Planning A Rocky Top Vacation

Bring your camera. You'll want to capture the waterfalls, sunsets and sunrises.

Stop in at the modern Park Headquarters where videos, brochures and helpful park rangers will answer all your questions about safe wildlife viewing and where to see the wild animals.

Sunset photo by Robert Crootof/overlook along highway US441 and Clingmans Dome Road.

Buy at AllPosters.com

Mountain Farm Museum, Cades Cove, Cataloochee, or the Roaring Fork area are open for tours. Homes, farms, churches, and other structures built by early settlers.

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park's official online store has books, maps, and guides to the park. Operated by the nonprofit Great Smoky Mountains Association, proceeds generated by purchases at the store are donated to educational, scientific, and historical projects in the park.

Photo of Mountain Farm Museum by Kent Cave.

Have you got a Brook in your little heart,
Where bashful flowers blow,
And blushing birds go down to drink,
And shadows tremble so --

And nobody knows, so still it flows,
That any brook is there,
And yet your little draught of life
Is daily drunken there --

Why, look out for the little brook in March,
When the rivers overflow,
And the snows come hurrying from the hills,
And the bridges often go --

And later, in August it may be --
When the meadows parching lie,
Beware, lest this little brook of life,
Some burning noon go dry!

poem written probably 1859 by Emily Dickinson

Cades Cove is a lush valley nestled within the Great Smokies. Deer are almost always in the fields.

One mid-afternoon, when I was at work, I had to take a break to shake off stress that was getting the best of me. I drove over, parked my car not far from one of the old homesteads at Cades Cove. Breathing in the mountain air and watching the Little Pigeon on my 30-minute drive already working miracles. I walked up the hill away from people, cars and any other sign of life, to the old house and sat down on the porch. Deep in thought. Eventually, I looked up.

Much to my surprise, I was surrounded by about 75 deer all facing me, staring at me, most of them chewing. I had been sitting still so long, they must have not been sure I was alive.

Other wildlife, including bear, Wild Turkey, and fox roam the Cove. Park officials ask that you use pullouts when viewing wildlife so not to block the road, and never approach or feed animals.

Tip: Plan at least one day to arrive at Cades Cove at dawn to see more deer than you can count. When my husband and I drove over one day a couple of years ago, we found ourselves waiting in the car for a little fawn to finish eating the acorns in front of us on the road before we could drive on.

Historic buildings dating to the late 19th and early 20th centuries are scattered through-out the cove. These include a grist mill, a variety of barns, three churches, and a many log homes and outbuildings.

An 11-mile one-way road takes you around the cove. Traffic is 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.

You'll find designated back-country campsites (camping by permit only from the rangers stations) located along trails.

Only bicycle and foot traffic are allowed on the loop road from sunrise until 10:00 a.m. every Saturday and Wednesday morning from early May until late September

A campground with 159 sites is open year round in Cades Cove. Tents and RVs up to 35 feet can be accommodated in the campground. Call (877) 444-6777 or visit http://www.recreation.gov to reserve a site.

The Anthony Creek horse camp is located nearby and offers easy access to the backcountry. Call (877) 444-6777 or visit http://www.recreation.gov to reserve a site.

Here's a sample of how you and your children can explore the Great Smokies with a ranger!
The summer schedule of ranger-guided programs will run from June 20 - August 15. More events are added often.

Tuesday 7/14/2009
Junior Ranger: MamaMia!
1:00 PM to 1:45 PM. "Otters and rabbits and bears, Oh my! Join a Ranger for a hands-on discovery of mammals in the park."

Junior Ranger: Blacksmithing -
10:30 AM to 11:15 AM, 11:30 AM to 12:15 PM, 1:00 PM to 1:45 PM, 2:00 PM to 2:45 PM, 3:00 PM to 3:45 PM - Join a park ranger in the blacksmith shop to learn about the blacksmith. Create your own item to take home. Other Junior Ranger programs will be going on simultaneously for younger kids. Group size will be limited; you must begin at start times listed. Limited to children ages 8-12.

Going to School at Little Greenbrier
10:30 AM to 11:30 AM, 1:30 PM to 2:30 PM - "Readin` and writin` and fun. Turn back the clock to 1900 and find out what it was like to attend school in a one-room log schoolhouse.

Aw Shucks!
11:00 AM to 11:30 AM, 11:30 AM to 12:00 PM - Come experience the art of making a simple corn shuck doll.

