GSMNP

Do go chasing waterfalls

Do Go Chasing Waterfalls: The Road Trip Guide to Cascading Water Near the Smokies

A guide to some of the best cascading water in the Smokies and beyond One of the blessings of living in or near the mountains is access to beautiful waterfalls. To be clear, you don’t necessarily need mountains to have a great waterfall. However, rapid changes in elevation do increase the frequency and availability of the natural wonder of falling

Poison Ivy and Poison Oak in the Smoky Mountains

Poisonous Plants of the Smokies

Plants to be wary of on your next trip to the Smokies When thinking about poisonous plants of the Smokies, I started to feel a little haughty. “Who in the world goes through the mountains just eating random plants?” Then, a torrent of memories from my youth flooded back. All of them revolving around my love of all things sour.

a cabin on a lake

The Effort to Turn Cades Cove in the Smoky Mountains Into a Lake

In the 1930s, official plans were drawn up to turn the Cove into a reservoir Driving along the edges of East Tennessee’s lakes, there are signs that things are not always as they have been. Decaying grain silos rise inexplicably from the water and ancient roads and trails lead down to lakebeds without turning. In the days before the Tennessee Valley Authority,

Gatlinburg Skyline near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Don’t Miss These 16 Iconic Gatlinburg TN Hiking Trails

A local’s take on the best hiking Trails near Gatlinburg Planning can be both an art and a science in the popular vacation destination of Gatlinburg, TN. There’s plenty to do, of course. But if you’re going to do everything you want, then you need a plan. You’ll need schematics. Or you can pick representative activities; such as a hike one day,

entrance to ghost town in the sky in north carolina

7 Abandoned Places in the Smoky Mountains That Will Give You Chills

Local lists favorite spooky abandoned attractions, homesteads in the Smokies As a local, I’ve seen a lot of businesses come and go. I’ve also stumbled across a few forgotten places in the mountains. Sometimes I find them above the streams and along the old roads. They are forgotten places that generations of people used to live and work and call

Gregory's Cave has been off limits now for several decades

3 Forbidden Places Where Visitors are Not Allowed in the Smoky Mountains

They may be fun to learn, but these forbidden places in the Smoky Mountains are off-limits for visitors I’ve been told over my 30 or so years living around the mountains of places I shouldn’t go. There are places that for a variety of reasons aren’t safe or aren’t welcoming. But in the Smokies, few places are forbidden or off limits.

How Long Do Black Bears Live? The Answer Might Surprise You

Surprising facts about the Smoky Mountain black bear A couple of years ago – in the early spring when the black bear yearlings are moving to establish their own territories – we had a bear in our neighborhood.  More accurately, a bear was spotted in our neighborhood. There are enough tracts of trees and forest around that there are probably

Bigger. Stronger. Faster. Better. The World Record Holders in the Smokies and Beyond

Record-holding attractions in the Smokies and beyond When it comes to attracting attention in the Smokies, you’ve got to try … hard. Any angle or idea. In other words, any possible thing you can trumpet that will attract the public’s attention – and folding money – is what is necessary to succeed. It’s not enough to provide a mountain coaster. It

guests walking around john oliver place in cades cove

The Fight for Cades Cove and the People Who Refused to Leave

It turns out, not everyone was thrilled when the land became government property When touring Cades Cove today, we see one of nature’s true holy places. The verdant valley with its fields and streams, is surrounded by the high mountains. It’s a place of wonder and we rejoice that our forebearers nearly 100 years ago sought to preserve for us.

people taking pictures in the cove

7 Things You Shouldn’t Do in Cades Cove According to a Local

An area Smoky Mountain resident asks visitors to use common sense Cades Cove is the crown jewel of the Smokies. It is a confluence point of natural beauty, mountain history and conservation. However, there are many days I’d rather go to the dentist than risk a trip around the Cove. It’s not the Cove itself mind you. I consider it a sacred, almost