Clinton, Tennessee

The foothills parkway runs parallel to the Great Smoky Mountains. It is approximately 30-miles in total. There are a few different places to get on to the parkway. There is one entrance near Fontana, Walland, Wears Valley, and Cosby. However Cosby is a smaller section and does not link to the oth...

One of the biggest perks of hiking Abrams Falls is the drive to get there. The trailhead is located approximately 5 miles into the scenic Cades Cove Loop. Cades Cove is an adventure in itself. Keep your eye out for black bears, deer and wild turkey. If you are taking the self guided auto tour, Ab...

This trail is located in Big South Fork National Recreation Area. This is more of a walk than a hike. The entire trail is paved except for the wooden boardwalk overlook at the end. The overlook shows the gorgeous views of the river valley and some of the rock formations in the area. The trail is ...

Cade's Cove is a valley located smack in the middle of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Feel free to drive the 11 mile loop in the day, but if you're really cool, you'll schedule your trip around a full moon so you can bike under the light of night! Allow yourself a few hours to explore a...

This is an awesome trip because it allows you get a little taste of what it could have been like to explore the nation by waterway hundreds of years ago. Paddling as a means of traveling is an ancient practice. You are able to glide through nature, more a part of it rather than an unwelcome intru...

Parking available off of Little River Gorge Road (State Hwy. 73) at The Sinks/Meigs Creek Trailhead. The trail starts with winding elevation gain until it crests around 1 mile into the hike (notice pine trees at higher elevation). After the crest it starts descending towards Meigs Creek. While f...

Whiteoak Sinks is an out-and-back trail that provides a good opportunity to view wildlife located near Townsend, Tennessee.

Rocky Top is known to be the spot that inspired the famous fight song of the University of Tennessee, which is also an official song for the state of Tennessee.  The trailhead for this hike begins in the Cade’s Cove picnic area parking lot towards the back side. There are a few parking spots ri...

Start your hike at Anthony Creek Trailhead (elevation 1,800 ft), in the Cade’s Cove area. The trailhead is located at the far end of the day-use picnic area near Cade’s Cove campground. There are a few parking spots right at the trailhead, but note that the picnic area closes at dusk (a gate clos...

To get to Spruce Flats Falls, you will want to drive down 2.2 miles down the scenic Tremont Road to the Great Smoky Mountains Institute and park in the visitor center parking area. You will then want to ascend up the gravel road past the sign that says restricted to unrestricted traffic (meaning ...

The Gregory Bald summit is indisputably picturesque – the 10-acre meadow at the top hosts magnificent azalea blooms in June, wild blueberries in August, and views of Cades Cove, Rich Mountain, Fontana Lake, Thunderhead Mountain, and Clingmans Dome, year-round. Start this hike at the Gregory Ridg...

This beautiful, 110-foot waterfall is an easy 15-minute walk from the parking area. Note that the walk down to the falls, although short, is steep and there isn’t a well-marked trail down. It’s more about choosing the path of least resistance.  Also, it can get quite busy in the summer time espec...

Starting at a very small parking space, you head onto a fairly overgrown trail for half a mile. The trail then begins to thin out and is not as overgrown. Keeping a steady incline, you almost instantly feel the burn in your calves.  At around 2 miles in, there is a single grave from a baby that ...

One of the best trails in the Smokies is the Middle Prong Trail. The trail passes three major waterfalls, in addition to numerous smaller falls, cataracts and cascades. Once you've parked, you'll start at the trail head and immediately see your first cascade. From the trailhead hikers will cro...

This straightforward, yet scenic hike follows a paved trail to the falls, which is among the most popular in the park. This trail can be especially crowded during the summer, so be sure to arrive early. Keep an eye out for a few steep drop-offs on either side of the trail along the way. There ha...

Starting on the AT at just under 6,000 feet and ending at Fighting Creek Gap, just under 2,300 feet in elevation, the Sugarland Mountain Trail is a grand descent from the high divide of the Smokies. The spruce-fir forest where the trail begins is a remnant of the last ice age, when a cooler clima...