Smokemont History Walk
11:00 AM to 12:30 PM - Hike to a cemetery and learn about the people and rich history of the Smokemont area.

Highland Homeland
12:00 PM to 2:00 PM - "Sit a spell on the front porch of the Ogle cabin and learn about the families who once lived here. Guided walk at 1:00 p.m. Short talks and stories presented from noon to 2:00 p.m."

Junior Rangers: Whose Poop`s On My Boots?
2:00 PM to 3:00 PM - "Grab the kids and meet a ranger to get the scoop on animal skins, tracks, and...poop! Make your very own track and scat bandana!"

The Park's website has the following schedule for Hayrides
Cades Cove Riding Stables offers a 1.5 - 2 hour hayride around the Cades Cove Loop Road. Passengers sit on a bed of hay in a trailer pulled by a truck and enjoy an open air view of the scenery of Cades Cove. Reservations are generally required and can be made by calling (865) 448-9009. Rates are $6.00 per person.

Ranger-led hayrides are also offered on some evenings and these do not require a reservation. See the Schedule of Events for scheduled ranger-led hayrides. The rate for the ranger-led hayride is $8.50 per person.

Junior Ranger: Deep Creek Waterfall Stream Splashers
4:00 PM to 5:00 PM - "Roll up your pants and wade through a mountain stream to look for salamanders, damselflies, and other critters. Be prepared to get wet!"

Cades Cove
7:30 AM to 9:30 AM - "Join a park ranger for an early morning open air hayride viewing wildlife and discovering the diversity of life in Cades Cove."

Cable Mill Demonstration
8:00 AM to 5:00 PM - "Chat with a miller and feel the rumble of this historic gristmill in action."

Mingus Mill Demonstration
9:00 AM to 5:00 PM - "Chat with a miller and feel the rumble of this historic gristmill in action."

Mountain Farm Museum
9:00 AM to 9:45 AM, 6:30 PM to 7:15 PM - "Join a ranger as they open and close the outdoor museum, feed the chickens and pigs, and maybe even do some gardening."

You can start planning your vacation, using the Park events calendar for directions to these and other events and to find out about the remainder of the season, click here.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park, 800 square miles, is one of the most pristine natural areas in the East. An auto tour includes panoramic views, tumbling mountain streams, waterfalls, weathered historic buildings, and mature hardwood forests stretching to the horizon.

(Federal Highway Administration Photo)

There are 384 miles of road to choose from in the Smokies, according to Park Headquarters. Most are paved, and even the gravel roads are maintained in suitable condition for standard passenger cars. Travel speeds on most of the park's paved roads average 30 miles per hour.

Inexpensive booklets are available as guides along many park roads.

Please check for seasonal and weather-related road closures before planning an auto tour.

The enchantment of a waterfall hidden deep in the forest is a great reason to pick up one of the trail maps provided at various visitor centers.

"The Great Smoky Mountains abound with the two ingredients essential for waterfalls -- ample rainfall and an elevation gradient. In the Smokies high country, over 85" of rain falls on average each year. During wet years, peaks like Mt. Le Conte and Clingmans Dome receive over eight feet of rain. This abundant rainfall trickles and rushes down the mountain sides, from high elevation to low, sometimes dropping more than a mile in elevation from the high peaks to the foothills at the park's boundary." (http://www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/waterfalls.htm)

Photo by Robert Crootof.
Mingo Falls is located just outside the park on the Cherokee Indian Reservation.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park has about 2,115 miles of streams, according to park brochures. The Park protects one of the last wild trout habitats in the eastern United States. You will find remote, headwater trout streams as well as large, coolwater small-mouth bass streams. Most streams keep capacity of fish. Moms, pops and kids, or honeymooners can depend on catching these species throughout the year.

"Fishing is permitted year-round in the park, from 30 minutes before official sunrise to 30 minutes after official sunset. The park allows fishing in all streams EXCEPT the following streams and their tributaries upstream from the points described:

"North Carolina
Bear Creek at its junction with Forney Creek.

"Tennessee
Indian Flats Prong at the Middle Prong Trial crossing

"These streams are closed to fishing to allow fish to repopulate following restoration work. For the exact location, consult the appropriate USGS 1:24,000 Quadrangle Map available at park visitor centers. Detailed information, including a complete list of regulations and a map of fishable park waters, is also available at any visitor center or ranger station.

