(Photo) The “Gatlinburg Strip“.

Piece 1: Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge. Located about one hour southeast of Knoxville TN is the popular tourist destination, Gatlinburg TN.

For many years, the Gatlinburg area was simply a logging site. However, in the early 1900’s conservationists began to advocate for the creation of a national park in the Smoky Mountain region (similar to Yosemite National Park in California).

After several years of strategic property acquisitions to protect the area forests from tree harvesters, Great Smoky Mountains National Park was established and opened to the public in 1934. It immediately became a popular site for adventure travelers, drawing close to 40,000 visitors in its first year of operation. By the next year, over half a million people made the trip to the Smokies, which accelerated Gatlinburg’s development.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park and it’s surrounding communities now draw just over 14 million travelers per year.

We generally begin trips to the Smoky Mountains by taking a stroll along the “Gatlinburg Strip”, an approximately one-mile stretch featuring restaurants, bars, candy shops, souvenir stores, museums, simulated roller coaster rides, creatively themed miniature golf courses, sky lifts, and other entertaining attractions.

A Gatlinburg highlight for us is the Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies (88 River Road). Covering six acres, this impressive aquatic museum includes a penguin exhibit and 340-foot tunnel glide way that takes visitors along the “ocean floor” to get a close up view of sharks, eels, and green sea turtles.

Pigeon Forge (about 4 miles north of Gatlinburg) features a similar array of food and fun, and the crowds there tend to be smaller.

A trolley system makes traveling between Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge easy. No need to move your car to explore both areas.

Just a little east of Pigeon Forge is Dollywood, a theme park co-owned by entertainer Dolly Parton. The place offers a variety of thrill and kiddie rides, but we particularly enjoyed the musical performances and the Wings of America Birds of Prey Show.

Another fun Dolly-branded attraction in Pigeon Forge is the Stampede Dinner. Guests are seated in an arena, and view an exciting acrobatic horse riding show while enjoying a tasty four-course meal.

Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge are a great way to begin a Smoky Mountain excursion. A little crowded and commercial, but lots of fun.

Cades Cove Tour Road

Piece 2: Cades Cove. Located about an hour drive southwest of Gatlinburg is a beautiful isolated valley known as Cades Cove.

Named after a Cherokee Chief that led a group of Native Americans residing in the area during the late 18th century, Cades Cove became a destination for European settlers in the early 1800’s.

After a century of timber harvest and farming, the valley was largely deforested. When the National Park Service (NPS) began its protective management of Cades Cove in the mid 1900’s, the Great Smoky Mountain Conservation Association successfully advocated for maintaining part of the property as open meadow (as opposed to letting it all completely return to forest).

Visitors can experience much of Cades Cove from their car, as there is an 11-mile paved road that loops through the heart of valley. The scenery is spectacular, and we really enjoyed seeing all the wildlife wandering freely through the Cove’s wooded acreage and open space. The NPS also restored (and continues to maintain) a number of historic structures on the property, many of which we could see from our vehicle.

There are access points to hiking trails all along the tour road, and a visitor center with restrooms near the road’s halfway point.

Budget several hours just to complete the tour road loop through the Cove, as this is a heavily-visited site with lots of slow moving traffic. That said, it’s definitely worth the time and effort. An unforgettable experience for us.

Newfound Gap Road

Piece 3: Cherokee Reservation NC. Located about a 90 minute drive southeast from Gatlinburg is the Cherokee Indian Reservation in western North Carolina.

During the warmer months of the year, the drive from Gatlinburg to Cherokee on US 441 (also known as Newfound Gap Road) is a memorable experience; lots of wildlife, plant life, and spectacular vistas. We loved it.

The mountainous route is full of twists and turns, and progressively climbs 5,000 feet in elevation. Be prepared for that, especially if altitude and navigating curves are not something you tolerate well.

Once you get to Cherokee, there are lots of restaurants, shops, and demonstrations of Native American culture.

If you catch a clear mild day, the scenic trip to Cherokee is definitely a “to do” when in the Gatlinburg area.

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