A visit to North Carolina's biggest Appalachian mountain range to do adventurous activities is the best to happen to us in October with all the gorgeous colors of nature resurfacing in the wild, during fall. Here are ultimate things to do in Smoky Mountains in October.
I have divided the post into two parts.
- Our journey through beautiful towns leading us up to the main destination
- Within the Smoky Mountains Park
A. The Journey
The distance from Tampa, Florida to Smoky Mountain, Tennessee is around 12 Hours, however, we did not want to get all tired by the time we reach Smoky. So we started from Tampa and after an overnight stay in Atlanta, we reached Chattanooga to visit Lookout Mountain. You can read more about our Lookout Mountain travel in the upcoming post.
Go to Pigeon Forge
After the heist with Lookout Mountain, we reached Pigeon Forge, a town north of Smoky Mountain.
It is a beautiful town in the Smoky's and is a center of various fun activities.
It has Dollywood inspired by the Dolly, Titanic Museum, Theme Park, Water Park, etc
We had booked a beautiful 2 story cabin as our group was large.
Old Mill Street
Along the Pigeon River, the area is iconic in its own terms with distilleries present since the 19th century. This street in Pigeon Forge is a hub of various distilleries, cafes, restaurants, candy shops. As soon as we pulled over, my physical exhaustion vanished. It felt like the whole road trip was worth it and we hadn't even entered the National park by then.
Old Forge Distillery - Must taste some
They also have souvenirs like merchandise t-shirts, century-old day-to-day accessories. I felt like I traveled a few centuries back to the 'no-tech' era. You can have their alcoholic beverages.
'Espresso yourself': Halloween decoration in the shop from where I bought a Hot Chocolate beverage.
Pigeon River
This river flows along with the Appalachian mountain range and subsequently through the Smoky Mountains.
More on Pigeon Forge
B. Within the Smoky Mountains Park
After spending some unforgettable moments in Pigeon Forge, we continued our Road Trip to the most awaited destination to experience the smoky mountain getaways.
Some geography time
Smoky Mountain is a part of the Appalachian Mountains range and spread over the border of Tennessee and North Carolina. We visited the area from the northern side which is from the Tennessee side near Gatlinburg.
Check out more of my journey in Gatlinburg
The national park offers hundreds of nature trails living in its heart and spread over the Appalachian Mountain range.
You can visit beautiful waterfalls, beautiful cabins built within the forest, enormous hiking trails for the adventure lovers, scenic panoramic views from some of the highest points present within the park
We entered the park from the north side of the Mountain range starting from Gatlinburg to start the Smoky Mountains activities.
Go on a Roaring Fork Nature Trail
This is an approximately 6-mile one-way trail which starts and ends at Gatlinburg. It begins on the Cherokee Orchard road hosting beautiful nature trails along the way which leads to amazing landmarks like Rainbow Falls.
There are around 10-15 spots throughout the roaring fork trail for tourists to take a halt and enjoy nature or maybe take some awesome photographs along the way.
Drive on US 441
US 441 is not just a number but a road which offers a beautiful view of the Smoky going through the heart of the park. It also has various landmarks on the way like some of the highest points in the national park offering a panoramic view of the Smokies.
We took this road on our return journey zigzagging through the forest and enjoying nature's phenomenon.
Visit Clingman's Dome
This is the highest point(6643 ft) which we came across on our Smoky mountain road trip. This is located right on the border of Tennessee and North Carolina. You can get a panoramic view of the Appalachian Mountain range. The landmark is located 23 miles from Gatlinburg, and it was on our way back to Atlanta. The climb is steep from the parking to the dome, however; it is worth the hard work as it gives you a clear view of hundreds of miles ahead.
Great smoky mountains wildlife
If you are lucky, you get to see the famous black bears of the Smokies (whose souvenirs are available all over the places surrounding the park), within the lush green trees along with other wild animals like bobcats, wild boars, coyotes, etc.
This is one of the most visited National Park in the USA and we felt like we barely scratched the surface of this huge colorful Mountain range.
We are planning to go to the Smoky Mountains once again and would definitely go on this road trip.
My husband clicked it near our cabin. Check out more pictures from my personal gallery.
These were the ultimate things to do in Smoky Mountains in October during the fall.
Check out this little video I have created about our journey from Atlanta to Smoky Mountains National Park. Check out more videos about my travel here
Check out my related upcoming posts: Gatlinburg Lookout Mountain
Check out our other posts on hill stations.
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