Adventure-Zone Main Map

In the whole scheme of things, viewing Nashville, Tennessee as a major Adventure-Zone hub when we have yet to visit San Francisco, Portland, Denver, Seattle or even nearby Atlanta might be a bit of a stretch for some. But, if you are thinking that, then you haven't lived, worked or played close to Nashville very much.

For starters, why would I fly to Nashville instead of a larger airport hub like Atlanta in order to get to the Smokies? Well, there are lots of reasons. If you're thinking that Nashville's airport is somewhat limited, think again. From the following cities, you can fly to Nashville, Tennessee and then drive just over 3 hours to Pigeon Forge; the gateway to the gateway to The Smokies;  Atlanta, Baltimore, Birmingham, Charlotte, Chicago Midway, Chicago O'Hare, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Ft Lauderdale, Hartford, Houston, Houston/Hobby, Jacksonville, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Memphis, Miami, Milwaukee, Minneapolis/St. Paul, New Orleans, New York/JFK, New York/LGA, Newark, Oakland, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Providence, Raleigh/Durham, San Diego, Tampa, Washington/DCA, Washington/IAD

"Yeah, but what podunk airlines does Nashville have?" you might be saying right about now. Well, here's that list; American, Continental, Delta, Frontier, Northwest, Skyway/Midwest Express, Southwest, United, US Airways.

And all though on a map, Atlanta and Nashville might seem about the same distance to the Smokies, Getting to Gatlinburg really is part of most of those millions of visitor's plans. And, Atlanta is over four hours away from Gatlinburg. And then there's the Atlanta airport. Many folks avoid the Atlanta airport for the same reason that for many years we've always tried to fly out of Chicago's Midway Airport instead of Chicago O'Hare. Crowds, parking, traffic. And one of the best reasons to avoid the Atlanta airport is you get to avoid Atlanta's traffic non-grid.

Before you label me as an Atlanta-Hater and change channels out of spite and loyalty to this Southern Sons' Famous City of the South, let me tell you that I have had many good friends that still live there and used to live there. They all love and hate it as much as I love and hate Chicago.

On to The Smokies.

Lodging. We have stayed in numerous types of lodgings in and around Gatlinburg for the twenty years that we've been going there for outdoor vacations and romantic getaways (that would be with each other). From cozy little studios and cabins all the way up to mountain hugging chalets with heart stopping views of the Smoky Mountains right off the fire placed and bedecked master bedroom. I can vouch for more than a half dozen very nice and reliable motels, hotels, cabin rentals and the list goes on...

The main thing is to read a lot, ask questions of third parties, and of course, decide how much you're going to spend before you book rooms. Gatlinburg is one of those unique getaway vacation resort towns that grew up very fast and learned that during some seasons they could charge a lot more than "the going rate", and that, of course makes the going rate to be whatever they want it to be for that season.

All though most lodgings are reasonable, some will try to charge twice what the room is worth because you didn't do your homework. The secret is to book early. All though some seasons, like the Thanksgiving and Christmas Season, and the biggest one, the fall color change season, do reasonably carry more value just out of the simple law of supply and demand, waiting until two or three weeks before you want to go watch the leaves change up on New Found Gap Road is a large mistake. You're going to pay the same amount for your one room studio as the guys up stairs paid for their two room Jacuzzi suite because they booked two or three months earlier. Simple as that.

Summary
This Adventure-Loop within the Nashville Adventure-Zone uses Gatlinburg, TN as a vacation base to visit the central and south western stretches of The Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and Little River Canyon National Preserve down in the northern tip of Alabama.

1. From the airport
Exit the Nashville airport north on Donaldson Pike and then to I-40 East. If this is a little confusing, then just remember to take I-40 towards Knoxville and Cookeville.

Less travelled/Avoid Knoxville
To avoid Knoxville's traffic, as soon as you get to within about 5 miles of Knoxville, take the I-140 bypass south and east to Maryville. In about 8-12 miles you'll run into Rt 129, turn right (south) and head into Maryville. Look for the signs that allow you to turn left (still southerly) onto Rt 35 while you're still in Maryville. Then just before you leave Maryville, you'll want to turn left (east) onto Rt 411 or left (east) onto Rt 321. 411 will take you through Sevierville on Rt 441 (there are two confusing numbers here, 411 and 441), and 321 will take you to 441 right in Pigeon Forge. 411 to Sevierville is usually faster depending on traffic and time of day, but 321 is more scenic and takes you through Townsend, right along the edge of the Smokies through Wears Valley. Townsend is considered a major entrance into the national park along the same area as Gatlinburg, but just about 12 miles further west.