"License Requirements -- You must possess a valid fishing license or permit from either Tennessee or North Carolina. Either state license is valid throughout the park and no trout stamp is required. Fishing licenses and permits are not available in the park, but may be purchased in nearby towns or online (links provided by state below). Special permits are required for fishing in Gatlinburg and Cherokee."

For more fishing info: http://www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/fishing.htm

Photo by Don McGowan courtesy of Friends of Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

When I go to the Smokies, I usually am seeking a recharge from the mountains and all they have to offer. There comes a time, however, when one of the hundreds of restaurants in towns and villages surrounding the Park have just the ticket for a taste of mountain cooking.

Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge definitely have their share of tacky tourist traps - and sometimes I want to be trapped. The annual craftsman's fair is going on now in Gatlinburg. Street performers, too, will entertain through August. There are definitely some high-brow rags to be had, too. If shop 'til you drop is your idea of a vacation, you will find shops galore - from the high-mountain hillbilly to designer wear. There are snack shops and camping supplies available at Park Ranger facilities. But, you'll have to go to one of the communities outside the Park for restaurant eating.

Here are a few links for just about anybody who wants to spend money well!
http://www.gatlinburg.com/default.asp
http://www.mypigeonforge.com/
http://www.smokymountains.org/

#1) The Peddler Steakhouse
820 River Rd
Gatlinburg, TN 37738
(865) 436-5794
Restaurant Reviews and Directions
http://www.peddlerparkgrill.com

#2) Best Italian Cafe & Pizzeria
968 Parkway # 9
Gatlinburg, TN 37738
(865) 430-4090
(865) 436-3600
http://www.bestitalian.com

#3) Log Cabin Pancake House
327 Historic Nature Trl
Gatlinburg, TN 37738
(865) 436-7894

#4) Smoky Mountain Brewery
1004 Parkway # 501
Gatlinburg, TN 37738
(865) 436-4200
http://www.smoky-mtn-brewery.com

#5) Calhoun's BBQ
1004 Parkway # 101
Gatlinburg, TN 37738
(865) 436-4100
http://www.calhouns.com

#6) Cherokee Grill
1002 Parkway
Gatlinburg, TN 37738
(865) 436-4287
http://www.cherokeegrill.com

#7) Pancake Pantry
628 Parkway
Gatlinburg, TN 37738
(865) 436-4724
http://www.pancakepantry.com

#8) Wild Plum Tea Room
555 Buckhorn Rd
Gatlinburg, TN 37738
(865) 436-3808

#9) Donut Friar
634 Parkway # 15
Gatlinburg, TN 37738
(865) 436-7306

#10) Park Grill
1110 Parkway
Gatlinburg, TN 37738
(865) 436-2300
(865) 436-3800


Top 10 list from http://www.insidegatlinburg.com/places-to-eat/top-10-gatlinburg-restaurants/.

Bicycles can travel on most roads within the park.

Cades Cove Loop Road, an 11-mile one way road, is a popular bicycling area. During summer and fall, bicycles may be rented at the Cades Cove Campground Store (located near Cades Cove Campground). For information call (865) 448-9034.

Beginning the second week in May, Loop Road is closed to cars Wednesday and Saturday mornings until 10:00 a.m. to allow bicyclists and pedestrians to enjoy the cove. This closure continues through the second-to-last Saturday in September.

http://www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/biking.htm

Congress established the Great Smoky Mountains National Park on June 15, 1934, and turned its stewardship over to the National Park Service.

Land acquisition continued and on September 2, 1940, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt officially dedicated the park.

The U.S. National Park Service has resources for teachers in all grades. When my children went on field trips to the Smokies, they enjoyed the recognition of places with which they were familiar. They also found out they had more to learn than their parents knew or had access to.

The Appalachian Highlands Science Learning Center at Purchase Knob is one of 17 National Park Service research learning centers in the United States. The purpose of the center is to increase the amount of scientific research in the national park and make it accessible to the public.

"Middle school, high school, and college students, along with their teachers, work with scientists and park staff on projects ranging form salamander population monitoring to air quality research. Students are also recruited to work as research assistants on extended scientific projects, especially during the summer field season," according to the national park service website.

Planning a field trip in the park? The Education Office at (865) 436-1713 has important safety information and help with advance planning.