Gatlinburg

[LMTC]

This is tractor related because I'll stop selling tractors for about 5 days while I take the family off somewhere for some R&R. And if that isn't self-justification, I don't know what is.......

Looking for current info on Gatlinburg and area. Haven't settled on there for sure, but leaning that way. Want someplace within 6 hours or so of 45107(SW Ohio), good motel/hotel (cabin/rental a possibility, but is a 2nd choice), good sightseeing/attractions requiring little to very moderate activity level (our hiking days are long gone) beyond driving, good food a must, prefer some shopping in the area (family loves outlet malls....heck, I come from frugal stock) Will consider other destinations, but I am not the type to go someplace without some idea of what to expect. We love going to Amish country in NE Ohio, but that area is getting a little familiar to us.

Would love to hear first hand suggestions/information on other possibilities, and on specific establishments in and around Gatlinburg. Thanks for your time.

 

[woodchuckie]

What I like best about the area in the summer is driving to Clingmans Dome and enjoying all that cool air. I'm sure lots more suggestions will follow but don't forget all the information you can find on a google search. I think the area has everything you mentioned.

 

[caddelma]

First, have you ever been to Gatlinburg? Myself I have been there almost yearly for the past 6+ years, usually just me and my wife. We have stayed at hotels (usually Best Western Toni's Inn in Pigeon Forge) and the last trip stayed in a cabin in the mtns near the heart of Gatlinburg (booked through Mountain Chalets .com). For us the trip to the cabin was the best. Of course it was me and my wife on a long weekend for our anniversary in late March and it snowed

There is a lot to do in and around Gatlinburg. We always make a trip through Cades Cove (scenic driving trip) and usually go horse back riding somewhere. Gatlinburg itself can be very congested and is usually more $$$ than say Pigeon Forge or surrounding areas. On weekends (starting Fri night) the traffic can back up toward I-40 heading into Gatlinburg.

There are several outlet malls, mainly in Pigeon Forge. Also dinner shows (we like Dixie Stampede, but for a family it is pricey).

I could go on, but it is past my nap time...If you want/need for details either reply or send me a pm, being from about the same area (in Monterey) I might be able to give pointers on getting there and suggestions on what to do,stay etc.

 

[KentT]

That's the county I grew up in. My advice is don't go there -- go one county over, to the Southern end of the Great Smoky Mtns Nat'l Park (GSMNP) at Townsend. It's down next to Cades Cove that Caddelma mentioned.

They call it "the peaceful side of the Smokies" for a reason. Then, you can choose to go over to Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge through Wears Valley on Hwy 321 if you want to go shopping or something. Otherwise, you can enjoy the Smokies with MUCH less traffic...

Here's a link to the Townsend visitors center, should you be interested:

Great Smoky Mountains, Townsend Tennessee Vacation Guide

My family lives near Pigeon Forge -- but I've already bought my retirement homesite over near Townsend (in Walland, to be more precise). That tells you how much I appreciate that Gatlingburg/Pigeon Forge traffic...

Here's the link for the official GSMNP site. I also the recommend drives to Cades Cove and Clingman's Dome.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park - Great Smoky Mountains National Park (U.S. National Park Service)

Here's the Gatlinburg site, full of links about places to stay, see, and things to do. There's several nice outlet malls in Pigeon Forge, but plan where you're going before getting into the traffic. It's not someplace that you just drive around and explore -- not during tourist season. Come back in the fall or winter for that...

Gatlinburg Tennessee: Heart of the Great Smoky Mountains

Here's the one for Pigeon Forge, home of Dollywood, the outlet malls, and virtually anything else that would attract a tourist's $$

Pigeon Forge Family Vacation Destination Guide – Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

Sorry if this sounds a bit harsh, but visiting that area now reminds me of the old Joni Mitchell folk song, "... they paved Paradise and put up a parking lot..."

 

[kenmac]

I have been there several times. There is a lot of sight seeing if you like that sort of thing. The last time we were there , we stayed in one of those rental cabins up in the mountains. I thought that was the best of all the times I have gone there. I just got back this week from the beach in P.C. F.L. & Orlando FL.( Universal Studios) .Glad to be home

 

[KentT]

I gave this a bit more thought... if you think Townsend may be too "quiet" for you, given your desire for shopping, etc., then I suggest you get a cabin in Wears Valley and use Hwy 321 as your main artery. There's a "backdoor" into the national park off Hwy 321, about half way between Pigeon Forge and Townsend, that doesn't show up on most maps, and is known mostly to locals. If you can't find it on a detailed map, ask the locals.