Through Knoxville
Whether you stay on I-40 or take the I640 bypass to the north and around Knoxville (use your best guess and your GPS unit to judge traffic), you'll end up where 640 and 40 join up again at the east end of the Knoxville loop. From there, its around 10 miles to Rt 66 (no relation) where you'll exit at #407 and head south towards Sevierville and Pigeon Forge. Follow this through its change to Rt 441 which takes you right up ("up" as in elevation, not as in north on a map, you're still heading south) into Gatlinburg.

South on 441 towards Gatlinburg
Remember that Sevierville and Pigeon Forge have many attractions and often are a better bargain budget wise. We have stayed at the Mountains Trace Inn at the junction of 441 and Wears Valley Rd many times and even booked several of the rooms there for my nephew's wedding. There's also the Sevier County Choppers which helped Adventure-Crew shoot footage for our Smokies video feature in 2005.

2. Gatlinburg
If you are intimate with your GPS, like I am with my Tom Tom, then plan on saving the traffic light signal numbers into your GPS to help you navigate around Gatlinburg. All of the merchant maps are printed using traffic light numbers as points of reference. With some merchants, if you don't know where you are in reference to the nearest numbered traffic light, then you lose all of your Donut Friar Points and have to go all the way back to traffic light #1 to start over; what good are you?! The only traffic lights with officials numbers are the 9 lights along The Parkway running north to south and counting up, number 10 being the light closest to the national park at the south end of Gatlinburg. Yes, there are nine lights numbered 1-10. Pay attention.

Here's a sample map;

Yes, traffic light number 7 is missing. The legend is that when Branson MO was exploding in population and needed a traffic light really fast during their early years of construction, they came late at night and stole traffic light number 7.

Actually, there is a flashing caution light at that location so whomever was map drawing on the day that someone in the Chamber of Commerce decided they needed a map, allowed for growth and left #7 out. Stephanie at The Gatlinburg Chamber of Commerce wouldn't actually answer that question on the phone today and just defaulted to her "Caution Light" answer. Regardless, be advised that not all maps number the lights the same way. This partial screen grab is frmo Gatlinburg's trolly system and therefore is quite reliable. And, if someone argues with you about which light is which, claiming knowledge of th official Gatlinburg Trolly Map should carry some weight. The entire map can be found here.

There is so much to do in Gatlinburg, that it could actually support more than one Adventure-Loop unto itself. Just park you car at one of the merchants where you're going to spend some money, or one of the parking lots, and walk. All up and down the main parkway are many many shops, restaurants, and several shopping communities (I call them that).

Our favorite is The Village Just past traffic light #6, adjacent to the Pancake Pantry. A visit to The Smokies isn't complete without getting a bag of donuts from The Donut Friar to enjoy while trekking up to Clingman's Dome. I often buy another coffee mug. I currently have three Donut Friar mugs, as well as many others in family member's cabinets that I've given away as gifts. 

Yes, I'm aware that outdoors and trail mix are supposed to go better together than outdoors and doughnuts. But, I'm old school. Eat a donut, hike 5 miles. (Note the spelling of donut in both its forms).

Here's the Gatlinburg Chamber site. It is suggested that you limit your village hiking to save your strength for the first treks into the Smokies because stop number one is a half mile hike up a smooth but rather steep incline to Clingman's Dome. So, when you're ready, get back in your car and drive south on The Parkway towards The Great Smoky Mountains National Park

The Smokies
Great Smoky Mountains National Park has a moderate climate, typified by mild winters and hot, humid summers. When planning a trip to the Smokies, keep in mind that elevations in the park range from 800 feet to 6,643 feet and that the topography can drastically affect local weather. Temperatures can vary 10-20 degrees Fahrenheit from mountain base to top, and clear skies at lower elevations do not guarantee equally pleasant weather on the higher peaks. So other than snow, be prepared for anything regardless of season. Snow occurs regularly during late fall and winter, but if you're visiting during the summer the only thing you need to worry about is whether or not you brought enough water to during on the very hot and humid days or whether or not you brought enough to wear duting the rain storms. Water; it's either too much or not enough. The summer rains are classic for being real gully washers. Fall and winter can see comfortable Indian summer like lower elevations while Mt. Loconte and the  higher peaks behind it are snow capped.

