Top 5 places to see:
- Mt Le Conte
- Alum Cave Bluff
- Clingman’s Dome
- Inspiration Point
- Arch Rock
The Great Smoky Mountains was our first national park visit. We live in Atlanta so it’s a short 3 hour drive. My husband and I wanted a quick weekend getaway so we packed our hiking packs and headed towards the mountains. This park is dog friendly in some places but not in others, so be sure to check the parks website before you venture too far in with your pup. We stayed in Gatlinburg at The Park Vista (a DoubleTree by Hilton). This hotel is located at one of the highest points in Gatlinburg so there’s a great view of the city. The hotel also has an indoor waterpark/pool area and a gym (it was closed when we visited due to COVID). When you enter the park you drive down a long winding road with beautiful greenery and it literally feels like you’re in a different country. The fresh mountain air and sounds of the creek and wildlife is refreshing. We spent most of this trip hiking trails like Mt Le Conte, Alum Cave Bluff, Clingsman Dome, Arch Rock and Inspiration Point. We didn’t make it all of the way to the top of Mt Le Conte because we took a wrong turn after Alum Cave Bluff that set us on a 2 hour detour. If you make the trip, make sure when you’re continuing from Alum Cave Bluff that you take a left on the flat trail and not a right up the steeper trail. The steep trail on the right is cleared and looks as if you are supposed to go that way, but it’s a back country backpacking trail and doesn’t lead to Mt Le Conte. Once we made our way back to Alum Cave we were exhausted but decided to try and make the hike up. We turned back about half way to Le Conte because we were running out of daylight and energy. We spent the next day visiting Clingman’s Dome which is the highest point in Tennessee (elevation is 6,684ft). There is a steep half mile paved path that leads to the overlook and observation tower. Pets were not allowed on the path but the views up top were great. We had a few minutes of clear sky and then fog and mist started to roll in. This is a beautiful park with tons of hiking and camping trails. There are multiple pull-offs on the road so it’s a great option if you’re short on time but still want to take in the views.
