In November, we took a trip to The Great Smoky Mountains. It was our first traditional vacation since beginning RV life. We hired a dog sitter, left the RV in our annual site, boarded a plane and took off from work for two whole weeks! Landing in Nashville, TN meant an almost 4-hour drive to our resort in Gatlinburg, TN. We stopped at Buc-Ees, a common respite for truckers, travelers, and tourists along the highways in several southern states.
Late in the night, we arrived at Westgate Smoky Mountain Resort, where we would have the luxury of a 500 square-foot fully-equipped condo for two whole weeks. We spread out, unpacked our clothes into a full-sized closet, bought groceries for the kitchen, and laid our coloring books and crochet projects across the many surfaces. A stark contrast to our life in a 250 square-foot camper!
We started our trip with a stop at the Gatlinburg Visitor Center, gathering maps and pamphlets. We found as many easy-rated trails as we could while peeling through the pages. We noticed many of them were called “quiet walkways:” Big Oak Quiet Walkway, Hickory Flats Quiet Walkway, Laurel Falls Quiet Walkway.
About the Quiet Walkways
In all, there are 14 quiet walkways in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Each one is around one-mile round trip, and lightly trafficked by visitors. Each highlights a particular facet of the park’s geology, a type of tree or a specific viewpoint. We set out to take on as many of them as we could within our two week stay in the area.
Overall, we found these trails deserted and overgrown. Mostly unkempt because of their lack of foot traffic, coupled with the late fall blanket of leaves on the ground. They were manageable for us to navigate though. Using AllTrails, we were able to download the maps to each path ahead of time and keep tabs on where we were via the GPS component in the app.
We loved the informative signs that headed each of these trails, the ample roadside parking available, and the lack of crowds. Many of these walkways have small bridges over creeks, wooden steps that eased the upwards of 200 elevation gain some of the walkways had, and spots to pull off the trail and stand next to large trees.
Nature Trails
In addition to the Quiet Walkways, we found several Nature Trails within the national park that offered accessible walking options. Mostly under the one-mile-mark, paved, and well kept, these trails were an excellent early-morning choice to get us warmed up for our days adventuring in the park.
The Cove Hardwood Nature Trail was our favorite. A flat .75 mile long trail that winds through some of the larger trees in the park, and then loops around to follow the river for the last half-mile. We found ourselves fascinated by the few flowers still in bloom, mushrooms sprouting from logs, and the last of the fall leaves turning sunshine yellow and fire red. We loved this trail so much, we completed this loop three times, noticing something different on each pass.
Easy Going Trails
Beyond the Quiet Walkways and Nature Trails, we found a few paths that were worth the longer walk, including Kuwohi Trail and Laurel Falls Trail. Both of these trails are under five miles and have under 500-feet of elevation change. They are heavily-trafficked, but offer a highlight point that many visitors are looking for when they visit.
Kuwohi, formerly Clingman’s Dome, has had its name restored recently. Although there has been a change in name, the view from the observation tower remains the same: breathtaking. You can see for miles in all directions…if the clouds cooperate. Our first attempt at this view was dashed by a dense fog that set in as we drove from downtown Gatlinburg upwards towards the parking lot at the observation tower trail, but our second attempt did not disappoint. We were able to park, walk the trail, and reach the tallest point in Tennessee.
Laurel Falls was another hike that is fairly popular in the park. We set out early, as the parking lot fills up fast, and started our hike around 7am EST. We reached the falls around 8am, having stopped to take photos of the morning light breaking through the trees. The falls was at a lower flow in the dry autumn months, but still offered a picturesque resting spot to take in the valley below, before heading back to the vehicle. When we returned to the parking area, it was overflowing, with cars lined up in both directions, waiting for a spot.
Activities Beyond The Trails
There are countless lookouts, trails, and viewpoints within Smoky Mountain National Park, but if you’re looking for an in-town attraction, we highly recommend Anakeesta. This mountaintop adventure park offers activities for all ages and skill levels. Restaurants, shopping, a treetop walk, playgrounds, and photo opportunities are all at your fingertips after a stunning ride up the chairlift/gondola! We spent an entire day frolicking through the forest-themed tiny homes, pathways, and obstacle courses throughout the park. We were exhilarated by the speed and curves of the mountain coaster. And we enjoyed the 360 degree views from the observation tower. Anakeesta is an excellent way to spend a day in Gatlinburg, between visits to The Great Smoky Mountains.
Keep Adventuring
We loved our vacation away from home, work, our pups, and everyday RV life, but we were more than happy to return to our home on wheels in the woods of Oregon. It’s been a long time since we felt we could call a place home. After four years of full-time living here in the PNW, we can truly say there is no where we would rather land, regardless of where the road takes us temporarily.
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Find the most epic, bucket list locations in TN.
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Want to see a visual of what it is like to explore the Quiet Walkways of The Great Smoky Mountains National Park?