3. Stop in at the Visitor's Center early on (on the right, only a few hundred feet into the park). Get some weather data, buy some blackberry jam and then get back into your car and head up New Found Gap Road. Just follow the signs to the top of the Smokies. Near where Tennessee gives way to North Carolina, is where the Clingman's Dome Rd branches off to the right.

4. Clingman's Dome is a manmade concrete structure from which one can view many miles in all directions. At 6,643 feet, Clingmans Dome is the highest point in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It is the highest point in Tennessee, and the third highest mountain east of the Mississippi. The observation tower on the summit of Clingmans Dome offers spectacular 360° views of the Smokies and beyond for visitors willing to climb the steep half-mile walk to the tower at the top.

On clear days views expand over a 100 miles. Unfortunately, the thick smoky air from the oxygen rich environment and some air pollution often limits viewing distances to under 20 miles. My wife and I hiked up this broad asphalt path. Even with our bad back and knees we made it and so can you. It's only a half mile from parking area to the very top. And what a view!

After Clingman's you can either continue south into North Carolina, down the Dragon's Tail side of New Found Gap Rd, or Rt 441. But, seeing as the next day you will be traveling by car down to Alabama to see
Clingman's Dome. ©2005 Stu Marks & Adventure-Crew

Little River Canyon, you may just want to head back down towards Gatlinburg. Before you do, make sure you enjoy the State Line park. This is located right near where the Clingman's Dome Rd branches off of 441 and includes a chance to hike a little bit on The AT.

5. The Appalachian Trail traverses 14 states from Maine to Georgia for 2,175 miles. It connects The Great Smoky Mountains National Park with The Shenandoah National Park and is the longest marked foot path in the U.S. You'll see trail heads for The AT at both the State Line park and the Clingman's Dome trail near the base of the ramp.

There's many trails throughout the park that connect to Rt 441 with parking at trail heads. On the way back down to Gatlinburg you'll see parking for the Alum Cave Trail which connects the Rainbow Fall Trail and also terminates at the Mt. Le Conte Campground Shelter; a site not accessible by car or even ORV. It's trail only, baby!
The Appalachian Trailhead near Clingman's Dome. ©2005 Stu Marks & Adventure-Crew

There's also the Cove Hardwood Trail, the Huskey Gap Trail, Old Sugarlands Trail and several others in the same area that branch off of parking areas on 441 near The Sugalands Park Headquerters and many of them lead south and east back up into the Mt. Le Conte Campground Shelter.

For dinner tonight, skip the restaurant gig and just walk down town and grab a corn dog or another street fare morsal from one of the long time established restaurants that also have open doors to The Parkway for walk-ins.

Day two. Cades Cove, Townsend, Chattanooga, Little River Canyon. Start Early! Walk in to one of the numerous breakfast places in Gatlinburg. The Pancake Emporium is one of them. If you like breakfast, you'll enjoy the fresh ingredients used by these restaurants. From the locally grown eggs from Tennessee, Kentucky, Gorgia, Alabama and North Carolina egg growers, to the wonderful maple syrup to pour over your pancakes or waffles.
6. Cades Cove. Head back up into The Smokies and turn west off 441 at the ranger's station/visitor center, but stay on Rt 23 instead of pulling into the Ranger's Station. Stay on 23 heading west through the park, following the signs for Cades Cove. Getting there early will save you literally hours of waiting for traffic. Cades Cove is a lush valley surrounded by mountains and one of the most popular destinations in the Great Smokies. Deer are almost always sighted in the fields, and observations of other wildlife, including bear, Wild Turkey, and fox are possible. A wide array of historic buildings dating back to the late 19th and early 20th centuries is scattered through-out the cove. These include a grist mill, a variety of barns, three churches, and a marvelous collection of log homes and outbuildings. An 11-mile one-way loop road takes you around the cove. Traffic will be heavy during the tourist season in summer and fall and on weekends year-round. A visitor center (open daily), restrooms, and the Cable Mill historic area are located half-way around the loop road. Numerous trails originate in the cove, including the five-mile roundtrip trail to Abrams Falls and the short Cades Cove Nature Trail. Longer hikes to Thunderhead Mountain and Rocky Top (made famous by the popular song) also begin in the cove. When finished with Cades Cove, head back up Cades Cove Rd to East Lamar Alexander Pkwy and head into Townsend.


