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  1. #1
    Site Sponsor nwminnesota's Avatar
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    Smokey Mtns, Gatlinburg TN, Trip planning From Minnesota

    Hi Guys,
    I am researching a trip to the Smokey Mountains for the summer of 2019. I will be leaving from the Twin Cities MN. I will be traveling with my Wife and 2 kids 7 and 11. I will be towing a 28BH 5th wheel trailer is about 35ft long.

    How many days should I plan in the Smokies?

    What Camp grounds to stay at? (on the way, There, and on they way home)

    What are must do hikes?

    Must see?

    Any other Tips and tricks?

    Thanks
    2018 3500HD Chevy Duramax CC SB
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  2. #2
    Seasoned Camper Lizardqing's Avatar
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    Pretty familiar with the Smokies, it's our backyard so I can probably help you out some. Need more info though, the way we love to experience the Smokies is not how most people experience the Smokies.

    How many days? Depends on what you want to see! We have been here for years with the park minutes from our front door and have hundreds of miles of trails hiked, and still have not even seen some of the more popular spots. Are you planning ok focusing on the park or the touristy places like Pigeon Forge too?

    Campgrounds depend on how you like to camp. I can't recommend any of the usual private ones, we haven't stayed at any. I can say if you want to camp in the park that our favorites are Smokemont, Cosby and Elkmont. As close to a private campground that we do around the park is Mile High. It's primitive, but you will not find views like they have at any other campground, probably safe to say anywhere in the Appalachians.

    Hike wise, depends once again on what your preferences are. We have hikes from easy to oh my god what the hell was I thinking. And experiences from Alpine forest to easy strolls close to the road. Kids ages don't really mean as much as people may think, we have a 2 and 4 year old who have spent the night on top of Mount LeConte. And the 4 year old hiker the entire 10 mile round trip. Give me an idea of what strenuous levels you are looking for and I can toss some good trails your way.

    Must see is a long list! Most people think of the Smokies as Cades Cove and the Dome. So here are some highlights to get a good taste.
    Check out Elkmont, not as cool as it used to be before they tore down most the old cabins, but they are restoring a lot of them. A good hike there is Little River Trail -> right on Cucumber Gap -> right on Jakes River Trail.
    Take a lap around Roaring Fork. Personally I think it's more beautiful than the Cove. An easy hike to do is up to Grotto Falls. Time it right and you can see the llama train supplying the lodge up top.
    Day trip over to Cataloochee. That's where you will about be guaranteed to see the elk for one. Plus it's a pretty little valley. There is a nice easy trail at the very end of the road that goes up to the Woody house.
    Some more spots in NC would be the Road to Nowhere. If you look at the park map it's called Lakeshore Drive. Go all the way to the end and there is a tunnel where the road just ends on the other side. Pretty cool with kids. Another easy hike is at the high bridge before the tunnel. Nolands Creek. Go down under the bridge, hang a left and it ends at the lake. Really nice hike either way actually. The access at the bridge is the hardest part. It's flat to the lake and its pretty flat for a couple miles the other direction too.
    I can offer some more if you want!

    Biggest tip, if you just absolutely have to see Cades Cove, skip breakfast and get there while everyone else is still at the pancake houses. Better yet if it's between mid May or so and Sept get there before sunrise with bikes and enjoy it car free until 10 am on Wed and Sat. That's when it is magical!
    The other tip is just get away from the pavement. It's amazing how serene and how fast you can find solitude just by wandering more than 1/4 mile from the pavement. And if you go to the Dome, take the bypass trail to the tower. Screw they paved trail and the all the yahoos on it. If you can't find it, just ask a friendly volunteer. Andrews Bald is a nice spot as well that just so happens to share the same access.


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    Chris and Karen - currently on the coast of the Olympic Peninsula

    Roaming the country full time with our 2018 312BHTS Reflection behind a 2016 Ram 3500 6.7 Cummins and two preschoolers who are highly addicted to camping.

    Follow our adventures @brownsignjunkies

  3. #3
    Left The Driveway
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    Check out Anchor Down RV Resort... have only heard great things.

  4. #4
    Seasoned Camper savage99ss's Avatar
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    We own a cabin up in Pigeon Forge and camp there quite often. Several factors will come into play:

    Will you be at the campsite often, or will you be on the go and just use the camper as a place to sleep?

    *Claughboughs. Off of Redlight #3, great location for getting to town....Not a fan. Sites are on top of one another. Maple trees everywhere, my roof did not like it.
    *Eagles Nest. Off of Redlight #3, great location for getting to town....Only stay here if you are law enforcement bc they give 50% discount and that will come to $20 a night. Campground is ok, but dated. Only good for sleeping, not hanging at campground.
    *Riverside RV park. Probably one of the better campsites for the money. You can get sites right on the river. Good location and can spend time around the campground.
    *Riverbend Campground. I really liked this campground. The only time I went, it rained hard. Everyone had to move all campers due the river rising and flooding the sites. I remember hooking up the camping in standing water that was 6 inches. Trees were falling into the river...That was an adventure. A little bit of a drive to make it to town, but not bad.
    *KOA. Have never stayed there. Seemed to look nice. Its in a very accessible location and close to Dollywood.

    Food choices:

    *Local Goat. Almost impossible to get in for Dinner. Go for lunch. Great food and they use local meat, dairy, and veggies.
    *Old Mill. Good food in a historic 1800's Mill. The Mill is still in operation and they make their own bread.
    *Old Mill pottery house. This is across the street from the Old Mill. Its one of my favorite places to eat.
    *Mamas Farmhouse. Family style all you can eat. No buffet. Breakfast is really good.
    *Apple Barn. If you have never been you probably need to try it. Good food.

