Tourism Information for the Gathering of LDotters
East Tennessee is a popular tourist destination area. For those who are coming to the Gathering, you might consider spending a few extra days to better enjoy the sights and attractions of the Smokies and nearby areas.
Here is a summary of some of the things that you can see and do in Townsend, Pigeon Forge, Sevierville, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, a few other east Tennessee locales, as well as western North Carolina:
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a national treasure. It has been sometimes stated that there are more species of life in the Smokies than in all of Europe. (I suspect that this is an exaggeration, although I do not know for sure. It is definitely NOT an exaggeration with regard to certain categories of plant and animal life.) Although most of the Park is second-growth timber, it still contains some of the largest remaining blocks of old-growth forest, and some of the largest areas of wilderness, in the eastern United States. There are over 800 miles of hiking trails, over 600 miles of trout streams, eight endangered species (and many rare or threatened ones), mountains exceeding 6500 feet in height, waterfalls, historic buildings, and much more. It is the most visited national park in the United States, receiving over twice as many visitors as the second most popular park, the Grand Canyon.
Cades Cove and Nearby Areas:
Cades Cove is one of the most popular locations in the entire National Park System. By itself it has more than two million visitors each year, more than all but a very few National Parks. The Cove is a flat, limestone glade surrounded by mountains. There is an eleven-mile long loop road in the Cove. (The loop road is not open on Wednesday mornings and Saturday mornings to motor vehicles, but is open then to bicycles and pedestrians. The Cove is particularly crowded with traffic on summer weekends, especially during July and August, and also during fall colors weekends in October.)
Within the cove one can usually see numerous whitetail deer, especially in the early morning or late evening hours. One can occasionally also see turkeys, woodchucks, and other animals--even black bears. (We typically see black bears about once every four to five visits. We have also seen foxes, raccoons, otters, coyotes, even red wolves before an experimental reestablishment effort was abandoned and the wolves recaptured.)
Also within the Cove are numerous historic buildings from pre-Park days. There is a Visitor Center at about the midway point of the loop road. Near the visitor's center is the Cable Mill Historic Area, with an old mill and various other historic buildings. On a side road before one reaches the visitor center, there is the trailhead to Abrams Falls.
There are many places that one can take decent photographs within the Cove (if the visibility is not too bad). One of the better ones is at a parking area betweem Hyatt Lane and the Visitor's Center. (The picture of the whitetail buck at the end of the announcement for the Gathering was taken from that spot.)
In addition to the loop road, two one-way gravel roads also exit the Cove. Although neither has the allure of the loop road, the Rich Mountain Road is by far the most popular of the two, and has some nice views looking back into the Cove, including one that is an often photographed view of the Primitive Baptist Church. Parson Branch Road winds through a remote portion of the Park, but has no noteworthy views. It does provide a back route to a section of Highway 129 known as
The Dragon.
Before one gets to the Cove, another road branches off and goes to Tremont, which was the site of a mountain community in pre-Park days. It is now home to an environmental education institute. The Middle Prong Trail, which begins at the end of the road, is an easy walk along an old railroad bed. (The trail is over four miles long--eight miles round trip--but walking a half mile will be sufficient for many.) The stream alongside the trail has some small but nice chutes, falls, and cascades, including a larger cascade not too far beyond the trailhead.
The Little River and Nearby Sites
Another popular drive is the Little River Road. The road extends from near the Park entrance in the Townsend area to the Sugarlands Visitor Center near Gatlinburg. The first half follows the Little River and is a very delightful drive along a mountain stream. It passes within view of Meigs Falls and alongside The Sinks. (The parking area is sometimes full at the Sinks, but people usually don't stay for extended periods, so check again on the return drive.) Along the Little River Road is also found the trailhead to Laurel Falls, a fairly easy, little less than three mile roundtrip hike with a paved walkway. (It is a popular hike, and the parking area is usually crowded and often full.) Near the Townsend entrance at an area known as the ''Wye'' is a popular swimming hole and tubing area. Also worth mentioning is Elkmont, a former summer getaway during pre-Park days. (It is accessed via Little River Road.) Although on the National Register of Historic Places, its remaining buildings are now abandoned and in disrepair. Its recent rise in popularity stems from the fact that it is one of only two known places in the world where the fireflies blink in unison. (And, yes, I am serious.) The fireflies display during a two-week period in June, coincidentally during the time of the Gathering.
