Great Things to Do in the Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee
The Great Smoky Mountain National Park is an excellent adventure in its 500,000 acres of beautiful streams, valleys, ridges, coves, hike trails and more.
A good place to start your journey is the Sugarlands Visitors Center on Route 441 at the Gatlinburg entrance to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. There are nature exhibits, a short film, guidebooks, maps, and park rangers who give lectures guided strolls, and answer questions. This is where you will pick up camping, hiking & fishing permits.
Picnicking is an American tradition and no family trip to the Smokies is complete without one. Please remember to dispose of all garbage properly and NEVER feed the bears!
Pack a picnic basket!
The Smokies are filled with special places that all the restaurants and attractions in the area cannot match when enjoyed with a picnic basket. Here are some of our recommendations:Alcohol is prohibited in the National Park.Pack your family favorites for a memorable Smoky Mountain Experience.
Picnicking Area Location Features
:
Big Creek - State 32 from Cosby
Small, quiet campground and creek
Cades Cove - Little River Road
Great start-off for the 11-mile Loop
Chimneys - Newfound Gap Road
Large picnic area on banks of Little Pigeon River
Deep Creek - Hwy. 19 from Cherokee
Covered amphitheater with several waterfall hikes nearby
Greenbrier - Hwy. 321 from Gatlinburg
Open & sheltered picnic areas in a perfect setting
Heintooga - Balsam Mountain Road
Highest picnic area in park offering great views
Metcalf Bottoms - Little River Road
Shady picnic tables in the cozy woods or along the river. Swimming in a cool mountain stream on a muggy summer day is an experience like no other.
The Sinks - Little River Road
The Smokies' deepest swimmin' hole
Townsend "Wye" - Little River Road & Laurel Creek Road intersection
Broad, placid stretch of river with grassy banks for sunbathing
Choose your Baskins Creek Smoky Mountain Vacation Rental here!
Off the Beaten Path Smoky Mountain Roadtrips
Scenic Drives can be a very pleasant way to get to know more about the Smokies. Smoky Mountain Roads take visitors off the beaten path for an unforgettable auto tour through some of the our most interesting places.
The following is a summary list of road trips, how far they are and about how long they will take. Traffic, weather conditions and time of year all have an impact on the driving time.
Balsam Mountain Road, a 9 mile trip that takes about 30 min along the Blue Ridge Parkway. It is a Two -way, paved road.
Cades Cove Loop, an 11 mile trip taking an hour through the Cades Cove Historic District along a One -way, paved road.
Cataloochee, a 6 mile journey which lasts about 30 min starting at I-40 and U.S. 276. this is a Two-way , dead end road.
Cherokee Orchard Road, a 3.5 mile stretch lasting only 15 minutes, beginning in Gatlinburg to Roaring Fork, a Two-way, paved road.
Hiking is an excellent way to experience the Smokies first hand. The many accessible hike trails near Baskins Creek accommodations makes it an excellent choice for an adventure day out.
Easy Trails:
Elkmont .75 miles Elkmont campgroung area
Laurel Falls 2.6 miles Little River Road, near Sugarlands Welcome Center
Sugarlands 1 mile Sugarland Welcome Center
Moderate Trails:
Abrams Falls 5 miles Cades Cove Picnic Area
Andrews Bald 3.6 miles Clingman's Dome
Grotto Falls 7 miles Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail
Rainbow Falls 5.2 miles Cherokee Orchard Rd.
Strenuous Trails:
Chimney Tops 4 miles Newfound Gap Road
Ramsey Cascade 8 miles Greenbrier
Thunderhead 13 miles Cades Cove Picnic Area
Smoky Mountain Scavenger Hike Adventure - Enjoy the Smokies to the fullest extent by planning a hiking vacation or just an afternoon of family fun! This great hiking adventure book will lead you on hikes through the Great Smoky Mountain National Park, with the added twist of a scavenger hunt. www.smokymountainscavengerhike.com
Choose your Baskins Creek Smoky Mountain Vacation Rental here!
Fishing in the Smokies:
Trout Fishing is plentiful all around the Gatlinburg streams. These fishing license requirements will help you to plan ahead and get fishin!
Tennessee Residents
Licenses can be purchased by persons who possess a valid Tennessee Drivers License persons who have lived in Tennessee for 90 consecutive days with the intent of making Tennessee their home military personnel on active duty in Tennessee and their immediate family students enrolled in a Tennessee college or university for at least six months.
NOTE: Tennessee Residents with a Sportsman License (Type 40) or a Lifetime Sportsman License do not need any other license or permit.
Ages 12 and under - NO license or permit required
Military Personnel on leave carrying copy of leave orders. (A pass does not meet this requirement) - No license required.
Age 13-15 years - Gatlinburg permit, One-day (type 99) or Three-Day (Type 96) PLUS Junior Hunt, Fish, and Trap License (Type 02).
Age 16 to 64 years old - Gatlinburg Permit, One-day (Type 99) or Three-Day (Type 96) PLUS Annual Trout (Type 22) and ONE of the following: Annual Hunt and Fish Combination (Type 01), County of Residence (Type 20), and One-day Fishing (Type 21).
Age 65 years or older - Permanent Senior Citizen Hunt/Fish/Trap (Type 166) or Annual Senior Citizen Permit (Type 167)
NOTE: If born before March 1, 1926, no license or permit required.
Non-Residents - (Out of Tennessee)
Ages 12 - NO license or permit required
Age 13 to 15 years old - Gatlinburg Permit, One-day (type 99) or Three-Day (Type 96), PLUS Non-resident Junior Hunt and Fish (Type 70)
Age 16 and over- Non-resident Gatlinburg One-day (Type 97) ONLY OR a combination of the following: Gatlinburg One-day (Type 99) or Three-day (Type 97) PLUS one of these Non-resident licenses: Three Day All Fish (Type 78); Ten-day All Fish (Type 80); or Annual All Fish (Type 81)
For even further information on fishing regulations in Gatlinburg, Tennessee visit: http://www.gatlinburg-tennessee.com/fishing.php. Thanks to the City of Gatlinburg for providing the above fishing regulations text.
Cades Cove ----RAY SEE THE CADES COVE PAGES ON THE OTHER WEB SITES CAN ADD THAT PAGE OR TAKE TEXT FROM IT