  5. #5
    Seasoned Camper
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    Quote Originally Posted by uscbruce80 View Post
    Check out Anchor Down RV Resort... have only heard great things.
    UNLESS....you are there in mid summer. There is NO shade on the lower two tiers, and limited shade on upper tier (usually books up quickly). Very nice resort, nothing bad to say, just be aware of time of year. We only stay in spring or late fall and it is a nice 30 minutes outside of the hustle & bustle that is Pigeon Forge. One other benefit of staying here, is that you can go the back way into Gatlinburg and bypass all of the Pigeon Forge Traffic.
    Also, check out Townsend TN their tagline is the "quiet side of the smokies". If you are coming down I75 you can go through Knoxville into Maryville to get to Townsend.

  6. #6
    Fireside Member 2500BDM's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by uscbruce80 View Post
    Check out Anchor Down RV Resort... have only heard great things.
    That is a really nice campground. A bit of a drive to the strip, and if going in summer make good and sure your AC is working. There is NO shade at that campground.
    2012 Ram 2500 6.7L Cummins
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  7. #7
    Long Hauler
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    Anchor Down is actually considered Dandridge, TN. It is located right on Douglas Lake. It owns A nice as others have said.

    Last time we ate at Bush's Cannery company restaurant we went by there.

    Pigeon Forge, Sevierville and Gatlinburg must have as many hotel rooms as most cities of a million people. We usually visit mid week not in summer, and hotel rooms are ridiculously low in price. I have never seen more lift putt golf courses, go cart tracks and pancake houses anywhere. In my life, I have stayed hundreds of nights in the area.

  8. #8
    Seasoned Camper Likes to tow's Avatar
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    We go there every Fall and have for decades. This place has grown each year and there are certain things you need to be aware of!! Traffic congestion can be profane. Weekends can be significantly profane!! There are some tricks you need to know about routes and I suggest you pull into the visitors center on RT 66 heading into Sevierville and purchase one of the detailed maps of the area. We always camp at Ripplin Waters Camground located on 66 before Sevierville because we can dump the 5th wheel and miss some congestion. It's close enough to be a good base camp for the entire time we are in the area. Anchor Down is nice with beautiful views but kind of pricey. I highly suggest you don't try to set up camp south of Sevierville because of the congestion. If you leave on Sunday and head back toward I-40 leave early, everybody leaves on Sunday around 9 !!!

    1. You need to locate and use VETERANS BLVD on the map and use it often!! You can bypass all the traffic congestion thru Pigeon Forge and it actually comes out right at Dollywood. It's also very close to RT 66 and you can head into Gatlinburg from there very easily. Study the map. By staying near Sevierville you are close to Veterans entrance. Ripplin Waters has pull thru sites and a pool. Wherever you stay...make reservations!!! Gatlinburg has very narrow streets, no parking and massive foot traffic. Stop at the visitors center just before entering the park and catch the free bus into downtown. Catch the tram back to Ober Gatlinburg, views are wonderful. Ride all the way to the top. They usually have live music performed while you are there.

    2. Cades Cove and Clingmans Dome on top of the mountain are two of the biggest draws to the area and you need to get there early!! Cades cove is a loop road and once you enter you are trapped and at the mercy of congestion until you exit. Be sure you take lunch and drinks. Clingmans Dome is almost (missed it by a few few feet) the highest point east of the Mississippi River and on a clear day (rarity) the views are wonderful. From there head south on across the mountain and stop at the visitors center, Elk may be in the view in nearby fields.

    3. From the visitors center we always hit the entrance to the Blue Ridge Parkway and drive this for a few miles. Traffic is not as bad on the parkway and there are many pull offs to admire the mountains, lay in the grass or eat lunch. We usually drive on the parkway until we come to state rt 276 then head north on it until we can hook back up to I-40. We take I-40 back and get off at RT66 again and we are then right there near Ripplin Waters. Thus we have bypassed ALL of the mountain congestion over the Smoky Mts and arrive back at camp in time to fix dinner.

    4. There is so much to do and see in this area I could write for hours. Shopping, dinner theaters, rides, rafting trips, etc. However traffic can ruin the experience!! Each day will require planning and a very early start. Hope you have a good trip.

  9. #9
    Left The Driveway
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    Chris,
    This is some great info about the Smokies.
    My wife and I are headed there in early September this year. We have a 37 ft Reflection 5th wheel and an F250 Diesel.
    How is Route 441 for pulling a big rig. I do not have an exhaust break on the truck.
    Thanks,
    Greg and Joni Shook

  10. #10
    Fireside Member 2500BDM's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by jgshake View Post
    Chris,
    This is some great info about the Smokies.
    My wife and I are headed there in early September this year. We have a 37 ft Reflection 5th wheel and an F250 Diesel.
    How is Route 441 for pulling a big rig. I do not have an exhaust break on the truck.
    Thanks,
    Greg and Joni Shook
    I would not drive over 441 (From Gatlinburg to Cherokee) with anything over a class C motor home, even then, I'm not sure I'd do it. There are 3 or 4 tight switch backs, and a climbing loop that goes almost 360*. I've driven it several times in my truck with out a camper and its a pleasant drive, but I'm not sure I have the confidence to drive it with a 30+ foot trailer. The road is wide enough, but with the amount of traffic on the road and people always coming at you you'd need someone to block some of the tight turns off so you trailer can get around them using the oncoming traffic lane.

    I'm sure people have done it with great success, and I know people have done it with horrific failure. I would suggest you drive it with your truck and see if its something you are comfortable with before setting off.
    2012 Ram 2500 6.7L Cummins
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    2018 Grand Design Reflection 28BH

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