Eastern
Tennessee offers everything a travelling RVer could ask for,
from natural beauty to world-class entertainment.
With the old folk song running through my head, there I stood,
literally on top of Ol’ Smokey.
At 6,643 feet, Clingman's Dome is the highest point at Great
Smokey Mountains National Park and the highest peak in Tennessee.
On clear days, you can see for more than 100 miles, and into
seven different states. I had come to Tennessee to see the Great
Smokies up-close, to witness what inspires millions of people
to visit each year from all over the globe. What I learned is
that a week just isn’t enough time to enjoy it all.
 Originally
settled by the Cherokee Indians, the Great Smokies represented
one of the first real barriers European settlers faced as they
made their way west. By the time of the American Revolution,
English, Scottish, Irish and German settlers began pushing their
way through the mountain gaps from Virginia and North Carolina,
settling in the far northeastern corner of what became Tennessee.
During the Civil War, more battles and skirmishes were fought
in Tennessee than any other state except Virginia. The Cumberland
Gap was a key strategic point, and Union success in the campaign
for Chattanooga, including battles at Chickamauga and Knoxville,
opened the way to Atlanta and Sherman’s march to the sea.
After the war, railroad companies and northern industrialists
seeking timber, coal and other natural resources flocked to
the state. In the early 1940s the US government established
a secret city at Oak Ridge, the site of the Manhattan Project
to develop the atomic bomb.
Today, Tennessee is a state of contrasts. Despite becoming one
of the fastest-growing areas in the eastern United States, it
still offers surprisingly large areas of unspoiled natural wilderness.
Located right off the I-75 near Knoxville, Great Smokey Mountains
National Park is the most heavily visited national park in North
America. Located within a half-day’s drive of millions
of people, it’s admittedly a bit of a zoo in the summer
months. But from Labour Day in September through Memorial Day
in May, it’s a whole different story. That’s definitely
the prime time to visit. While you’ll need to reserve
a campsite in summer, visit in the fall, winter or spring and
you’ll have your pick of excellent sites just about anywhere
in the park.
Your first stop should be the Sugarlands Visitor Center, located
just inside the park as you enter via U.S. Hwy. 441 from Gatlinburg.
The Visitor Center is the perfect place to pick up maps, learn
all about the Great Smokies and decide what you want to do first.
That’s where I met up with Ruth Miller, who probably knows
more about the Great Smokies than anyone. Ruth’s family
has lived in the mountains for several generations, and at one
point she owned a company that conducted tours through the park.
To become better acquainted with the area and its history, Ruth
suggested we take a scenic drive along the famous Cades Cove
Road Loop.
Cades Cove is the most popular part of the Great Smokies, as
it provides an outstanding tour of early pioneer farms, offering
a fascinating glimpse into the region’s history with a
focus on 19th century rural life. The loop is a one-way, narrow
paved road that snakes for more than 11 miles through a small
valley ringed by mountain peaks. It’s not a drive you
want to take on in a big motorhome or hauling a large fifth
wheel, so use your towed car instead or, better yet, do it by
bicycle. You can rent bikes at the Cades Cove Campground Store
for about $20 a day. (Page Top)
Drained by trout-filled Abrams Creek, the Cades Cove valley
supports a wide variety of plant and animal life. Ruth says
the valley floor has approximately 2,400 acres of open fields
surrounded by forests, spotted here and there by projects to
restore native grass and wetlands. You’ll want to travel
slowly here, because white-tailed deer and wild turkeys are
abundant. You’ll see them just of the road at any time
of day, and Ruth and I had to stop a couple of times to let
deer cross ahead of us. You may also see black bears, particularly
in the evenings. Turkey vultures and red-tailed hawks frequently
soar overhead, riding the warmer air currents, while barn owls
and sparrow hawks patrol hedge rows closer to the ground. You’ll
want to keep your camera handy.
About halfway through our drive we arrived at a recreated pioneer
settlement, featuring a 19th-century grist mill, several homes
and churches. There, you can explore and learn what life in
the Great Smokies was once like. According to Ruth, by 1850
almost 700 people lived in this valley. Though many of the buildings
have been brought to this site from other locations in the Cove,
all are authentic to the period, providing a unique opportunity
to travel back in time.
