Smokey Mountains Camping Trip

Hey TacomaWorld,

We are planning a week long camping trip in the Smokey Mountains. Plan to do some camping, hiking, and hit some trails in the Tacoma.

Looking for suggestions on places to go: trails, camping spots, dive bars/restaurants, etc.

What are your favorite places?

 

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...ern-nc-south-eastern-tn.454047/#post-13517879

We've been there a bunch of times now, last year was the first time in the truck so we hit some trails. Most are just gravel trails. you're best bets for non paved roads are in Pisgah, Nantahala, Cherokee national Forests. They all have maps you can download that map out the trails. nothing too different from the forest roads you might run into in Bald Eagle, Tiadaghton, or Tioga state forests up here in PA if you've been up that way (see you are from PA).

Head out to caves cove early, and you may see some bears. When you get to Cades Cove, after you do the loop, go around again and take the exit to richland road. That's a nice trail. you can also take Parson's branch to 129 (tail of the dragon, hell of a road: move over for the bikes that want to have some fun) and take that to Deals gap and into Fontana Dam. That's a great area in the western part of the Smokies. Both richland and Parson' branch are nice gravel trails.

Take the Roaring for motor trail early in the morning as well. By early, before 8. We've always seen bears in Cades Cove and Roaring Fork in the AM. Don't go much later than 9 or so for either of those loops. you'll be stuck in so much traffic you won't have any fun and there will be no places to park.

Definitely worth taking Cataloochee valley and see some elk. We usually get there by 7 am.


Our favorite hikes are grotto falls, alum cave, and chimney tops.

Make sure you honk in the tunnels. Drive both north and south on the newfound gap road. some of the sights are better going south to north, and some are better going north to south just based on how you approach the sights and vistas.

This is going to be BUSY times up there. Don't drive through Gatlinburg during the day.
If you are coming from the park, There's a parking lot, JUST at the exit of the park into Gatlinburg. We park there and walk in during mid day (In the park, not outside. the one outside you have to pay). There are plenty of places to pull over and park before Gatlinburg in the park to pull over and walk in. After 7pm or so, traffic isn't bad at all.

I'd avoid going into the Smokies through Pigeon Forge. Come in from the NC side or come 40 south from 81, to 321. its a litte bit out of the way but traffic can be really bad. Coming in from 441 through Seveirville into Gatlinburg is going to be hell this time of year. We've gone in and out through there but only before 8 am or after 6 pm. Otherwise the visitor traffic is really bad. The first time we headed up, around 2011, we made that mistake and it took us almost 2 hours to get from Pigeon Forge into Gatlinburg, which should only be 30 minutes without traffic. We've been down there 4 times now since then and usually stay about 5-10 days once we are down.

Restaurants: Hogs and honey's has always been the first stop we make in the smokies. It's the closest bar to the parking garage in town.
We've avoided most of the restaurants on the main strip in Gatlinburg.

Check out the sunrise at Newfound gap overlook. It's nice because the timezone is just in between EST and central, so sunrise is about 30 to 45 minutes after sunrise you may be used to in PA. Another nice early morning hike is up to Clingman's dome. Try to get there by 8:30 or so. Any earlier and the clouds won't be out of the way and you can't see anything. Anything after 10/11 and you might not find parking. After you are done at Clingman's walk down Forney's ridge to Andrew's Bald. Another great vista but you want to plan of getting there later in the morning. Anything before 9:00 or so and the clouds won't be baked off.

where are you camping at. I'm sure more advice can be given once people know where you are staying. have fun.

 

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/richland-rd-staging-area.149919/

 

Thanks!!!! @Barcared

Great information. This will be our first time in the Smokies. We have done similar trips in the past but are really looking forward to this trip. The parking and traffic information will save us a ton of time! Looking forward to seeing some wildlife too!

Hopefully camping around the Smokemont Campground area.

Anyone ever stop in Asheville, NC?

