Hiking in the Smoky Mountains

purple wildflowers next to Porters Creek Trail

5 of the Best Wildflower Hikes in the Smoky Mountains

Spring is almost here, which means it’s time to start planning your spring vacation! The Smoky Mountains are the perfect destination in spring, with pleasant weather, lush greenery, active wildlife, and colorful wildflowers. If you’re interested in seeing the beauty of spring wildflowers in the Smoky Mountains, make sure you check out these top wildflower hikes that you won’t want to miss!

rainbow falls

Top 5 Waterfall Hikes in the Smoky Mountains

The Smokies have some of the most incredible natural features in the entire country. You don’t want to miss out on the sweeping mountain views or rushing rivers. People love hiking to see these beautiful sights, and some of the most popular natural features are waterfalls. Here are the top 5 waterfall hikes in the Smoky Mountains:

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4 of the Best Places to See Fall Colors in the Smoky Mountains

If you’re coming to the Smokies during the Autumn months, we know you’ll want to spend some enjoying the beautiful fall foliage. The bright red, orange and yellow colors light up the mountains to create a one-of-a-kind view. Here are 4 of the best places to see fall colors in the Smoky Mountains:

great smoky mountains national park

Top 10 Hikes in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a gem amongst American national parks. This southeastern mountain range is a subrange of the highly-glorified Appalachian mountains. The Great Smoky Mountains were famously home to the Cherokee tribe for centuries before European explorations began in the mid 1500’s. The first non-native newcomers settled in Cade’s Cove around 1818, and by 1838, most of the original Cherokee inhabitants of Great Smoky Mountains National Park were moved to Oklahoma along the “Trail of Tears”.

porters creek trail

Top 6 Spring Hiking Trails in the Smoky Mountains

Spring is one of the most beautiful times in the Smoky Mountains. Flowers are blooming, wildlife is coming out, and you won’t want to miss it! If you want to get out in nature, you should check out some spring hiking trails in the Smoky Mountains. You’ll get outside and get in some exercise! Here are the top 6 spring hiking trails in the Smoky Mountains:

snowy mountains

4 Best Smoky Mountain Hikes to Go On This Winter

If you plan on being in the area during winter, you probably want to spend some time outside. It might be snowing, or it might be sunny, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy getting out in the national park and exploring! Here are 4 of the best Smoky Mountain hikes to go on this winter:

rainbow falls

5 Summer Hikes in the Smoky Mountains You Should Go On

Want to go hiking this summer while you are in the Smoky Mountains? There are several summer hikes in the Smoky Mountains you should try! From waterfalls to mountain views, you have plenty of features to choose from on various trails. Here are 5 summer hikes in the Smoky Mountains you should go on:

Andrews Bald

6 Family Friendly Hiking Trails

Smoky Mountain Hiking: Six Family-Friendly Trails Hosting over 11 million tourists each year, Smoky Mountain National Park is the most visited national park in the United States—and Smoky Mountain hiking is the area’s most popular outdoor activity. The park is completely threaded with hiking trails, boasting more than 150 paths spanning a total of 850 miles, including 70 miles of the famed Appalachian Trail.

appalachian trail logo

The Appalachian Trail

You may have heard it mentioned from time to time around the subject of the Smoky Mountains hiking trails and might have even wanted to take a gander into it yourself at some point – the Appalachian Trail is a part of our Smoky Mountain National Park and we get both visitors to the Smokies who are interested in the AT, as well as visitors to Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge who came directly FROM the AT. This segues into the fact that the Smoky Mountains are part of the Appalachian Trail, instead of the other way around that it usually is for hiking trails in our region.

kids looking through binoculars

Junior Ranger Program Smoky Mountains

The Smoky Mountains being the incredible, multi-layered and varied biome that it is, it follows that there will be a large amount of activities that are perfect for kids and young families to enjoy. The Sugarlands Visitor’s Center alone is a good few-hours spent in the National Park for various reasons, and that’s before you consider other hiking trails or things like scavenger hunts in the park.

white tailed deer

The Smokies in January

Just for fun, and to continue to showcase the wonderful Smoky Mountains at a time of peace and quiet, we present for you this gallery of gorgeous Smoky Mountain imagery.

map of the world

August Eclipse in the Smokies

Some of you might have heard by now that we’re having a partial eclipse coming up late this Summer on August 21st, for 2017. And if you haven’t heard by now, we’re happy to be ones to inform you!