Suggestions for hiking while at Gatlinbu rg

“while nights will be spent in the hot tub and drinking Tequila.....wooo hooooo....I want to do some hiking.......any suggestions....”

“divinity--
you looking for a dayhike?”

“yes.....”

“charles bunion. It's of the newfound gap parking lot. You got to hike this trail. it's awesome 360degree view on top”

“Yeah. Go to the otherside of the mountain and beyond the GSMNP boundry (North Carolina). Get on the Blue Ridge Parkway and drive to Shining Rock Wilderness. Hike there.
Piss on the Smokys.”

“http://community.webshots.com/album/69933204XXMqCa


what do u mean? piss on the smokys? got to hike the smokys!!!”

“Charles Bunion is great....would that be too far for you to drive--prolly not?? NC might be too far for you...”

“It's an overrated place.
I've done the AT through there just to have that section complete. No other reason to go back. I like North Georgia and Nantahala & Pisgah in North Ccarolina much better.”

“Not overated, just overpopulated....

:-)”

“Overpopulated for sure!”

“Ramsey's Cascade makes a nice dayhike.”

“Overpopulated is true... it's still worth it once you up there.”

“Divinity, do you have the GSMNP trail guide? If not you could probably pick one up at the Happy Hiker. You could also probably get some good recommendations while you're in there. They would know the less "popular" hikes.”

“I also love gear stores......any near Gatlinburg???

Happy Hiker..is it a gear store??..and where is it located??/”

“Yes. You pass it on your way to Elkmont from Gattlinburg. It's not on the main street but just off it. It shares a parking lot
with the Burning Bush. I've only been there once and that was almost a year and a half ago. Maybe someone a little more familiar with the town can give better directions than that.”

“The Happy Hiker is a pretty good gear store.
From the main drag, at the very last red light before you head into the park, turn right, drive past the Burning Bush (GREAT breakfast) and turn left into the parking lot behind it.
The Happy Hiker is at the end of the lot toward the park. Their back windows look out into the park.

Charlie's Bunion (SP?) is my fav dayhike in the park, if it's at all clear. Very good water about 3 miles in past the IceWater Springs shelter. GREAT GREAT views!
There will be people around, but that might be a plus if you are hiking solo.”

“Alum Cave Bluffs Trail is nice. It's a tough 5.5 miles from Newfound Gap Road up to the top of Mt LeConte. The trailhead is about mid-way up the mountain on the TN side. The ridge drops off steeply giving some pretty spectacular views and sometimes inducing vertigo in those with a fear of heights. There's a great rock outcrop at the top, too, a few hundred feet from the LeConte Lodge (which is a rustic, hike-in lodge if you're not familiar with it).

Chimney Tops is a fair hike with a nice view on top. It's even closer to Gatlinburg on Newfound Gap Road. This hike is always crowded, though. Crowded for the Smokies, ie pedestrian highway.”

“Yeah, I thought "Charles" Bunion sounded somewhat formal, <G>”

“Pick up a GSMNP Trail Map for a buck at the Sugarlands Visitor Center right there near Gatlinburg.

The Abrams Falls trail that starts in Cades Cove is a nice walk also. I was there with Dayhiker and others last year and we saw a couple of bears there and a large herd of deer grazing.

On the road between Sugarland Visitors Center and Cades Cove is Laurel Falls trail. It's a short hike to a nice waterfall. You can't miss it, there's a sign and parking lot there.

MDSHiker”

“Divinity - Got to go through Gatlinburg last June. I saw a "Lodge Outlet" (cast iron stuff like Dutch ovens, etc.) along the main drag. I about died that I didn't have time to go in.

I don't take my cast iron stuff backpacking, but cast iron cooking can be great for camping.”

“TAKE THE ROAD (BOULEVARD I BELIEVE) THAT TAKES YOU TO THE PARKING LOT FOR TRILIUM GAP TRAIL... ITS RIGHT OFF THE MAIN DRAG IN GATLINBURG... THERE ARE SEVERAL NICE TRAILS... GROTTO FALLS IS THERE... AND THERE IS A REALLY NICE TRAIL CALLED BASKINS CREEK THAT IS HARDLY EVER USED... ITS SHORT TOO IN CASE YOU GET A LATE START... ABOUT 5 MILES PLUS YOU CAN DRIVE THE MOTOR TOUR WHEN YOUR DONE OF THE OLD ROARING FORK COMMUNITY -
THE GREENBRIER PARKING AREA IS ALSO RIGHT OFF 321 HEADING TOWARD COSBY... LOTS OF TRAIL HEADS THERE... ITS NOT RIGHT IN GATLINBURG THO. HAVE FUN.”

“Divinity I have hiked this trial a couple of times. Last Feb I hiked it with a couple from Cinncinati, OH. You always meet the nicest people while on the trail! Anyhow this is a great trip up 2000 ft and back. There are a couple of overlooks on the way up. Don't be fooled by the first Falls you see, but go alittle farther and You'll see Rainbow Falls. Make a trip to the Happy Hiker before you go and pick up the little brown Book. It is the hikers bible on the GSMNP as far as trails go. If you take Ariport RD. by the convention center up Roaring Fork to get to the trail head. Charles Bunion is a great trip also but if the traffic is bad (which it probably is right now) You should take something close by. Ramsey's Cascades would also be a good choice, but I have never been there. The Happy Hiker is easy to find and has all the gear you would need. When You Goin?”

