunities for wildlife viewing in the park. Large numbers of white-tailed deer are frequently seen, and sightings of black bear, coyote, ground hog, turkey, raccoon, skunk, and other animals are also possible.

Touring the Cove

Vehicle-free access along the Cades Cove Loop Road takes place each Wednesday, from May 4 through September 28, 2022. On these days, the 11-mile loop can be enjoyed on foot or bicycle. An 11-mile, one-way loop road circles the cove, offering motorists the opportunity to sightsee at a leisurely pace. Allow at least two to four hours to tour Cades Cove, longer if you walk some of the area's trails. Traffic is heavy during the tourist season in summer and fall and on weekends year-round. While driving the loop road, please be courteous to other visitors and use pullouts when stopping to enjoy the scenery or view wildlife

An inexpensive self-guiding tour booklet available at the entrance to the road provides a map and information about the cove.

“greatest sight under the smokies” If you’re going to be visiting Great Smoky Mountains National Park this road trip season and you’re planning some epic hiking and caving, let me point you in the direction of Tuckaleechee Caverns. Hidden 150 feet under the mountains, Tuckaleechee is a perfect hidden gem for anyone looking to do some underground exploration. Located in Townsend, Tennessee, The Tuckaleechee Cavern is a mile long caving system that stretches out underneath the mountains themselves. According to the legends, the Tuckaleechee caves were used in 1850 by the local Cherokee tribe to hide from the European settlers. The caves were officially discovered by a group of sawmill workers who noticed water pouring into a very large sinkhole. According to the workers, the water was disappearing into what they realized was a massive cave system hidden behind a thin sheet of rock. By 1931 the cave was officially open to the public, but the fun only lasted for a year thanks to the Great Depression. Tuckaleechee Cavers re-opened in 1953 after two Townsand locals, W.E. Vananda and Harry Myers, took it upon themselves to carry out the huge renovation job. It was slow going, but once the National Speleological Society got involved, the group discovered a massive open cave they called “the big room”, and the rest was history. “The Big Room”, is a massive open area that stands 150 feet deep and 300 feet across. Just to give you an idea of how big it really is, Mammoth Cave National Park is only 120 feet high, The Big Room has stalagmites that measure in at 24 feet high alone. For obvious reasons it’s a favorite stop on the Tuckaleechee Caverns guided tour. A few years after the discovery of "The Big Room", yet another massive chamber was found. Amazingly the new area had a 200-foot high double waterfall, which is now know as Silver Falls, and is an amazing sight to see! If you’re going to be driving through the Great Smoky Mountains, do yourself a favor and take a detour to Townsend for an afternoon of exploring at the Tuckaleechee Cave. Guided tours run until November so you’ve got plenty of time... whatever you do, don’t forget your camera! -Roadtrippers The cave is noted for its onyx formations, "Big Room," and high waterfalls. Tours are conducted along lighted walkways. AAA star attraction. Carved over tens of thousands of years in one of the earth's oldest mountain chains, Tuckaleechee Caverns at Townsend, Tenn., are known as the "Greatest Site Under the Smokies". Estimated to be between 20 and 30 million years old, the Caverns are rich in history and lore in recent years as well.

The Little River Railroad and Lumber Company is a non-profit corporation founded in 1982 to preserve the heritage of the Little River Lumber Company and the Little River Railroad. We operate a museum in Townsend, Tennessee, collecting, preserving, and exhibiting the history of these companies, and of the people in this region.

A nonprofit organization formed to preserve and present the heritage of the East Tennessee region. The mission of the Great Smoky Mountain Heritage Center is to preserve, protect and promote the unique history and rich culture of the residents and Native Americans who inhabited the East Tennessee mountain communities that were incorporated into the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and its surroundings. The Heritage Center is located on a five acre site along state highway 73 in Townsend, Tennessee.

Come and visit our new shop location! One of the most thought stimulating shops on our arts and crafts trail. Featuring hand made crafts from more than 100+ artisans. Reach us at 722 Powdermill Rd. Handmade crafts with Southern pride in mind!

“Highest point in the Great Smoky Mountains (6,643')” Clingmans Dome Tower constructed in 1959 is in the 800+ square mile Great Smoky Mountains National Park