Other Smoky Mountain Attractions
Highway 441, known inside the Park as Newfound Gap Road, climbs from Gatlinburg on the Tennessee side to Newfound Gap (elevation 5046 feet) before descending to Cherokee, North Carolina. A side road near the top continues to Clingman's Dome, the highest point in the Smokies and the third highest peak in eastern North America at an elevation of 6643 feet. There is a parking lot near the summit, but the quarter-mile hike to the top is a steep climb. Along the Newfound Gap Road there are quite a few nice views from various overlooks, such as the view of Mount LeConte from Campbell Overlook. One also passes The Chimneys, also known as Chimney Tops (a double-peaked mountain that is a prominent landmark along the drive), as well as the Chimneys Picnic Area--one of the nicer picnic grounds in the Park. For much of the drive the road runs alongside mountain streams--the West Prong of the Little Pigeon River on the Tennessee and the Oconaluftee River on the North Carolina side.
There are several nice waterfalls in the Park. Apart from those mentioned previously, some of the more noteworthy on the Tennesse side are Ramsey Cascades, Rainbow Falls, Place of a Thousand Drips, Baskins Falls, and Grotto Falls. Ramsey Cascades and Rainbow Falls are two of the taller waterfalls in the Park, but can only be reached by fairly lengthy, and especially in the case of Ramsey Cascades, strenuous hikes. The last part of the trail to Ramsey Cascades passes through an old-growth forest. The Place of a Thousand Drips can be seen from one's car, but does not flow well year-round. (It usually does not have nearly as much water as is seen in the picture.) Baskins Falls and Grotto Falls can each be reached via moderate hikes (with the trail to Baskins Falls being slightly more difficult). Each of the hikes are approximately three miles round trip. The trail to Grotto Falls leads through an old-growth forest.
Cataloochee, in a remote part of the eastern end of the Park, is like a miniature Cades Cove. Like Cades Cove, it was once a thriving community. (In fact, it was the largest community in what would later become the Park.) Although not as large nor as impressive as Cades Cove, it does have the advantage of being less crowded. It also has one extra draw: It is the location of an elk reintroduction program. If you come early in the morning or late in the evening, you are likely to see elk at a relatively close distance. We've been to Cataloochee once and saw several elk, including a nice bull elk, all at a distance of less than 100 yards. One of the biggest drawbacks, for some, to Cataloochee is that it is remote. One can only reach it via a narrow, winding, gravel, mountain road. (On the other hand, the advantage, to others, is that it remains secluded and off the beaten track.)
Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail (along with Cherokee Orchard Road), near Gatlinburg, is a nice, easy drive along a small but noisy mountain stream. Several trailheads for Park waterfalls are here, including Grotto Falls, Baskins Falls, and Rainbow Falls. (Be sure not to leave valuables in your car at these trailheads.)
There are about ten picnic areas in the Park. A few worth mentioning: The Chimneys Picnic Area has a nice, roaring stream. The Cades Cove Picnic Area is convenient to Cades Cove. The Metcalf Bottoms Picnic Area has a shallow stream that might be appropriate in places if you have chidren (or adults) who want to play in the stream. On the North Carolina side, the Heintooga Picnic Area (which I have not been to) is the highest picnic area in the Park, with an elevation of about a mile above sea level. It is said to have an overlook with good views.
Mid-day showers, while frequent during certain times of the year, aren't necessarily a bad thing for tourists in the Smokies if the showers don't last too long. They help to make the streams and waterfalls a nicer experience.
Townsend
Townsend is a small community--the nearest community to Cades Cove. Sites of possible interest in the Townsend area include Tuckaleechee Caverns, Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center, Townsend Visitors Center, the Laurel Valley golf course,
several horseback riding stables, and The Little River Railroad and Lumber Company Museum.1
One of the popular pasttimes for tourists in the Townsend area is tubing the Little River. Tubes can be rented from various local establishments. For the more adventuresome (and skilled), canoes and kayaks are also available for rent. (Note: While the standard tubing runs are generally reasonably safe and enjoyable, for those opting for a more extensive canoeing or kayaking experience, knowledge of the River is important. Upstream in the Park are some significant rapids. Downstream are some small mill dams with dangerous undertow below the dams.) Further afield in the east Tennessee/western North Carolina are several world class canoeing/kayaking/rafting streams including the Ocoee, Nantahala, French Broad, Big South Fork, Pigeon, and Nolichucky Rivers.
