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The Smoky Mountains are a very special place to us, as a couple, individually and with our families. It is our hope that out-of-town guests might be able to extend their visit and make a mini-vacation out of it in order to take advantage of the fun and beauty of the Smokies.
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is America's most visited national park and is free to all visitors. The park is full of a diverse array of hiking trails. From the paved and pleasant Laurel Falls trail, to the historic Metcalf Bottoms trail that takes you to the former Little Greenbrier School and the abandoned Walker Sisters cabin, to tougher trails like Rainbow Falls, the park has something to offer all activity levels.
Todd at one of many scenic waterfalls in the park.
If hiking isn't your thing, the Cades Cove area provides a three-hour drivable loop that takes you through a beautiful, scenic valley with multiple historic buildings to stop at along the way. Newfound Gap Road takes you up to the North Carolina state line and Clingman's Dome, both of which offer spectacular mountain views. If warm enough, the Little River wye provides a great place to take a dip in a rocky creek and sunbathe. And you can stop anywhere along the Little River road and enjoy a creekside picnic.
The entrance to Cades Cove.
Outside of the national park, Dolly Parton's famous amusement park, Dollywood, and its sister park, Dollywood Splash Country, are always crowd pleasers. Aside from the obvious rides, games and waterslides, Dollywood also has a museum tribute to the lovely Miss Dolly, a bald eagle sanctuary and the workshops of blacksmiths, glass blowers and candle makers among others.
Sevierville and Pigeon Forge offer outlet shopping, go karts and other tourist attractions like the Titanic Museum and dinner and music shows. Outside of Gatlinburg, the local arts and crafts community sells old-fashioned Appalachian-style pottery, quilts, etc. Tubing, ziplining, helicopter rides and many, many other outdoor activities are also available.
Please feel free to contact us with any questions and/or recommendation requests!