 

Check out Hurricane Creek. 30-45 mins from Asheville
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/hurricane-creek-trail-western-nc.466745/

 

I've never seen that campground, but it's right off the onaluftee. Asheville's a nice town. Worth a walk through. If you are coming in from there, try this on for size: head southwest on route 74 to Balsam NC. Pick up the blue ridge pike in Balsam to the park. Look for Heintooga road, and take that to Balsam mountain road. That's a nice gravel road has some good scenery. you won't see much traffic on that loop and it will give you a behind the scenes look into the smokies. As you ext Balsam, take 1410 (around Mingo falls) and take it until you see the blue ridge again. Take that last 500 feet or so of blue ridge into the park. Heintooga is one way so it's the only way to do it. It's worth taking the extra little bit of time to take that road into the part if you are already coming in from the southern entrance to the park. It's a quiet road. I'd be surprised if you saw another car in town. It's a different way in to the park, that a lot of people don't get to experience. It shouldn't take you more than an hour if you went straight through but we stopped and looked, a LOT.

If you want, you can hike through Mingo Falls. It's a short hike. We went to the Smokies gambling that the government shutdown would be called off one year. It wan't, so we hiked what we could, and ended up hiking through Mingo falls. I don't know that we would have done it if other parts of the park was open. We were lucky though. NC and TN got together enough funds to open the park a few days after we got there.

Not too much to do in Cherokee, NC, good place to get gas.There's a good place for breakfast. Peter's or Pete's or something but otherwise its pretty quiet save for the casino.

DO take a trip into Gatlinburg around the evening. The town is setup nice for halloween around this time. There's a little area called "The Village" and it's nice to walk around there in the evening. The smell of "moonshine" mash cooking fills the air. But, guess it's really not "moonshine" if it's legal. just a little marketing ploy to sell unaged corn whisky for $25 a pop, but the entertainment at the moonshine stores are worth it.



These were some Elk that we spotted around the entrance to the campground you guys are staying at. I remember because we were looking for signs for a picnic area up the road from that campground to make lunch. It was probably around 10:30 or so and I remember because my wife wanted to stay in the campground the next time we went as we saw them. But then, princess read there were no showers there and said no thanks. But, I guess we are climbing up there in age and can't fault her for wanting a warm shower in the morning. You might also see some elk later in the morning around a fenced in area at the southern most entrance visitor's center. But damn, its worth it to head out to cataloochee to see the whole harem in their environment, like below. there are signs in cataloochee that say keep your distance but they just come up to you, snort "whats up" and then just walk away.





This is the downhill run at Balsam mountain road heading into 1410.



This was an overlook off heintooga. There were no other cars coming so we took out the cooler, fired up our dual fuel stove and made lunch before we headed out again. We were there for a good bit and maybe 1 other vehicle passed by us.

Have FUN!

 

Check out the "Road to Nowhere". Some cool history and a neat hike through an abandoned tunnel, built by the forest service and never finished.

 

Great pics and info! What time of day did you see those elk? Gotta love red Tacoma...

We plan on picking up a print map of the area. How is service for GPS/cell?

Anyone ever hear of Max Patch?

 

Get a USFS map for Nantahala NF, available at any District Office. It’ll have all the FS roads. Color has peaked but the Cherohala Skyway is nicer than the BR Parkway in my opinion. Horse Cove is a nice streamside campground near Joyce Kilmer Mermorial Forest (good hikes). Several free dispersed sites along the road to the campground if you want more privacy. FS81 is a great drive with several branches to explore a bit and it also has dispersed sites. You can follow it towards TN and link up with FS roads in Cherokee NF that will lead to Bald River Falls.

Someone mentioned Parsons Branch Road out of Cade’s Cove but I’m pretty sure it’s closed. The Cove is still worth a visit and the hike to Abrams Falls is nice.

 

Mt lecont or Charlie’s bunion are great hikes. I am actually going to lecont on the 12th.

 

Go E out of Gatlinburg on 321, turn right on 32 and you can work your way over to I40 through some interesting terrain.

Lots of small roads N of there, between 32 and Lindsey Gap Road.

 

Thanks for the info everyone! We just got back from our trip and had a great time!

Will update with more pics and info soon!

 

Come back in the summer and get in some whitewater rafting. The southeast has some epic whitewater to go along with the off-roading!