Fly fishing is also popular. Gear is available for purchase at the Little River Outfitters. They also operate a fly fishing school. Fishing supplies are also available at The Backcountry (near Dogwood Mall).
There are several craft and souvenir stores in the area. Some of these sell primarily, but not exclusively, a generic allotment of tourist items that might be found at many other tourist locations in the East, although the variety and quality of items is better than at many tourist areas. (The best and most popular of this type of store is probably Apple Valley Farms.) There are some genuine local craft outlets, however. Among these are the Wood-N-Strings Dulcimer Shop and the shops at Nawger Nob (including Smoky Mountain Woodcarvers, Smoky Mountain Creations, Jewelry by Dave Neamand, Stringtown Pottery, and Heritage Art Gallery). Some Townsend locations, such as the Mountain Sage Gallery and the booths at Dogwood Mall, also display the works of various local painters, photographers, and other artists. A newer development, Trillium Cove, has begun to attract a few local artists as well. My favorite painter in the area, although not the most publicized, is Larry Burton, who did have a shop in the Apple Valley Farms complex; however, the shop was closed when I went by recently. (It may be merely closed for the winter, as some places still do in the area.) The most well-known local artist is Lee Roberson, who, until recently, had a studio in a very nice setting off of Wears Valley Road. Within the last few years he has moved his gallery to Dogwood Mall.
There is a paved walking and bicycling trail along both sides of Highway 321 in Townsend. (Elsewhere in the county, an even more popular cycling area is found between Maryville and Walland. A public parking lot for cyclists and others using the area is located near the junction of Old Walland Highway and Ellejoy Road, behind Heritage High School and next to Coulter's Bridge. It is especially popular on Sunday mornings. [We pass by it on the way to church.] I refer to it as The Church of the Holy Bicycle.) The area has a very nice view of the Chilhowee Mountains, and relatively flat roads lead both upstream and downstream along the Little River.
1(On the topic of museums: I wasn't overly impressed with the Little River Railroad Museum. For a better museum experience, try the Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center. For an even better experience, and the best museum of local culture in East Tennessee, go see the Museum of Appalachia located in Norris, about twenty miles northwest of Knoxville.
There are numerous museums in the Knoxville area, including the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame, James White's Fort, the Frank H. McClung Museum, Blount Mansion, and the Ramsey House Plantation. Oak Ridge has the American Museum of Science & Energy and the Children's Museum of Oak Ridge. Other nearby museums include the Sam Houston Schoolhouse near Maryville, and the Tennessee Museum of Aviation in Sevierville. Some slightly different or off-beat museums in the area include
Floyd Garrett's Muscle Car Museum (in Sevierville), Hollywood Star Cars Museum (in Gatlinburg), Cooter's Place (sometimes referred to as Cooter's Dukes of Hazzard Museum; located in Gatlinburg), the Elvis Museum (in Pigeon Forge), Coal Miners Museum (in Lake City), Carbo's Police Museum--complete with a Buford Pusser exhibit (in Pigeon Forge), Halsons Helicopter Museum (Pigeon Forge), Ripley's Believe It or Not Museum (Gatlinburg), the Guinness World Records Museum (Gatlinburg), the Southern Gospel Music Hall of Fame and Museum (Pigeon Forge), and The Salt and Pepper Shaker Museum (Gatlinburg). Other museums of note in the broader general area include the The Sequoyah Birthplace Museum near Vonore, and The Museum of the Cherokee Indian in Cherokee, North Carolina.
Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg, and Other Nearby East Tennessee Attractions
If one follows the scenic Wears Valley road from Townsend, one passes a nice view of Cove Mountain (although not nearly as nice as it was twenty years ago before the development of the area) and eventually comes to Pigeon Forge, then to Gatlinburg.
Pigeon Forge
Pigeon Forge is primarily an entertainment, shopping, and tourist trap area. There are various theatres with live performances--often by famous artists. The three outlet malls in Pigeon Forge (known locally by the color of their roofs) draw shoppers from a several state area. In Pigeon Forge, one can also find various arcades, miniature golf sites, and carnival-like rides.