Numerous hiking trails meander through the valley, providing
an opportunity to explore Cades Cove on a more personal level.
As you hike you can’t help but notice the huge variety
of plants, including dozens of different types of wildflowers.
To learn more about them, the following day, I visited Amber
Parker, who is the Education Director at the Great Smokey Mountains
Institute at Tremont, located at the park’s Townsend entrance.
The Institute opened in 1969 as a means of connecting people
to nature, and promoting an appreciation of Great Smokey Mountains
National Park through in-depth educational programs such as
its wildly popular Wildflower Walks. To my delight, Amber was
able to sneak away for an hour or so, and took me on a personally
guided tour.
 I
soon learned why the Smokies are sometimes referred to as the
Wildflower Park. Amber notes that more than 1,500 varieties
of flowering plants are found in Great Smokies National Park,
more than any other park in North America. Each April, an annual
Wildflower Pilgrimage – a week-long festival of programs
and guided hikes – attracts people from around the world.
But something’s in full bloom there 12 months of the year.
In the fall, goldenrod, sunflowers, ironweed, witch hazel, mountain
gentian, monk’s hood, coneflowers, and numerous varieties
of asters come into their own, while the purple umbrels of Sweet
Joe Pye weed stretch towards the sky, reaching heights of 10
feet! From February through April, the mountains glow brilliant
red with the flowers of red maples, and the serviceberry, flowering
dogwood, redbud, Fraser magnolia and tulip trees coming into
bloom soon afterwards.
To really appreciate this orgy of color, you need to take a
drive up Cherokee Orchard Road. With the Roaring Fork Motor
Nature Trail, it forms an 11-mile loop that takes you through
one of the most beautiful areas in the Great Smokies. Keep that
camera at the ready, because this really is one of those drives
where every turn brings another breathtaking vista. Half the
postcards and jigsaw puzzle photos taken in Tennessee are shot
there.
Another option for enjoying the majesty of the Great Smokies
is to see it by llama. Lucy Lowe and Laura Higgins operate English
Mountain Llama Treks, offering certainly the most unique Great
Smokies experience going. A full-day trek, with lunch included,
costs $65, while two- or three-day trips are available for the
truly adventurous.
Or, do as I did and follow the Newfound Gap Road (also known
as US 441) up to Clingman’s Dome, to see it all from the
top. Newfound Gap Road connects the town of Gatlinburg, just
outside the park, with the village of Cherokee, in nearby North
Carolina. The Gap, which is right on the Tennessee-North Carolina
state line, stands at an elevation of 5,048 feet and is the
lowest pass through the Smokies which is suitable for RVs. From
Gatlinburg to the Gap, the road rises about 3,600 feet, retaining
a grade of less than five percent.
Approximately 1/10th of a mile from Newfound Gap, Clingman’s
Dome Road leads west to Clingman's Dome, the third-highest peak
east of the Mississippi. At the end of the road is a small parking
area; from there, you walk a steep, half-mile trail to the top.
There’s an observation tower at the end of the trail,
where the incredible view makes the hike worthwhile. Dress for
the Arctic though, because you’ll be surprised how much
colder it is on the peak. Don’t be surprised to see snow
at any time during spring and fall. Unfortunately, consistently
icy conditions result in the park closing Clingman’s Dome
Road each year from December through April.
Once you’ve seen the world from on top of ‘Ol Smokey,
you might want to sample some of eastern Tennessee’s warmer
attractions. The nearby town of Oak Ridge is where scientists
working on the Manhattan Project developed the atomic bomb.
The town of Gatlinburg, on US 441 immediately west of the park,
offers a wide variety of shopping, restaurants and family entertainment
options. Or, head down the highway a short stretch to the bustling
community of Pigeon Forge, for world-class entertainment, including
the Louise Mandrell Theatre and Dollywood, Dolly Parton’s
incredible theme park and entertainment emporium.
With so many options, there’s no shortage of things to
do in eastern Tennessee. From top-flight entertainment to the
top of ‘Ol Smokey, it’s an incredible destination
and easily accessible right off the I-75. (Page
Top) |
