I took many family vacations as a child in and around the hazy blue mountains of North Carolina and Tennessee. But somehow I had never spent much time within the boundaries of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
That changed during Spring Break 2022, when we picked up my mom, who was born in North Carolina, and my dad, and we took a three-generational road trip to America's most-visited national park.
GSM has so many options for visitors - short hikes, overnight hikes, easy hikes, strenuous hikes, peaks and waterfalls. The days we planned to be at the park were rainy, so we only actually had one full day to hike. We wanted to avoid crowds; we wanted great mountain views; and I really wanted to see a waterfall or two.
If you have one day at Great Smoky, here is an itinerary we recommend:
From the Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge area, enter GSM at the Sugarlands Visitor Center. But instead of going straight into the visitor center, take a quick hike to Cataract Falls. At one-mile, roundtrip, this hike gives you a quick chance to stretch your legs and a preview of what you will see in the park. Then head into the visitor center to get a good map of the park (and to stamp your Park Passport).
Next, take the scenic drive to Clingman's Dome, the highest point in GSM at 6,643 feet. There is a 1.2-mile out-and-back trail that is mostly paved and steep, leading to an observation deck that straddles the Tennessee and North Carolina border. We picnicked at the base of the observation deck as we caught our breath for the much easier trek down.
The park is massive, so plan to spend time in the car exploring. The main park road meanders along a bubbling stream and has plenty of scenic places to stop along the way.
Wanting to see a waterfall, I had researched the most popular ones - Laurel Falls, Rainbow Falls, and Grotto Falls. But we wanted seclusion, and this was a busy week of travel during spring break. We opted for Spruce Flat Falls, which is anything but flat.
This 1.8-mile out-and-back trail is very steep at first. About a half mile up, you start to hear the roar of the waterfall. Minutes later, you get spectacular views of it. We only saw one other family on the trail, and we were able to spend a good 30 minutes sitting and admiring God's creation. We had the waterfall all to ourselves, a definite plus in a very crowded park.
Then, much to my boys' pleasure, we spent the rest of our time in the Smokies dodging rain showers and having some cheesy Pigeon Forge fun. We rode the Alpine Coaster, watched a Pirate dinner show, swam in the hotel's indoor pool, played chess, and enjoyed time with my parents. Mom and I even sampled delicious wine from a family vineyard while all the boys threw axes and played arcade games at Guy Fieri's Flavortown.
And then we continued our road trip, stopping at New River Gorge National Park in West Virginia and Mammoth Cave in Kentucky.
When I asked the boys what their favorite part of this adventure was, they both said, "taking Grandmother and Grandfather with us."
During my growing up years, my family camped in the Smokies each fall -- primitive camping, pit toilet, bathing in the freezing river that ran beside the campground, storing perishables in mesh bags in the river (as cold as a fridge!), playing on boulders in the river, hiking, encountering bears....there was an old cemetery and church up the road from the campground -- a fascinating glimpse at life before the area became a national park. Thank you for the reminder of fond memories!