As far as other attractions, the Dixie Stampede draws many people, but not as many as Dollywood. I actually enjoyed visiting Dollywood and have been several times. It was better than what I anticipated. The price of one day's ticket is a little more than I would like, though. If you plan on being back, a season ticket is a much better deal and not all that much more than a one-day ticket. (Personal note: My children's first ''real job'' was during the summer at Dollywood. My wife, an elementary librarian, worked there with them during her summer break. Dolly Parton came one day and had pictures made with all the workers.)
The Old Mill is a local landmark. In addition to a general store, it also has one of the nicer restaurants in the area.
Visible from parts of Pigeon Forge and nearby Sevierville (on days that ozone and other pollutant levels permit) is a magnificent view of Mount LeConte. At 6,593 feet in elevation, Mount LeConte is the third highest peak in the Smokies and the sixth highest peak east of the Mississippi River. (For the hardy, there is a lodge at the top of Mount LeConte, reachable only on foot. Reservations often need to be made up to a year or more in advance.) The abrupt change in elevation of over 5300 feet (from 1292 feet in elevation in the valley floor to 6593 feet at the top of Mount LeConte) is the greatest elevation change in so short a distance anywhere in the East, and makes Mount LeConte the tallest mountain in the East when measured from base to summit, and also one of the most picturesque.
Gatlinburg
Gatlinburg is not without its own tourist trap atmosphere, but it is clothed in a little bit more sophisticated garments than Pigeon Forge. You can still find the stereotypical T-shirt shops and such like, but the setting is a bit nicer (except that Pigeon Forge's magnificent view of Mount LeConte is missing). Gatlinburg feels more like one is in the edge of the mountains than does Pigeon Forge, in spite of it being even more crowded than Pigeon Forge. Gatlinburg also offers one of best assortments of nice restaurants in east Tennessee. One of the more noteworthy and enjoyable places to visit in Gatlinburg is Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies. It makes for a nice outing.
Other East Tennessee
A few other things to mention (and definitely not a comprehensive list) in the East Tennessee area: The Star of Knoxville riverboat makes for a nice evening outing. The Watts Bar Riverboat Company also operates a riverboat on Watts Bar Lake in the Kingston area. For a train ride, try the Three Rivers Rambler in the Knoxville area. (I have not been on either the Watts Bar Riverboat or the Three Rivers Rambler.)
There are quite a few antique shops in the area, particularly in Sevierville, but also in Walland, Maryville, and elsewhere. Farther afield, Elizabethton (in northeast Tennessee) has many antique stores, plus the Elizabethton covered bridge, and interesting local history. The Harrisburg Covered Bridge is closer, in nearby Sevier County. In central Tennessee, the towns of Franklin and Lebanon are among the chief antiquing meccas. Sweetwater, about fifty miles southwest of Townsend, has one of the larger flea markets in the South.
The Dragon (Highway 129 from Deal's Gap to Tabcat Creek) is purportedly the preeminent scenic drive in the country for motorcycle enthusiansts. (It has 318 curves in 11 miles.) Even more curvy is the Happy Valley Road, and a portion of Butterfly Gap Road between Top of the World and Walland. Although scenic, I think that the Dragon is less preferable than the Little River Road or the loop road in Cades Cove or probably even the Newfound Gap Road. Other scenic drives in the area worth considering include the Foothills Parkway and the Cherahala Skyway. For a scenic view of the Smokies, try the less curvy portion of Butterfly Gap Road running south from Top of the World. (As Butterfly Gap Road nears Montvale Road, there are a few small openings with excellent views, visibility permitting, but no pulloffs or overlooks.)
Highway 129 leading from Knoxville to Maryville (known locally as Alcoa Highway--or by some as I'll kill ya' highway) has some nice wider angle views of the Smokies (once again, visibility permitting) as one nears the McGhee-Tyson airport. One can see a wide, sweeping view of the Smokies, with the Chilhowee Mountains (a foothill range of the Smokies) in the foreground. Beyond Maryville, as one draws closer to the Smokies, the Chilhowee Mountains will eventually begin to obscure the view of the Smokies, but the drive through the Chilhowees on Highway 129, alongside the Little River, is nice. For a parallel, less-traveled road on the way back, try Old Walland Highway on the opposite side of the Little River. (To access Old Walland Highway from the Townsend area, cross the one-lane bridge near The Back Porch restaurant and turn left.)