It's a small two-lane road that goes up and over Cove Mountain to enter the park and goes down the backside of the mountain to the Metcalf Bottoms picnic area near the Sinks (a waterfall on Little River). This would allow you to bypass Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge entirely when you wanted to go up into the park toward Clingman's Dome. You could also use it to go the other direction, toward Cades Cove, but it may not save you a lot of time in that direction, though would be much more scenic, driving along the river.

If you stay in Wears Valley, you'd have ready access to all the shopping, restaurants and tourist attractions of Pigeon Forge, but without being in middle of it at all times.

 

[Bird]

Looking for current info on Gatlinburg and area

That "current" lets me out. We certainly enjoyed several days in Gatlinburg and even one night in Cades Cove in a little Winnebago in '73. Then we were back and staying in a motel for 5 nights in the late '70s, so we've wondered how much it's changed in the last 30 years.

 

[MossRoad]

That "current" lets me out. We certainly enjoyed several days in Gatlinburg and even one night in Cades Cove in a little Winnebago in '73. Then we were back and staying in a motel for 5 nights in the late '70s, so we've wondered how much it's changed in the last 30 years.

We go down there about every 3-4 years. The changes are amazing, to say the least. There are too many people there, now, for our tastes. If you go in the off season, it is not bad. We almost always stay in and around Pigeon Forge and make day trips into the park. For all intents and purposes, during the summer months the highway from Pigeon Forge north to Sevierville is now a parking lot! If you have installed Google Earth, go look at those areas, Bird. Just unbelievable expansion. I was also surprised by the rise in vacation cabins outside the park. Just about every mountainside outside the park now has roads carved up them with "log" cabins and green metal roofs. It almost looks like a contest to see who can build on the most severe slope. I can't imagine what the view from up there would be, except that of gravel roads and hundreds of green rooftops.

The park, itself, is still very nice. Take a road trip through Cade's Cove or the Roaring Forks Motor Tour out of Gatlinburg. That is a nice drive, too. If you like big houses, take a day trip over to Asheville and tour the Biltmore Estate. The house is so big.... How big is it? The house is so big that the guy had a railroad track layed around the perimiter of the house to bring in the stone for construction. Kind of expensive, but worth it once in your life.

 

[dooleysm]

We spent about 3 days of our honeymoon there back in late '04. It wasn't real crowded at that time of the year and the leaves were beautiful with great fall weather. We rented a cabin up past Gatlinburg. As I recall, there is plenty of shopping nearby as others have mentioned. The main thing I remember is that we saw everything there was to see (or at least everything we cared to see) within 2 days. Not that we got bored, being on our honeymoon and all, but that may not apply to everyone that goes there

After 3 days we'd had enough and moved on to Nashville, which I can't recommend highly enough.

 

[Bird]

If you go in the off season, it is not bad

I guess that's true of nearly all the tourist traps, as well as a lot of other places. Maybe it's another sign of old age, but I sure like to avoid the crowds. I've been to Carlsbad Caverns 3 times, the first two in the summer before we were married, but then Margaret & I went the weekend after Labor Day in 1969. I think there was one car in the motel parking lot besides ours, maybe 20 people in the group that went through the cave; most enjoyable trip I ever made out that way.

 

[Chuck52]

I'm from that area, too, and find the crowds now-a-days just too much to handle. Driving through the park can be bumper to bumper during the summer. The 11 mi Cades cove circle is beautiful, but not if you are staring at someone else's bumper. Too bad you're past the hiking stage of life because that's about the only way to get away from the crowds in the park. After the first mile or so, you have many trails almost to yourself. All that said, I do love the area and think everyone ought to see it. Last time we stayed there we rented a cabin on the Townsend side and had a nice time. My son and I did the hike to Gregory Bald and only saw three other people and one bear. I think I could still do that hike, but I bet it would take me longer to recover. To put this in perspective, the trailhead to Gregory Bald is about half way along the Cares cove loop. We got there early for the hike, but coming back in the afternoon, it took at least half an hour to get out of Cades cove due to the traffic, about a 5-6 mile drive, bumper-to-bumper.

Chuck

 

[KentT]

Just for grins, here's links to two live webcams in the national park.

NPS: Nature & Science» Air Resources Division - Great Smoky Mountains NP Web Camera

As depicted below, that one is in the southern end, looking to the right of the Townsend and over the Cades Cove areas back toward Gatlingburg and Mt Guyot (one of the highest peaks east of the Mississippi). Looks lke thundershowers down there this morning.

This one is more toward the northern end of the park on the NC side, looking north up the mountain chain toward Boone, NC. Asheville NC is to the far rignt.