Cades Cove. NPS

7. Townsend, Tennessee is one of the horseback riding centers of The Smokies. Two major annual events in Townsend are the Spring Festival and Old Timers Day, and the Fall Heritage Festival and Old Timers Day.   Both events are celebrations of the heritage of Townsend and the Great Smoky Mountains and are held at the Townsend Visitors Center.
Biking in Townsend. There are miles of country roads in the region around Townsend for exploring by bike. In addition, within Townsend there is an 5 mile paved bike and jogging trail along the river walk paralleling the Little River and US 321/ TN 73. The Townsend Visitors Center is on this trail. The 11 mile Cades Cove loop road within the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a favorite destination for bikers. This is a paved road with gentle slopes. It provides access to many hiking trails plus all the scenic attractions that make Cades Cove so popular: old log cabins, churches, an old grist mill, mountain streams, panoramic vistas, and many forms of wildlife.
Hiking Near Townsend. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park provides a large number of hiking trails ranging from easy to primitive - offering enjoyment for everyone from novice to experienced backwoods


A B&B near Townsend. BnBFinder.com

hikers. Following is a list of a few of the trails in the area of the park nearest Townsend. This is not intended to be a complete trail list for the park. National Park trail guide books and maps may be purchased at the Townsend Visitors Center. Pets are not allowed on hiking trails in the national park.

Easy Trails

Abrams Falls
5 miles - Starts from the Cades Cove Loop Road
12 miles - From Abrams Creek Ranger station via Cooper Road - Little Bottoms Trail

Cucumber Gap 2.5 miles - Elkmont Gravel Road
2.5 miles to Cucumber Gap Trail on the right

Laurel Falls
2.5 miles
Laurel Falls starts at Fighting Creek Gap on Little River Road above Elkmont

Schoolhouse Gap Trail
4 miles
Starts at Laurel Creek Road on the right

West Prong
5.5 miles
Begins at Smoky Mountain Institute

Moderate Trails

Ace Gap Trail
11 miles
Starts at Rich Mountain Road

Chestnut Top
9 miles
Starts at Townsend Y

Gregory Bald
9 miles via the Gregory Bald Trail
Starting on Parsons Branch Road

Middle Prong
Open-ended
Begins at Smoky Mountain Institute

Rich Mountain Trail
4.5 miles
Starts at Rich Mountain Road

Russell Field
10 miles
Starts at Cades Cove picnic area

Strenuous Trails

Gregory Bald
11 miles via the Gregory Ridge Trail
Starts in the Cades Cove area

Spence Field
11 miles - Starts from the Cades Cove picnic area
14 miles - Starts off Laurel Creek Road via Lead Cove Trail and Bote Mountain Trail

Thunderhead
14 miles
Starts Cades Cove picnic area - Spence Field Trail

Fishing Near Townsend. The Little River flowing through Townsend provides rainbow and brown trout fishing. The headwaters and tributaries of Little River rise in The Great Smoky Mountains National Park and offer some of the finest and most beautiful trout water. Abrams Creek, an excellent fishery, is only 20 minutes from Townsend. Hiking trails afford access to many smaller streams for anglers who prefer solitude. The Park covers 500,000 acres with peaks over 6,000 feet. The streams from these mountains provide 750 miles of fishable trout streams. Rainbow, brown and brook trout are the species that you will find in these clear streams. Stocking ceased in the 1970's in the Park so you will not be fishing for hatchery trout.

When finished in Townsend, or if your day needs to be shortened, just pass through Townsend and maybe eat lunch there on your way down to Chattanooga. You can get there the fast way by heading back up to I-40, or the longer but more scenic way by taking the Foothills Pkwy south which can be accessed by heading north out of Townsend on Rt 321/73 until you get to The Foothills Parkway before the town of Walland. Head south west on the pkwy. At the extreme west end of The Great Smoky Mountains N.P. you will need to decide if you've had enough of these small winding roads in which case you shouls turn north on Rt129/115 and head north and a little ways east again to Rt 411, turn west (left) and head towards Chattanooga. At a couple of places you'll have the choice to jump up to Interstate 75 to the north of 411 (Rts 72, 68, and 39 to 30 North). If not, just go all the way down to Rt 74/64/40 north into Cleveland, Tennessee, and get on I-75/I-59 continuing south and west into Chattanooga.