Western North Carolina
There are also many worthwhile places to visit on the North Carolina side of the border. Tourists are usually familiar with the town of Cherokee (which, although it has some interesting places, is dominated by cheap tourist trinket shops) but are less often familiar with the shops in the charming little town of Black Mountain, or with the antiques and curiosities in Waynesville, or the rock and mineral treasure troves in Franklin.
These and other towns offer many shopping and tourist activities, but the chief draw in western North Carolina is its natural beauty--in many ways outshining even the Tennessee side of the Smokies. Western North Carolina has the tallest mountain chain east of the Mississippi River (the Black Mountains), the tallest mountain in the East (Mount Mitchell), arguably the nicest mountain streams (including the Nantahala River, Snowbird Creek, Santeelah Creek, and Little Santeelah Creek), perhaps the nicest old growth forest (Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest), the most waterfalls, and (at least according to some definitions) the tallest waterfall in the East (Whitewater Falls2).
2Because of a problem with definitions, some other waterfalls or bridal veils also have some claim to that title, including Fall Creek Falls (in Tennessee, 256 feet), Hickory Nut Falls (in North Carolina, 404 feet), Amicalola Falls (in Georgia, 729 feet), Glassmine Falls (in North Carolina, 800 feet), Crabtree Falls (in Virginia, 1000+ feet; --not the more well-known and very impressive but much shorter [70 feet] Crabtree Falls along the Blue Ridge in North Carolina).
Mingo Falls is located on the Cherokee Indian Reservation and almost on the boundary of the National Park on the Carolina side. It has an impressive drop of 120 feet and has a very short trail, but the trail is very steep. A little further to the east, the area stretching from near Brevard and Sapphire in Transylvania County to Highlands in Macon County is ground zero for waterfalls. Transylvania County is known as ''The Land of Waterfalls'' and has over 250 waterfalls in that one county alone. Among the many in the county are Whitewater Falls (411 feet), Connestee Falls (110 feet), Twin Falls (100 feet), Drift Falls (80 feet), and Rainbow Falls (125 feet). One of the best places for waterfalls is along the Horsepasture River, which has very appropriately been designated a Wild and Scenic River. There are other nice falls in nearby counties including Cullasaja Falls (250 feet). Dry Falls, although ''only'' 80 feet tall, is one of the more impressive falls in the area due, not only to the immense volume of water flowing during wet weather, but also because one can walk behind the falls. However, the trail is currently (April 2008) closed for construction. Bridal Veil Falls are also worthy of note because you can actually drive behind the falls.
Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest was named after a soldier who was killed during World War I. Kilmer wrote the poem ''Trees'' which starts with the familiar line: ''I think that I shall never see a poem lovely as a tree...'', and ends with ''...but only God can make a tree.'' This pocket of old growth hemlock/yellow poplar forest in North Carolina is one of the nicest pieces of virgin timber in the National Forest system. I haven't been there in many years, so I don't know how badly the exotic hemlock woolly adelgid has affected the hemlocks, but the yellow poplar area was the most impressive portion of the forest anyway. If you are a treehugger (as I definitely am--which many would say is my primary failing as a conservative) or even if you are not, the main hike (a half-mile circuit) is worth a visit, especially if you aren't expecting redwoods or sequoias.
There are an unusual number of gem mines and mineral collectors in western North Carolina. Various rock and mineral stores and museums (such as Ruby City Gems and the Franklin Gem & Mineral Museum) can be found, with the Franklin area being one of the more noteworthy locales.
During the winter months, Beech Mountain provides the highest ski slopes in eastern North America. The nearby town of the same name is also the highest town in eastern North America. Western North Carolina also has other ski slopes, among them Sugar Mountain and the Cataloochee Ski Area.
Other sites to visit in western North Carolina include the Biltmore House, the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad, the Blue Ridge Parkway, and Grandfather Mountain.
Other
If one is coming to Townsend from the north or northwest, areas of interest include Cumberland Falls and Mammoth Cave, both in southern Kentucky. If coming from the west, Fall Creek Falls and Burgess Falls are decent. If coming from the south, Lookout Mountain or the quaint town of Dahlonega, Georgia might appeal.
Last but not least, once you're here be sure to take the time to find a spot along a mountain stream and just sit there, if only for five or ten minutes. Thereapeutic is not too strong a word to use.
Drive safely. We hope to see you here.