Are you ready to visit your next US National Park? The Great Smoky Mountains in Tennessee and North Carolina are pure magic: full of waterfalls, mountains, trees, country accents, swimming holes, streams, and so much more.
Ben Morton Overlook (Newfound Gap)
Trip Itinerary (The Basics)
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Great Smoky Mountains Trip Itinerary
Day One: Drive Foothills Parkway or Cade's Cove & Explore Pigeon Forge
Day Two: Hike Alum Cave Trail (5 miles RT) & Explore Gatlinburg
Day Three: Take an ATV Trail Ride, Visit Elkmont Ghost Town, & Hike Clingmans Dome (1.3 miles RT, paved trail)
Day Four: Visit the South Carolina side of the park: Go White Water Rafting, Hike to Mouse Creek Falls (4 miles RT), & Take a Cold Plunge in Midnight Hole
Full Trip Itinerary
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Day One
Clingmans Dome trailhead
For your first day, choose a scenic route and see the wonder of the Smokies. I recommend either the Foothills Parkway or Cade's Cove Loop. Cade's Cove is likely to have bumper to bumper traffic, but it's famous for good reason! Both scenic drives offer many roadside viewpoints to stop at, so you can spend as little or as much time ooh-ing, aah-ing, and pulling over as you like.
Check into your lodging and soak in that view. I recommend booking an AirBnB or VRBO with a hot tub! You can't go to the Smokies without looking over the mountains from a hot tub (personal opinion). Keep in mind that the best views are from up high, and the roads to get to cabins up high can be steep, sharp, and scary! There are lots of amazing cabins to choose from in various locations. I picked a cabin located between Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg so I could easily visit either city for food options. If I could go back, I would have chosen a cabin on the opposite side of Gatlinburg and the National Park. Driving through Gatlinburg traffic each morning is not something I recommend! However, if you're interested in spending more time in the cities, I would recommend a spot in the middle.
Head into Pigeon Forge for exploring and dinner. Honestly, this town is a complete tourist trap... But some people enjoy that on vacation! I loved the Alcatraz East Crime Museum in Pigeon Forge. I could have wandered around for hours, so the ticket price was worth it for my true crime junkie heart. There were interesting and creepy exhibits, like the real outfits and get-away cars of infamous serial killers.
Day Two
I loved these wooden bridges on Alum Cave Trail!
Start your day with hiking Alum Cave Trail. The parking lot fills up quickly, but there is parking available alongside the road. I cannot recommend this trail enough! Between the natural streams, the moss-covered rocks, the water dripping from the cave, and the seas of green trees, it's completely gorgeous. To Alum Cave, it's five miles roundtrip. You can continue up this trail to Mount LeConte for about an 11 mile round trip!
Alum Cave Trail is such a scenic hike!
There's a lodge at the top of Mount LeConte and the only way to get there is to hike! Even the supplies to the lodge are hiked up the mountain via llamas. I've heard that it books pretty far in advance, so be sure to make plans if you would like to stay here. We chose to turn around at Alum Cave, as we were hiking with my parents and five miles roundtrip was enough for them! Don't let that deter you from making the long trek if you want to - the hike to the top is doable! We met the sweetest young family hiking to the top and carrying their babies on their backs. It was so inspiring!
You've arrived at your destination: Alum Cave.
If you're a sucker for a tourist trap town, head on over to Gatlinburg. It's a busy, happening place! Grab a lift up to the Gatlinburg SkyBridge (literally, take a ski lift to the top!) The Skybridge is the longest pedestrian suspension bridge in North America and I recommend visiting if you don't plan to do much hiking on this trip. There are some portions of the bridge that are see-through for even better views. It's a quick, easy, and accessible way to see those Smoky Mountain views from high up! If you do plan on hiking, I would skip this stop. The tickets are expensive, it's insanely crowded and rushed, and you can see very similar views from trails like Alum Cave.
Wander around Gatlinburg as long as you like. I feel like you just have to stop by Ole Smoky Moonshine when you're in the area. When in Gatlinburg!
Day Three
We can now say we've "hiked the Appalachian Trail"... for about 0.5 miles.