Lynn Camp Prong near Townsend. randrflyfishing.com

8. Chattanooga has become in the last couple of decades or so, a much more interesting and diverse place to visit. What was once a pass through town on the way to Atlanta or Nashville along I-65, or Knoxville or Birmingham on I-85, is now a destination stop in its own right. Theres several outdoor venues like Fort Oglethorpe, Lookout Mountain, Harrison Bay State Park on Lake Chickamauga, Signal Mountain, Russel Cave National Monument, The River Pier extends 140 feet out over the Tennessee River designed by architect Jamie Carpenter, each of its seven light masts is two feet in diameter and 40 feet tall, Coolidge Park features a beautifully restored antique carousel, a pavilion and an interactive fountain, and Cloudland Canyon State Park. But there's also a wonderful world class aquarium right in Chattanooga and, Connecting First Street to the Hunter Museum of American Art, the Holmberg Pedestrian Bridge features a translucent illuminated walking deck.

Continuing south west out of Chattanooga on Interstate 59, you're going to cross into Georgia and then Alabama within a span of just a few minutes. At exit 222 head south on Rt 11/7 into Fort Payne, AL. Then head south on Rt 35 to Little River Canyon Pkwy only a few miles out of town on the right.

Chattanooga, TN. fcds.org

9. Little River Canyon National Preserve. Little River Canyon National Preserve is one of the deepest, most extensive canyon and gorge systems east of the Mississippi. Little River flows for almost its entire length atop Lookout Mountain in northeast Alabama and is the nation's longest mountaintop river. The river and canyon systems are spectacular Appalachian Plateau landscapes any season of the year. Forested uplands, waterfalls, canyon rims and bluffs, stream riffles and pools, boulders, and sandstone cliffs offer settings for a variety of recreational activities. Natural resources and cultural heritage come together to tell the story of the Preserve, a special place in the Southern Appalachians. The Preserve offers sanctuary to a number of rare plants and animals such as the Green Pitcher Plant (a carnivorous rare and endangered plant), the Kral’s Water Plantain (an aquatic plant found nowhere else in the world), and the Blue Shiner (a blue minnow that is rare and endangered).

The difference between a “National Park” and a “National Preserve” is that a preserve offers hunting and direct resource manipulation whereas a park does not. The Preserve has a Backcountry (Wildlife Management Area) consisting of a little more than 8,000 acres located north of the canyon that allows hunting. Before the Preserve came to be, hunting had been an established practice and so it was written into the legislation when it became a National Preserve. Hunters follow the rules and regulations set by the Alabama Game and Fish Division, and are monitored by Game and Fish and National Park Service Rangers.

Probably the biggest draws to the Preserve are the series of eight overlooks along the scenic 23 mile drive (Highway

Little River Canyon. tourdekalb.com

176), Little River Falls, and Canyon Mouth Day Use Area. You will be able to see 45-foot waterfalls, catch site of, or be one of those kayaking down the river, join in bird watching a variety of birds, swim, get in some rugged hiking or just take some beautiful outdoor pictures. The Preserve offers World Class whitewater kayaking or rafting, (late fall/winter/early spring 3+ to a 6 in difficulty). There is also rock climbing, horseback riding, fishing, photography, mountain biking, picnicking or just enjoying the outdoors. All activities in the Preserve are at the visitors own risk. ATV’s are also allowed, but follow the park’s guidelines and a free permit will be needed.

DeSoto State Park is located within the boundaries of Little River Canyon National Preserve and offers a lodge, restaurant, cabins, chalets, motel, campgrounds, nature center, swimming pool, country store and a gift shop. The combination of the State Park and the Preserve allow you to experience nature comfortably or ruggedly.

Now that you've had a very full day or two running between The Smokies and Little River Canyon, the shortest way back to Gatlinburg for you would be to just go back the way you came using I-59 to I-75, then to 441. But, there's an alternative.

Even though the North Carolina side of the Smokies is for another day and another Adventure-Zone, probably one to be addressed early next year if not sooner, you could still decide to get back to Gatlinburg from Little

DeSoto State Park, AL. indexinn.com

River Canyon by traveling up to Chattanooga on I-59, then to I-75 like normal, and then at exit #20 take the Lee Hwy/Rt 75 east to 441 which heads up into the Smokies from Cherokee, North Carolina.

Another alternate plan of action is to wait until the last day of your Nashville, Tennessee Adventure-Zone; The Smokies West Loop to visit Little River Canyon State Preserve. Check out of your Gatlinburg lodge, and then head down to Chattanooga and down into Alabama to see Little River Canyon. When you're finished there, you could drive back up to Chattanooga and then shoot straight up I-24 all the way to Nashville and take the Briley Pkwy (exit 54) north east to the airport. Or, just stasy in Nashville for an extra day. In a future Adventure-Loop I'll be shedding more light on much to do about Nashville.