NPS: Nature & Science» Air Resources Division - Great Smoky Mountains NP Web Camera

Here's its range of view:

I have both links stored in my Favorites so I can check on the weather back home. The roots run deep and pull strongly... I have two sets of great-grandparents buried inside the park -- one in Cades Cove and one in the Sugarlands, above Gatlinburg.

 

[woodchuckie]

Being reminded of Ashville I remembered we took a day trip through Maggie Valley to Ashville to see the Biltmore Estate. Took the interstate back to Gatlinburg that night. Beautiful drive and very extravagent house.

 

[Tractors4u]

Ah, Gatlinburg, my favorite vacation spot. I hope to make a trip up there in my new truck as soon as I get out of this oversized sandbox. Since the wife likes outlet shopping you will need to hit Pigeon Forge. Pigeon Forge is the Smokey Mountain version of Panama City Beach. Outlet malls, go kart tracks and putt putt golf. Gatlinburg has Ripley's museum and Ripley's Aquarium. Definately go to the aquarium. We usually take a picnic lunch and do the 11 mile Cades Cove loop. The kids love counting deer and bear. 90+ deer in 11 miles is their record. If you like amusement parks, check out Dollywood. Good rides, quick lines and it seemed like there were a lot of retirees working there which equates to a courteous staff. Dollywood also has a water park at a separate property with waterslides, wave pool, etc. Have fun Wayne and see you in a couple of months. When are you coming to Alabama for another visit?

 

[Chuck52]

There's a neat knife outlet in Pigeon Forge or near there that's worth stopping at.

Chuck

 

[hudlow]

I second the advice for staying in Towsend, Tenn. and driving the short distance to Gatlinburg for doing the touristy stuff.

Gatlinburg reminds me of Myrtle Beach without the ocean.

hud

 

[KentT]

There's a neat knife outlet in Pigeon Forge or near there that's worth stopping at.

Chuck

It's about 1 mile off Interstate 40 on the Dolly Parton Parkway, just across the French Broad river bridge on the right side of the highway. My niece is one of their buyers... The name is Smoky Mountain Knife Works, and they claim to have the world's largest assortment of knives (hunting, pocket, kitchen, etc.).

Smoky Mountain Knife Works - home of the World's largest knife showplace

 

[Chuck52]

KentT,

So I guess it's really closer to Sevierville? I remember from my days at UT - Knoxville when Sevierville was known as a speed trap for anyone heading to the Smokies. These days if you get up to the speed limit you're probably doing good.

Branson is the closest approximation to the Gatlinburg area in Missery.

Chuck

 

[Volfandt]

Gatlinburg seems to attract alot of interest as a place to settle anymore. If one would do a search one would probably find at least 2 or 3 threads such as this is the past yr alone.
The area is beautiful and the schools are very good. But it has been a tourist trap for at least the last 75 yrs, if not longer and it has all the trappings that a two season (summer & winter) tourist trap entails, i.e. HEAVY TRAFFIC and BIG CROWDS! I wonder what has occured thats let the secret out?
I live about 40 miles away as the crow flys and get up there on work related reasons at least two times a week.
We also enjoy going up there to enjoy the amenities.
As I've said in several threads, Sevier County is a very attractive place to settle as the large tax base generated by the tourists provides for all the necessary services to be top notch. Property taxes aren't bad but the closer you get to Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and Sevierville, the higher the property values. It's almost unbelievable how much an acre brings.
The further you get away from the three mentioned municipalities, the cheaper the land gets and teh slower life gets. Seymour is a great little community to live as is Cosby.
In any case good luck.

 

[KentT]

As I've said in several threads, Sevier County is a very attractive place to settle as the large tax base generated by the tourists provides for all the necessary services to be top notch. Property taxes aren't bad but the closer you get to Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and Sevierville, the higher the property values. It's almost unbelievable how much an acre brings.
The further you get away from the three mentioned municipalities, the cheaper the land gets and teh slower life gets. Seymour is a great little community to live as is Cosby.
In any case good luck.

If you know Seymour, you should know this view from Ford Hill... The family farm covers much of the face of Sugarloaf Mountain in the foreground, going all the way across the crest, plus about 50 acres across the road from it. I've roughly drawn in the boundaries in the first pic, and tried to be more precise in the aerial view. Somewhere between 165-196 acres -- the assessment says one thing, the deed another. My dad originally bought it at auction in 1963 for $7050, and we moved from a small farm near Waldens Creek. I have no real idea of its value today -- my oldest surviving brother now owns it...

BTW -- that's Mt. LeConte just left of it in the background -- Gatlinburg lies at its base....