We might have take a wrong turn… Okay, we definitely took a wrong turn on our way to Great Smoky Mountains National Park and ended up on the Foothills Parkway, a very scenic and chaotic byway. The twisting turns give this road its nickname The Tail of the Dragon.
Once we finally made it to Great Smoky we still had time for one short hike, Laurel Falls. A 2.4 mile out and back with great views and a waterfall marking the end of the trail. This hike was really easy and a great introduction ruin to the park’s landscape.
Next we hit the Sugarlands Visitor Center. I got my park souvenirs and stamp here.
Since the daylight was wrapping up at this point we decided to visit nearby Gatlinburg, TN and find a campsite for the night.
We camped in Smoky Bear Campground for the night. A nice price for a place to hide out the rain and shower before bed. We planned to return to the park in the morning.
The next morning we woke up to the sound of rain and the rain never stopped. After packing up the tent we drove back into the park for a second time.
Because of the rain we didn’t get to do our planned hike, Alum Cave Trail. Instead, we opted to drive up to Clingmans Dome and walk the half mile paved road up to the observation tower.
When we arrived it seemed like the weather would keep the view hidden from us but, after a few minutes the smoky mountains became less smoky and we got a pretty nice 360-view from the tower.
We then made our way out of the park (and the rain storm) and towards Knoxville, TN. Our next stop is Mammoth Cave National Park in central Kentucky. Stay tuned to catch the next sunrise!