Start your day with an ATV trail ride excursion. There are several different companies to choose from. No previous experience with ATVs or four-wheelers is necessary. It's important to note that, if you are an experienced driver, you will most likely be placed at the back of the pack to ensure newer drivers don't stray off the path. Depending on the experience level of others on the tour, this may be a more leisurely stroll than expected.
ATV Trail Riding in the Smokies
Add exploring a ghost town to your itinerary. Elkmost Ghost Town was once a booming resort town and logging camp, until the national park was established in 1934 and folks were faced with a choice to sell their homes or stay. Hike Jakes Creek trail (3.7 miles RT) to explore the ruins of the abandoned town that once was. Your whole trip to this site will feel like hide and seek, with the trail hiding down a gravel road and waiting to be found. There's something so beautiful about nature overtaking the buildings and stone. Explore to your heart's desire, then load up in the car for the next big thing.
Elkmont Troll Bridge
Hike Clingmans Dome for gorgeous views from the highest point in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. This is also the most accessible mountain top within the park. Hit the pavement for a 1.3 mile roundtrip uphill adventure. We visited in August and the wildflowers were blooming alongside the trail for a truly whimsical feel.
Wildflowers along Clingmans Dome trail
This hike has the most bang for your buck within the NP. The view isn't only from the top of the mountain. It's all around you on the way up the trail, it's at the parking lot as soon as you arrive, and it's at the Ben Morton roadside viewpoint on your drive to the trailhead (don't skip this!). The Appalachian trail runs alongside Clingmans Dome, so you can take a few steps off the beaten path and call yourself a "real hiker." We met a few folks who were completing the entire AT and veered off to take in this viewpoint. It was a really cool experience to meet people who were dedicating their life and time to hiking the AT.
If you only have a short time in the Smokies, Clingmans Dome is a must do: a quick 1.3 miles introduces you into so much beauty that can only be found in the Smokies.
Clingmans Dome trailhead
Day Four
Mouse Falls
Many people visit GSMNP without ever visiting the North Carolina side. I highly recommend visiting NC during your trip to the Smokies. This was one of my very favorite days of our trip. If you're seeking some water adventures, this is the itinerary for you!
Start your morning with a drive to North Carolina to go white-water rafting. There are tons of different companies to choose from. We used Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC) and I highly recommend this trip! This was my first white-water rafting experience and it wasn't scary at all. There were class 5 and 6 rapids, and while there were a few exciting moments, it wasn't anything overwhelming! There were younger kiddos on the rafts as well. I think this would be a really fun family activity.
Happiest on the water!
Leave your swimsuit on and head to Mouse Creek Falls trailhead (four miles roundtrip). This is one of my favorite hikes that I have ever done. About halfway down the trail, you will find Midnight Hole just off to your left. You may hear people swimming and laughing. This is a MUST STOP, either on your way in or your way out! We chose to continue on to Mouse Falls and then hit it on our way back.
While Mouse Falls may not be the most impressive water fall you've ever seen, you can get really close to it. I mean, you can climb right down into it! It was a great experience to stand on the rocks in the creek and feel the spray from the waterfall. Wonderful nature without barriers!
Midnight Hole (Jumping rock on left)
On your way back to the car, stop at Midnight Hole for a glacier plunge (if you're brave)! Jumping off the rock into the freezing, crystal clear water fed from the waterfall is one of my fondest memories of the whole trip. I highly recommend for an exhilarating thrill! You may want to wear water shoes as the rocks are very slick in the water.
Smoky Mountain Rain Keeps on Falling (and so will you!)
Great Smoky Mountain National Park is an accessible source of beauty for all. You can see so much from the car! I would recommend this N.P. for folks of all ranges of accessibility and age.
The choices around the Smokies are endless. You can choose a vacation as full of (or as free from) cities, entertainment, shows, museums, and activities as you like. Not all National Parks have such large, tourist-centered towns nearby. While I prefer to skip cities and towns in my travels, I know that some folks love them!
Notably, this NP does not charge an entry fee, unlike most national parks. You simply cannot beat these views for FREE!
This will always be one of my favorite National Parks. I hope you enjoy it, too!
Ben Morton Overlook
Now get out there and take a hike! Katie
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