Top 3 Smoky Mountains National Park Biking Trails with the Best Views
Rather than enjoying the wonderful scenery of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park by hiking or auto touring, you can rent a bicycle and take a ride on the Smoky Mountains National Park biking trails with some of the best views. Biking is a different way to explore some of the great wildlife and nature […]
Maggie Valley, North Carolina
Maggie Valley is located right beside the Great Smoky Mountain National Park (GSMNP) and very near Interstate-40 and the Blue Ridge Parkway. Maggie Valley has been a favorite for generations of folks in need of a cool mountain getaway. Its location near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, plus a large number of fine dining […]
Waynesville, North Carolina
Waynesville NC sits at the foot of the highest mountains along the Blue Ridge Parkway and is a model for the classic small town, with Main Street consisting of three blocks of very interesting shops, galleries and eateries. Downtown is small so you can explore Waynesville NC on foot and take pleasure in the work […]
Bryson City, North Carolina
Bryson City, NC sits snug to the southern border of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Like it’s sister city, Cherokee, it offers a starting point for outfitters, lodging and food plus easy access to the National Park and its wealth of recreational opportunities. Bryson City is a small, old-fashioned red-brick southern city with an […]
Asheville, North Carolina
Asheville, NC is a lively, sophisticated Smoky Mountains city that’s home to the Vanderbilt’s Biltmore Estate, the leading attraction of the Great Smoky Mountains, second only to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP). Asheville NC was just another small western North Carolina town until 1889 when the venerable George Vanderbilt visited and was impressed […]
Little River Road Auto Tour
About the Little River Road Driving Tour Originally an old railroad, this 18-mile Smoky Mountain driving tour runs from the Sugarlands Visitor Center to the Cades Cove Loop Road. A relatively slow-go, the Little River Road meanders alongside (you guessed it) Little River, passing at one point the exit to Townsend TN. Along the road, you will […]
Rainbow Trout
When people talk about trout fishing (particularly the novice), visions of the rainbow are evoked. The rainbow has been described as the “true American trout” because of it’s origins in the Pacific Northwest. This brings argument from scientific types who study such stuff, but most of us don’t care about things like that. Most of […]
Rainbow Falls
The Rainbow Falls Trail is one of several that will take you to the top of Mt. LeConte and is also the oldest or earliest route to LeConte. The trail can be challenging, but also offers an intermediate reward in that it affords the hiker a rest at the beautiful Rainbow Falls. Summary The Rainbow Falls […]
Ramsay Cascades Trail
The rewards are great on this 8-mile round-trip hike in the Greenbrier section of the Park. The diligent hiker not only gets to enjoy the Ramsay Cascade falls—arguably the best waterfall in the Smokies—but also can view stands of old-growth trees which never suffered from the logger’s saw or the settler’s ax. Summary You have […]
Appalachian Trail
The Appalachian Trail meanders across the mountain tops of The Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Conceived in 1921 by Benton McKay and initially cleared and marked in 1923, the Appalachian Trail was completed in 1937 and is a marvelous tribute to the well-meaning individuals such as McKay who overcame many obstacles to create this splendid […]