The most visited national park in the country, Great Smoky Mountains, which straddles the state border of Tennessee and North Carolina, is a treasure. Within the park, the incredible diversity of plants and animals are found along the over 850 miles of hiking trails that lead through the gorgeous mountains and along rivers, streams, and waterfalls. No matter what you seek, any visitor will find an incredible adventure in this gorgeous national park.
During our Summer 2020 RV Road Trip, our family spent three glorious nights in the Great Smoky Mountains. This park was an incredible playground for our family, after having been on my bucket list for some time.
After driving from Georgia, we arrived in Cherokee, North Carolina to spend our first night right outside the park. That evening, we experienced the most torrential thunderstorm I think we may have ever seen. Despite the elements, Justin was determined to build a campfire, which he did underneath the cover of our outdoor awning, and we all enjoyed watching the storm. I was determined to do a load of laundry, with our bathing suits nearly having mildew, and ran back and forth to the laundry with everything in a trash bag multiple times in the torrential downpour. Justin and I were laughing hysterically.
We awoke the next morning, and drove into Great Smoky Mountains National Park very early, hoping to get a jump on the crowds and allowing for an easier time parking. Great Smoky Mountains is the most visited of all of the national parks in the entire system, so we had a feeling we would not be the only ones visiting that day, and could potentially have some issues parking the RV in a few of our destinations.
We started our day at Clingman’s Dome, taking the trailhead to a hike to Andrew’s Bald. This hike was 6 miles in distance, and had some really good elevation changes along the route. The vegetation and trail were incredibly wet from the storm the night before, and we also experienced some visibility issues once we reached the bald, due to fog. Regardless, it was still a gorgeous view from the endpoint of the trail, and the kids felt some satisfaction in having completed this somewhat challenging hike.
After our hike at Andrew’s Bald, we drove the road through the park, and checked out multiple breathtaking overlooks along the way, even stopping at the Tennessee/North Carolina State Line. We were thrilled to find decent RV parking along the way, and were glad that we had gotten an early start that morning.
After an hour and a half driving though the park, we decided to stop and play in the river, and this activity proved one of our family’s favorite adventures during our stay in the Smokies. We found the perfect swimming hole, pulling over on the side of the road, changing into our suits, and grabbing some chairs and snacks. Our family enjoyed rock jumping, rock skipping, swimming, and lounging at the river’s edge that afternoon, all before sunset. It was HEAVEN.
After enjoying the river until sunset, we drove the rest of the way to our campground in the Cade’s Cove area of the park, which we absolutely loved. This campground was wonderful, and conveniently located near the Cade’s Cove area, which we had planned to explore during our second full day in the park. On our drive, we also saw a bunch of elk and three bears!
The next morning, we woke up early and headed to drive the Cade’s Cove scenic loop. This loop is a fantastic way to experience the meadows of the park, and has many wonderful stops along the way. If you plan to visit, make sure you head there early, as the road can get congested as the day goes on.
Our family’s favorite stop along the loop was our hike to Abram’s Falls, and we accessed this trailhead from the parking lot at the curve of the loop.
On our hike back to the RV from Abram’s Falls, Hayden also found an area which he quickly and aptly named “nature’s slip n slide,” and the kids had an incredible time playing in the water there.
On our way back to camp that evening, we saw three baby bears on our drive. Bear sightings are always a highlight for our family, and babies are even better!
Our family loved Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and would definitely recommend a visit to any outdoor-loving family!