“leaving next Thursday...wooohooo

Phil.....I went in that store one time while in Gat.....wonderful place........sorry ya didn't get to stop.....cause it is worth it!!!”

“Roaring Fork is a great little drive, and there are many nice dayhikes along the way.”

“Take a left at the Old Tyme Photoshop, then make a right at the larger lady wearing spandex and a NASCAR shirt. Proceed 10 paces straight, then make another left at the Krispy Kreme donut shop. From there, head straight to Dollywood.

Have fun.”

“Actually if you want to see something really, really cool go to the Twisted Vessel Gallery in Pigeon Forge. They have beautiful stuff there, particulalry glass. They're behind the Pigeon River/ Old Mill restaurant complex. I believe at traffic light #9.”

“Oops didn't finish directions. There's a side road that goes off to the left. They're half a block down on the right.”

“if theres any town in the u.s. thats asking for carpet-bombing, its gatlinburg, city of pear-shaped momos.”

“It's not nearly as bad in the off-season. I also take many of the side roads to try and avoid the main drag. On the flipside there's a really good little cajun restaurant on the main road thru Gatlinburg too. Right up from the Smoky Mountain Trout House, which is also a winner.”

“i made the SEVERE mistake of driving thru cades cove on labor day weekend a couple of years ago. bumper to bumper traffic in the middle of a park, for crying out loud!”

“Offseason and early morning or evening (sunset) are the best times for Cades Cove. Another fun option is on wednesday and saturday mornings, until 10 am, they keep the road closed to vehicles for cyclists.”

“im going to be in the smokies in about 5 weeks.is it too late to get a backcountry site?”

“No”

“We'll be in Gatlinburg this weekend and my wife wants to take our dogs hiking.

Any hiking recommendations right around the Smokies but not in the Smokies? We're looking for a dayhike, probably anywhere from 5-8 miles.

I actually wouldn't mind hitting the Blue Ridge Parkway for a little drive. I've never been...

I have no maps with me so I'm currently ignorant. I apologize for that.”

“The BRP up around Graveyard Fields is full of color right now....I know that is a drive from Cherokee side but would be well worth it. I'm sure someone else has a closer suggestion.”

“How far of a drive is that? That's an area I would really, really like to see.”

“http://www.blueridgeparkway.org/maps.htm

Here see if that helps.”

“I’m trying to remember..... not having hiked with dogs much..... What are the rules about dogs on the trails next to the Blue Ridge Parkway? In the Park itself I think it’s “no dogs on trails”(?)

What about Black Balsam Knob up to Tennent Mountain, from that spur road over there near Graveyard Fields on the southern side of Shining Rock.... ? (Crazygurl’s stomping ground) That would be off the Parkway, but not in the Shining Rock Wilderness Area.... just in the National Forest (?) Or the Graveyard Fields trails if there aren’t any restrictions?

I checked the Parkway site and there’s Zip about pets that I can find…. You might have to give them a call.

If you’ve never been on the Parkway, you do need to check out the view of Looking Glass and John’s Rock ----- if the clouds cooperate! Those overlooks are right in the same vicinity as these trails.


The area I’m describing is something over an hour’s drive from the start of the Parkway at Oconuluftee Visitor Center near the southern entrance to GSMP.

Parkway Website

Parkway Map (1.2 MB PDF)

Topozone Map of Black Balsam, Tennent Mtn. & Graveyard Fileds Area, north of Brevard, NC.”

“Thanks for the suggestions. I actually have a topo map of that area at home. I'm going to ahve to give it a look.”

“(Oh, and 'thirdterm' is just Tilt's Halloween costume, in case you were wondering who the hell that was,   < G >)”

“As far as I know there is no regulations for dogs on the BRP! If there are no one abides by them. They are allowed but may want to bring the leash :-)

Have fun!!!”

“I KNEW IT ! Figured that was Tilt !

Go to Sugarlands VC and get a day hike map for a buck.”

“And EyeBallStew is a variation of you-know-what, who used to be you-know-who....

I need to start keeping some kind of score sheet or something to keep up with all the alises.

Thank God the "Thanksgiving Names" never caught on!”

“theres a little park just south of gatlinburg. it gets a few visitors”

“Mt Cammermer via Cosby, Mt Sterling via Mt Sterling Gap, LeConte via Cherokee Orchard (Rainbow Fals and Bullhead trails) and Max Patch (Harmon Den exit on I-40. First one in NC, or the last one) Or head out past Double Springs from the Dome.

Shining Rock is a little far from Gatliburg . Traffic will be bad, drive as little as possible or away from cars.
last edited: 10/12/07 8:15:48 AM”

“Ok, anyone have any good ideas for Nantahala?

Maybe we'll just drive down and stop at the ranger station.”

“Google up Joyce Kilmer/Slick Rock.”

“

"Go to Sugarlands VC and get a day hike map for a buck.”
EyeBallStew"

Sorry, don't really need one. Been there, done that!

Be careful! Over at Deep Creek CG they are currently trying to pass off and sell the fishing map as a trail map!”

“Howdy NS....how are ya????”

“Recovering. The heart surgery was not major, but the blood clots knocked me for a loop. I'm now trying to upgrade my walking ability by strengthening my leg muscles.

How are ya?”