Gatlinburg & the Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Day One - 1 May 2019 - The Drive

The journey started in Nashville and headed east on I-40 towards Knoxville. Along the way, a stop at the Caney Fork rest stop allowed for appreciating the Marking Time art sculpture. After a quick break, the drive continued with a stop in Cookeville for lunch at Chick-fil-A.

Once the meal was finished, the journey resumed back onto the highway and onto I-140 towards Maryville. In Maryville, a stop to fill up my Honda Fit with gasoline was needed. Luckily, the car has decent highway mileage and only required a half-tank top-up.

From there, the route switched gears to Walland, TN, traveling along the Foothills Parkway to the Wears Valley Road Terminus. Continuing on Wears Valley Road, a stop at Publix in Pigeon Forge provided food for that evening. Finally, Gatlinburg came into view and the hotel check-in followed.

Day Two - 2 May - Little River Trail, Husky branch falls, Newfound Gap, and Clingman’s dome

An early wake-up to prepare for the day. Breakfast at the Hotel, a free continental breakfast, preceded grabbing daypacks from the room. Then it was off to the Elkmont Trailhead to hike the Little River Trail. The hike along the trail to Huskey Branch Falls continued a little ways up the Cucumber Gap trail. For a total of 5 ½ miles.

After the hike, exhaustion set in. So, a drive back to the Sugarlands Visitor Center and Gift Shop followed. A small black bear plush toy, a T-Shirt, and a Hat made it into my bag at the gift shop. Then the drive up Newfound Gap Road (Highway 441) to Newfound Gap began.

At Newfound Gap, many pictures of the vistas were taken. From there the drive up to Clingmans Dome brought even more photo opportunities of the vistas there. Then the drive back down Newfound Gap Road led to Gatlinburg and back to our hotel. After getting back, dinner at No Way Jose’s Cantina off the Gatlinburg Parkway was the plan. Driving around Gatlinburg is such a pain, as a reminder quickly came. The food at the restaurant was excellent.

Day Three - 3 May - Andrews Bald and the Oconaluftee Visitor Center

The adventure began by walking down the 1.8 mile Forney Ridge trail and winding through the evergreen forests to reach Andrews Bald. The first stretch of the trail from the Clingmans Dome parking lot had a steep drop in elevation and numerous stairs, but eventually evened out and became a pleasant ridge walk to Andrews Bald. The hike back up to the parking lot from Andrews Bald was challenging, but spirits stayed high despite the fog and light rain that fell.

Next, the drive down from the Clingmans Dome Parking Lot to Newfound Gap Road continued on to the Oconaluftee Visitor Center. After exploring the Visitor Center and Gift Shop, Cherokee, NC beckoned for lunch. Once the meal was finished, the drive back over Newfound Gap revealed some elk grazing in the meadows around Oconaluftee. To conclude the day, Publix in Pigeon Forge provided supplies and dinner before the drive back to our hotel in Gatlinburg.

It was an exhilarating day filled with hiking, exploring, and encountering wildlife.

Day Four - 4 May - Laurel Falls and Cades cove

To avoid the crowds, an early start led to Laurel Falls around dawn. On the drive to the falls, a coyote on Little River Road made for a fortunate sighting. Upon arrival at the falls, the area was empty, which allowed for fully appreciating the majesty of the waterfall. Leaving the falls, the number of people walking towards it had risen to 67. Getting to the trailhead very early is the best way to avoid the crowds.

After Laurel Falls, Cades Cove beckoned with its eleven-mile scenic loop around the cove. Halfway through the loop, a turkey guided the way, and later on, a bear caused a commotion as people were too close to it. Several fantastic scenic overlooks offered ideal photo opportunities along the route.

As the day continued, a summer thunderstorm rolled in. In the summer months, the Smoky Mountains are well-known for having sunny days that often give way to afternoon rains and thunderstorms due to increased humidity. However, the storms quickly move on and the clear skies return.

In the late afternoon, an early dinner at Five Guys on the Gatlinburg Parkway hit the spot.

It was an eventful day filled with wildlife sightings, scenic views, and delicious food.

Day Five - 5 May - leaving Gatlinburg and driving back home

In the morning, after packing bags and having a complimentary hotel (❤️ Hampton Inn) breakfast, checking out and leaving Gatlinburg early was the plan. Unfortunately, rain fell on the way back. The route through the park on Little River Road led back through Townsend, TN, and then the circuitous directions on Google Maps navigated through Maryville before getting back on I-140 and I-40 to drive back home.

Fortunately, the drive back was peaceful as it was Sunday morning and there was minimal traffic on the interstate at that time. After stopping at the Caney Fork rest area, Nashville was reached in around 4 hours or so.

Although the weather could have been better, it was still an enjoyable and memorable trip.

Using points from my Capital One Venture card, I managed to offset some travel-related expenses, which significantly reduced the overall cost of the trip.