When you think of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, you think of black bears. Or maybe salamanders. But did you know that rangers are trying to reintroduce elk into the park? Elk used to be native to the area, and roamed the Great Smokies. But in the mid-1800s, they were eliminated from the area, [...]
Are you thinking about trying to see the Great Smoky Mountains by car? Maybe you’re not able to hike, or you just want to be able to see more. If so, a driving tour may be perfect for you. There are six main sight-seeing roads in the Smokies. If you stop at any Visitors Center, [...]
I’m so glad you’re here, reading my blog! However, I can’t tell you EVERYTHING about the area — there’s just too much to tell! So I’m happy to share. Here are 11 pretty great sites for information about the Smoky Mountain area. Some of these are where I go to get information, too. If you [...]
The main road between Gatlinburg, Tenn., and Cherokee, N.C. (US 441), is scheduled to reopen by May 15. To meet that goal, contractors started working around the clock today. According to WFMYNews, there are incentives if the road damage is repaired earlier and penalties if the project falls behind schedule. The road was damaged in [...]
A new fee, $4 per person per night in the backcountry of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, took effect a few weeks ago. The decision to start charging the fee was very controversial — and opponent groups aren’t giving up yet. According to the National Parks Traveler, a group called Southern Forest Watch, is [...]
Clingman’s Dome Road in The Great Smoky Mountains National Park opened over the weekend, well ahead of the scheduled March 31 opening, according to The News Observer. The article said this: Park officials said a milder than usual winter is allowing them to open the road early. In the event of snow, the road will [...]
Heading to Gatlinburg and the Smoky Mountains for the first time? It can be overwhelming at first. But you won’t regret it! It’s our absolute FAVORITE place to visit! There’s SO much to do! To help you, I’ll be walking you through six steps to planning your trip. Take it a step at a time, [...]
A recent forum on TripAdvisor asks the following question: Looking for any input on a “must do” in Gatlinburg or the park. We will arrive on a Saturday and leave early on Wednesday and only have 3 full days in mid-March. I’m wondering how long it takes to do things. We will have several children [...]
Floods! According to The Knoxville News, part of U.S. 441 (Newfound Gap Road) washed away on Wednesday on the North Carolina side of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The road is expected to be closed for an extended period of time. According to The Hiking in the Smokies blog, the gap in the road [...]
It’s winter, a perfect time to get cozy by the fireplace in a Smoky Mountain cabin, and play a good game. I’ve got two new suggestions for you. Spot It So, my mother-in-law bought this game for my 7-year-old son’s birthday. So we all played it, and thought it was a lot of fun, a [...]