How to Plan a Trip to the Smoky Mountains

The Smoky Mountains are a fun place to take a relaxing vacation and commune with nature. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park extends from Gatlinburg, Tennessee, to Cherokee, North Carolina, making it 32 miles of nature and beauty. Here's how to visit.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Pick a time to take the trip. The Smoky Mountains have wet seasons and snow during the winter.
2. Book your accommodations. There are more than 300 hotels, motels, bed and breakfasts, cabins and condominiums you can rent. In more remote locations, cabins and condos are a better choice because they allow you to bring food and cook, instead of worry about driving into town to find a restaurant. The Smoky Mountain tourist board can send you free travel brochure in the mail, if you ask for it at their site.(See Resources below.)
3. Visit the Smoky Mountains National Park. Choose to take a long hike and spend time with splendorous nature or choose to drive through the winding park and stop at scenic lookouts. There are bicycling trails, horseback riding trails, fishing spots, picnic spots and plenty of wildlife to see,
4. Enjoy shopping in the Smoky Mountains. There are many gift shops, art galleries, craft malls and outlet malls throughout the Smoky Mountains. Southern Living magazine voted Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, as their favorite shopping location in the Smoky Mountains. Gatlinburg, Tennessee has a large arts and crafts community.
5. Explore the many attractions the Smoky Mountains have to offer. The most famous attraction is the Dollywood theme park. The Great Smoky Mountain Railroad is a 53-mile track that takes you over 25 bridges and through two tunnels. The train departs from Dillsboro and Bryson City, Tennessee. Round-trip tickets and gourmet dinners are available. Ripples Aquarium in Gatlinburg is an amusement park with live music performances, crafts and cold fuel train tours. Ober Gatlinburg offers visitors fine dining, ski resorts and shopping malls.

Tips & Warnings

• To get the full experience of the Smoky Mountains, drive or rent a car when you arrive.
• Bring a light jacket, no matter what time of year. The evenings get chilly.