|
Dollywood Theme Park - A visit to Pigeon Forge just isn’t complete without spending a day or two at Dollywood Theme Park. Dollywood features family fun and local culture along with renowned talent and southern foods. Our Dollywood Discount Packages make the trip affordable too!
Cades Cove - Cades Cove is the most visited part of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park--and for good reason. The idyllic setting of Cades Cove is a sampler of everything the Park has to offer the Smokies visitor. Click Here for ideas about making the most of your visit to Cades Cove in the Great Smoky Mountains.
Scavenger Hike Adventures in the Great Smoky Mountains
www.smokymountainscavengerhike.com
Enjoy adventure travel in the Smokies to the fullest extent by planning a hiking vacation or just an afternoon of family fun! This great hiking adventure book will lead you on easy, moderate, and strenuous hikes through the Great Smoky Mountain National Park, with the added twist of a scavenger hunt. Authors John & Kat LaFevre have compiled directions, history, and little known facts about each trail to help you enjoy the splendor of the Smoky Mountains! Click here to see how your reservation at The Resort at Governor's Crossing can earn you a FREE Scavenger Hike Adventure Book!
ATV, Jeep & Hummer Rentals / www.southlandcarandjeeprental.com
Big Toys for Big Boys! Southland Car and Jeep Rentals offers you the adventure of the Smoky Mountains with Motorcycles, Scooters, Jeeps, Geo Trackers and a big Hummer H2! We supply helmets and all of our cars and professionally cleaned for your convenience. If you crave adventure, come on by Southland Car and Jeep Rentals!
Canoe Rentals / www.mountainviewcanoes.com
Fun for the whole family! Experience the breathtaking views and natural habitat of this unique and thriving ecosystem. See soft-shelled turtles and bald eagles while being entertained and cared for by our fun-loving expert staff. Come prepared for fun at Mountain View Canoes!
Rafting in the Smokies / www.raftinginthesmokies.com
Take an adventure on a raft through the Great Smoky Mountains! Rafting in the Smokies has been operated by professional rafters since 1978. Feel the excitement as one of Rafting in the Smokies' guide takes through a thrilling ride on the Big Pigeon, Nantahala, and Ocoee Rivers. If you're looking for fun in the Smoky Mountains, try Rafting in the Smokies!
Smoky Mountain Rafting / www.smokymountainrafting.com
The Pigeon River makes an excellent opportunity for adventure, with 6 and a half miles of beautiful scenery it makes the perfect white water ride! At Smoky Mountain Rafting, we provide all that you need to get your trip started on the right foot. All trips include an experienced guide and equipment. For a trip the family can enjoy, check out Smoky Mountain Rafting!
Horseback Riding / www.waldenscreekridingstables.com
Wow, where do we start? Walden's Creek Riding Stables is a true southerner or westerner's dream come true. Of course there are horses to ride, but there are also hay rides, bonfire suppers and even a Western Wedding for those lovers dedicated enough! If you want to experience a true western experience, make your plans to try Walden's Creek Riding Stables!
Plane Ride / www.asmokiesplaneride.com
Have a family adventure and choose an airplane ride for thrilling family fun during your Pigeon Forge or Gatlinburg Vacation in the Smokies. A great way to witness all of the natural beauty of the Appalachian Mountains! Call 865-661-3848 for more information.
All About Cades Cove Courtesy of CadesCove.net
Location: When you enter Cades Cove, you will be at the northeast end of the one way loop near Sparks Lane. Sparks Lane is one of two roads that cut directly across the loop, the other being Hyatt Lane. If you turn left on Sparks Lane a short drive will take you to the exit of the Cades Cove Loop. It affords the Smokies visitor a chance to return to the store, bike rental and restroom in case by chance you missed it when entering the Cades Cove area.
About Cades Cove
Cades Cove is the most visited part of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park--and for good reason. The idyllic setting of Cades Cove is a sampler of everything the Park has to offer the Smokies visitor. Interesting Tennessee cabins and other pioneer structures dot this cove and tell the history of its early inhabitants. Wildlife is abundant. More than a dozen hiking and horseback riding trails originate in Cades Cove. The Smoky Mountains, which tower above picturesque Cades Cove, serve as guardians to the Cove's serene beauty; and the splendor of color when Mother Nature empties her paint buckets on the Cove's hardwoods in the Fall is unmatched! Cades Cove is home to trout streams to tease the fly- fishing enthusiast and campgrounds are available for those who want to live in Cades Cove--even if only temporarily. In addition, Smoky Mountain cabin rentals found on this web site gives the opportunity for tourists to hark back to the former inhabitants of The Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
The Cove is best seen via Cades Cove Loop Road, which is a one way paved lane that skirts the bottoms of the forested mountains which surrounds the fields of the valley floor. The Loop Road takes Smokies vacationers on a historical tour of early pioneer farms, fields, roads and trails, leaving the Smokie's visitor with the feeling that they have witnessed something wonderful and wholesome.
Cades Cove Loop is open to auto, bicycle and foot traffic every day of the year from sunup to sundown with a few exceptions. The Great Smoky Mountain National Park has designated that May through September on Wednesdays and Saturdays, the loop is reserved for hikers and bicyclist from sunup to 10am only. Auto traffic on those days is permitted in Cades Cove after 10am. Expect to spend one to two hours for the Cades Cove auto tour including a few stops along the way. Hikers and bicyclists will of course spend considerably more time in this Smoky Mountain paradise. Bicycles can be rented for a small fee at the Visitors Center at the beginning of Cades Cove.
Cades Cove Hiking Trails
Planning is an important part of hiking in Cades Cove. For safety reasons, inform someone which hike you are taking and make sure they will check to see if you return on time. Depending on what hike in Cades Cove you want to go on it may be necessary make reservations at backcountry campgrounds. People who plan day hikes do not
need reservations.
The officials of The Great Smoky Mountain National Park advise hikers of Cades Cove to bring comfortable walking shoes, high energy food, a flashlight, a whistle, a knife, first aid kit, extra clothing, matches, water, raingear, trail maps and a compass. To aid in your planning, a complete list of Cades Cove hiking trails follows. More essential information about hiking in the Smokies, including a map can be purchased from cadescove.net.
Abrams Falls
The Abrams Falls hike begins at a field at stop number ten on the Cades Cove loop. The waters at the destination of this hike, Abrams Falls, make an interesting 20-foot drop to the pool and stream below.
Ace Gap
The Ace Gap hike is one of the most peaceful trails that Cades Cove has to offer. It is about five and a half miles in length, and is down Cades Cove loop and up Rich Mountain Road. Near the trailhead, Smokies hikers pass Bull Cave, the largest cave in Cades Cove. The bottom of the cave is fully five hundred feet from the surface almost straight down.
Anthony Creek Trail
The Anthony Creek Trail starts at the beginning of the Cades Cove in the picnic area and goes three and a half miles up Bote Mountain for a 3000 altitude gain. Hikers should anticipate the need for water as this can be a strenuous hike.
Cades Cove Nature Trail
The Cades Cove Nature Trail is particularly beautiful in the spring when the dogwoods bloom and also in the Fall when the Sourwoods and Maples turn a beautiful red. This Smokies trail one of the best hikes for those who want to stretch their legs, learn about Cades Cove, and yet not get tired out.
Gregory Bald Hiking Trail
Gregory Bald is a high meadow that was used in the summer for cattle grazing by the Cades Cove farmers. There are several trails that go to Gregory Bald. This particular trail affords a steady four and a half mile climb to the bald through pine and hardwood forest.
|
