In July 2016, we spent a week in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, to celebrate my parents’ 50th anniversary. My sister, brothers, and their families all came (with my parents, of course), totalling 17 people. We rented an enormous cabin that provided us with plenty of space, even with seven kids running around. It was our first trip to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and we were happy to explore a new (to us) national park on the 100th anniversary of the National Park System. 
The Sugarlands Visitor Center was our first stop, to purchase some trail maps and orient ourselves. There’s a lovely exhibit on the plants and animals of the park, showcasing some of its biodiversity. The short nature trail (with narrative booklet) was a great introductory hike, especially since we added the Cataracts Falls spur. That night we did a little shopping in the Arts & Crafts district, purchasing handcarved magnets and a Christmas ornament, which are our standard souvenirs.
We hiked to Hen Wallow Falls along the Gabes Mountain trail in the quieter Cosby section of the park. The trail was 4.4 miles, almost all of it inclined in one direction or another. There were plenty of rocks and exposed roots, and a few interesting stream crossings, making it even more of a rugged experience. A few rhododendron were in bloom -- it must be amazing in their peak season! The turnaround point is the lovely Hen Wallow Falls, where we stopped for lunch and hunted for salamanders. There were on and off periods of a light drizzle throughout the hike, most of which stayed in the canopy, but in the last bit of the hike, the rain started to come down harder. Felt pretty good, actually -- and so did the soak in the hot tub that night!
Another morning, we hiked to Laurel Falls, which is said to be one of the more crowded hikes in GSMNP. Luckily we went early in the morning because we had no problem finding parking and didn’t see too many people on the trail headed to the falls. On the way back, however, we passed many, many people. This trail wasn’t too steep, but there were steep dropoffs along the path.
That afternoon we all (including my parents!) did a rafting trip down the Lower Pigeon River, which featured Class I and II rapids. It was a great time for all, though perhaps some wished for a little more rapids, but hopefully the splashing and swimming made up for it! The river was lovely, though we passed some spots where the invasive kudzu vine covered all the plants in sight.
We drove to Clingman’s Dome (on the North Carolina side of GSMNP) and walked the steep hike to the top of the Smokies. The drop in temperature as we climbed in elevation felt very welcoming. It was a clear evening so the view of the Smokies was wonderful, as was the brilliant sunset a bit later.
Our excursion to the famous Cades Cove came on a hot day with a late start. The entrance road travels for miles alongside a lovely brook, which looked so inviting. We didn’t hike any of the side trails in Cades Cove, but we did explore the various homesteads, churches, cemeteries, mills, etc that are reminders of the early settlers in the area and the life they led. That night we all went to the Country Tonite show in Pigeon Forge, where they did a little shout-out for my parents’ 50th anniversary. Fun show!
Our last hike in the Smokies was to Grotto Falls, another ‘popular’ site. The hike is along the Trillium Gap trail, and we inadvertently parked further away from the main trailhead than intended. Our hike was originally intended to be 2.4 miles long in total, but the trailhead sign gave 2.8 miles (each way) since we were in the wrong spot. We had a quick debate about whether to drive to the official starting point, and our younger son convinced us to stay put and hike the longer path. Great decision! It was a longer, but quieter path, and when we finally got to Grotto Falls there was a bit of a crowd there. It was our first time walking behind a waterfall, which certainly made it a unique and worthwhile experience. The Cherokee Orchard Road and Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail in this part of the park were lovely, with the dense forest interrupted once in awhile by a peaceful view of the Smokies..
The Gatlinburg / Pigeon Forge / Sevierville area certainly has plenty of activities, but we tended to focus on Great Smoky Mountains National Park. We drove through the towns on occasion, and stopped to eat at several good (or great) restaurants but didn’t partake in the mountain coasters, gondola rides, ziplines, mini-golf, or go-carts. Belive it or not, our boys weren’t particularly interested in those activities, and preferred hiking or hanging out in the cabin instead. They did request a class III and IV rafting trip, although due to dam releases those trips aren’t available daily, we weren’t able to fit it in. Next time!
It was a terrific week and I’m so grateful that our families from New Jersey, Nebraska, and Georgia were able to come together in such a lovely place to celebrate our parents’ 50th anniversary. Here’s to many more!
