The Smoky Mountains – Always Pack Light

I traveled to the beautiful Smoky Mountains this past summer. I went all over the east coast, but the Smokies were the first thing I wanted to see. In fact, I was so excited to see them, I couldn’t sleep the night before.

I ended up leaving at 1 A.M. and driving all night to get there, but man was it worth it. I’ve went through there before, but I wasn’t able to stop and enjoy the beautiful landscape like I did this time.

When I got there, I bet I stopped 15 times to take pictures. I felt like some adolescent school girl taking so many pictures. I live in the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas, but they’re a not as big as the Smoky Mountains.

If you ever get a chance to visit the Smoky Mountains, there’s several things you must see. Honestly, it’s hard to list all things you can see or do.

Obviously, the first place you would want to see is Great Smoky Mountain National Park. There are a couple of must see places in the park, but you could spend all week there and not see everything.

Make sure you see Clingman’s dome, if it’s the only thing you get to see. It is the highest point in the park and offers an amazing 360 degree view. There are so many breath taking views in the park, but Clingman’s dome is a must.

The next thing I would recommend is to go hiking, if you’re able to. Smoky Mountain National park is one of the very best places in the United States to go hiking.

There’s over 300 miles worth of hiking trails. The majority of the trails have beautiful waterfalls and breathtaking views. Some of the best trails are:

(Distance is round trip)

Grotto Falls- 2.6 miles; difficulty: easy

Chimney Tops- 3.3 miles; difficulty: moderate

Andrews Bald- 3.5 miles; difficulty; moderate

Alum Cave- 4.4 miles; difficulty: moderate

Abrams falls- 5.2 miles; difficulty: moderate

Rainbow Falls- 5.4 miles; difficulty: moderately hard

Ramsey Cascades- 8.0 miles; difficulty; hard

Charlie’s bunion- 8.1 miles; difficulty: hard

There’s also the Appalachian Trail if you’re a little more adventurous, like me. There are so many trails that it’s hard to find a bad one. Each one offers something great. For a full list of hiking trails with directions check out Hiking in the Smoky’s.

If you can’t hike, but still want to see some pretty waterfalls, the sinks are located right outside of Gatlinburg. This leads me to the next thing people should see when visiting the Smoky Mountains, Gatlinburg.

You should definitely stay in Gatlinburg for a couple days, unless you plan on hiking the whole time.

There’s an endless supply of things to see and do in Gatlinburg. Its located right before you enter Great Smoky Mountain National Park from the North. If you’ve ever been on vacation in Branson, Missouri, they are very similar.

Gatlinburg is a shopper’s paradise and a must see tourist destination. There are numerous restaurants, attractions, and theme parks. If you would like to know more, check out my article on “Things to do in Gatlinburg.”

Another tourist town close by is Pigeon Forge. It’s a lot like Gatlinburg and has theme parks, attractions, shopping, and outdoor activities.

If you’re a history buff or appreciate old buildings and stories, you should check out the old ghost town of Elkmont.

There are some old cabins and buildings from the 19^th century settlers. There’s also a history of inhabitants dating back 5000-8000 years ago. It’s located about 8 miles from Gatlinburg. The park’s most popular campground is located nearby.

Mt. Le Conte is another popular destination in the park. It’s the 3^rd highest mountain in the park and has the highest lodge the Eastern part of the United States. The only way to get the lodge is to hike up to it. The Mt. Le Conte Lodge is fairly expensive to stay in but would be a great experience.

If you are looking for scenic drives, there are three that are wonderful. The first is the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail.

It’s before you enter the park and is a one way road. It will give you the opportunity to see some spectacular mountain views, natural forests, old cabins, beautiful waterfalls and streams without having to walk a lot.

The second scenic drive you should take is the Newfound Gap Road. It’s 31 miles of incredible landscapes and mountain views. The changing forest scenery and the trees hanging over the road make for a fantastic drive.

The last, but certainly not least scenic drive I would recommend is the Blue Ridge Parkway.

It’s one of the top scenic drives in the United States. It begins just on the outskirts of Great Smoky Mountain National Park. It’s located at the end of the Newfound Gap road.

You enter the south end of the Parkway near the Oconaluftee visitor center at milepost for 469. This is just the beginning of the Parkway. It goes on for 469 miles before connecting to the Shenandoah National Park in Virginia.

There are breathtaking views of the mountains if you want to take pictures. If you ride motorcycles, this should be required riding. If you don’t have time to do the entire Parkway, at least check it out.

I hope you enjoyed the article. Give us a like or follow us on Social media if you did. Comment below if you visit the Smoky Mountains; we’d love to hear about your trip and if there’s anything we should add.