Camping Ideas – Great Smoky Mountains National Park

RV Vacations to Great Smoky Mountains National Park

With eight hundred miles of hiking trails, plus fantastic opportunities for fishing, camping, and wildlife photography, this National Park has become a favorite with our RV rental customers. Tour companies within the Park also offer horseback riding tours and buggy rides along the mountain roads, so don’t worry that you’ll have to see the Smokies on foot!

Scenic auto tours, as well, offer everyone a chance to take in the peaceful, ancient beauty of these mountains. There’s an amazing variety of wildlife to enjoy, with black bears, salamanders and dozens of other creatures making their home in the Park.

Save Money on Vacation!

Admission to Great Smoky Mountain National Park is free to all visitors. Free admission to the Park, plus an affordable motorhome rental, make this trip possible for most vacationers. The Parks Service does charge a fee for camping, but the rates are minimal (especially when compared to staying in area hotels!).

Let us help you plan a reasonably priced vacation to Great Smoky Mountain National Park this year. Just call our toll-free number below to get things started.

Your First Visit to Great Smoky Mountains National Park

This vast Park ranges for hundreds of miles on both sides of the Tennessee/North Carolina border. On your first visit, why not hit the highlights, with plans to come back soon to see the rest?

You could, for example, spend your time hiking to more than a dozen waterfalls found within the Park. These falls, ranging from ten-story drops to fast-moving fountains, are a favorite destination for visitors to Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

RV campers also enjoy the photo opportunities at the Park, capturing animals, flowers, trees and mountain sunsets for their vacation memories. There are year-round possibilities for every level of photographer, whether your “perfect shot” is a mountain meadow at sunrise or a frozen waterfall.

Families will find exciting activities for the kids each time they visit the Park. Park Rangers there offer workshops for every age group during the summer. You’ll also find a fascinating collection of historic buildings and places that mark the lives of those who’ve called the Smokies “home”. Some of these historic sites are actually located on a Cherokee Indian Reservation, the perfect opportunity to teach the kids a little Native American history.

And it wouldn’t be a trip to the Smokies without immersing your family in the Appalachian culture. Area celebrations like the Dumplin Valley Bluegrass Festival in Kodak, TN and the Gatlinburg, Tennessee Craftsmen’s Fair keep alive the music, food and art of the mountain people.

Waterfalls You’ll Want to See

Did we mention there are more than a dozen scenic waterfalls within Great Smoky Mountains National Park? Here’s a quick list of some of the most popular:

• Laurel Falls – This eighty-foot waterfall is very popular with Park visitors during spring and summer, when thousands of mountain laurel blossoms mark the trail.
• Ramsey Cascades – If you’re able to hike a strenuous eight-mile trail, get ready for an awe-inspiring view of one-hundred foot high Ramsey Cascades. Watch for salamanders in the pool below, as well as abundant wildlife along the trail.
• Rainbow Falls – Hiking the trail to Rainbow Falls is definitely worth the effort. The mist created by the Falls reflects rainbow colors in the sunlight and creates the potential for spectacular photos.
• Indian Creek Falls – Families with active kids can let them work off some steam on the easy trail to Indian Creek Falls. You’ll actually find two Falls on your journey—Toms Branch Falls is easily visible along the trail.
• Abrams Falls – Whitewater rushes two stories down the side of the mountain to form Abrams Falls. This moderate hiking trail travels from the top of the falls down to the pool below, and should thrill avid nature photographers.

Scenic Overlooks

The sheer size of Great Smoky Mountains National Park makes it perfect for scenic driving tours. Here are two of the routes our customers have enjoyed most:

• Newfound Gap Road – This route winds its way along mountain ridges from Tennessee into North Carolina. Especially scenic are the untouched forests and meadows along the way. Be sure to take the side trip to the observation tower near the top of Clingman’s Dome, the highest point in the Smokies.
• Cades Cove Loop Road – The Loop around this meadow gives visitors the chance to see a well-preserved historic mountain village. Be on the lookout, too, for black bear, deer and coyotes that frequent the meadow. Bicyclists will want to make the trip on Wednesday or Saturday morning, when the Loop is closed to motor traffic.

Hiking Trails

Besides the trails leading to the Park’s waterfalls, there are hundreds of miles of hiking possibilities. One of the most famous is, of course, the Appalachian Trail, which crosses the Park on its way from Georgia to Maine. Several of the most popular hiking trails cross this venerable hiking route, so don’t miss your chance to travel along the best known trail in America.

We’ve collected a few more trail recommendations from our motorhome rental customers:

• Silers Bald Trail: If following a trail along a remote mountain ridge sounds enticing, Silers Bald Trail is a ‘don’t miss’ hike. From Clingman’s Dome to Siler’s Knob, you’ll have a birds-eye view you won’t soon forget.
• Elkmont Blanket Mountain Trail: This trail promises ecosystems galore, from mountain meadows to old-growth forests. It’s not for novices, but it offers veteran hikers a colorful mountain trail experience.
• Chimney Tops Trail: If you’re looking for scenery that will take your breath away, climb the trail to Chimney Tops. At nearly five thousand feet in elevation, this trail reveals some of the best scenery in the Smokies.

We’ve only scratched the surface of outdoor activities available at Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Kayakers and canoe paddlers will find pristine streams and rivers just waiting to be conquered. Just outside the Park boundaries, mountain bikers will also find trails that will challenge the best cyclists.

Come to the Smoky Mountains soon; we make it simple to relax in motorhome comfort by arranging the perfect RV rental for you. Pick one of a dozen campgrounds in the Park and let us help you make your reservation, too.

Where to Find More Information about Great Smoky Mountains National Park
 

We’ve pulled together the best resources to help you plan your trip. For detailed information on hiking trails and other outdoor activities, be sure to visit the Great Smoky Mountains online hiking guide.

You’ll also find a wealth of information about the Park at the National Parks Service site. We can help you plan your trip, as well, so don’t hesitate to call us at (888) 337-2214.

There’s a reason Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the most visited National Park site in the US. Plan your trip with us today, and get ready to find out why.