Author: gatlinburg insider

Planning A Reunion? There’s No Place Like Gatlinburg.

Planning a family reunion in the Smokies and have a large group coming along? Gatlinburg is the perfect place for that large family gathering.

For most people planning a large group gathering in the Smokies, you’re looking for a place with space enough for mingling as well as relaxing, to go along with local activities like golfing, fishing, outlet shopping, and hiking in the national park. Every accommodation that you’ll find in Gatlinburg has a person on staff to address whatever your question may be, and make your reunion in the Smokies that much easier.

If you’re asking whether there really is THAT much to do in Gatlinburg, the answer is “Yes”. You can go back all the way to the founding of this country tracing the history of Gatlinburg. However, the founding of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in 1934 was the real turning point for the town. During those years, Gatlinburg began receiving notoriety for its surrounding natural beauty. Even to this day, Gatlinburg plays host to the Park’s nine million-plus annual visitors. And many of them come in large groups searching for that perfect reunion place.

An almost endless array of lodging options for gatherings small and large can be found in town as well as along the hills and mountains surrounding Gatlinburg. Whereas there are plenty of hotels and motels scattered along the Parkway, the mountainsides and backroads are home to a great number of Gatlinburg cabins, condos, and chalets. Many of these cabins and chalets come complete with 8-10 bedrooms. Take a look for yourself, these large group cabins and chalets can be found on sites like GatlinburgCabinsOnline.com as well as BigCabins.com.

Get Outdoors in Gatlinburg!

You could spend an entire day listing all the things there are to do outdoors in Gatlinburg. Meaning really outdoors, like in the national park and surrounding area. Gatlinburg backs right up to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, so naturally there are a number of outdoor adventures, attractions, and escapes awaiting you right when you step out your door. If you’re looking for a vacation destination that will leave your thirst for the great outdoors quenched, look no further than Gatlinburg and the Great Smoky Mountains.

Hiking in Gatlinburg

Normally, people don’t just go to the national park, turn around and go home. They go to do something. Many go to hike one or more of the over 800 miles of hiking trails found in the National Park. From wildflower hikes to an adventurous climb up Mount LeConte, you can find a trail for everyone from the beginning hiker to the advanced and everything in between.

There are trailheads to be found from Gatlinburg to Cades Cove just outside Townsend, TN that put you right in the national park.

Fishing in the National Park

The Little Pigeon River flows straight through downtown and the national park is crisscrossed by so many mountain streams you’d easily lose count. As far as dropping a line or casting a fly, take your pick of rivers and streams. Literally hundreds of miles of streams are stocked annually with brown and rainbow trout, as well as the beautiful brook trout. Even large mouth bass can be found in these waters. Fishing is permitted year round in the park, and Gatlinburg hosts an annual trout tournament where contestants compete for over $10,000 in cash and prizes.

Camping in the Smokies

If you’re idea of the perfect Smokies getaway is parking your RV or camper around Gatlinburg, there are plenty of spots to choose from. And most offer electricity, water, cable TV, hot showers and pools. In Cades Cove or Elkmont, you can pitch a tent and rough it for a few days in the wilderness. Most Smoky Mountain campgrounds are accessible first come, first served.

Whitewater Rafting

Class III and IV rapids can be found for miles on the Big Pigeon River as well as other nearby rivers, and several outfitters like Raft the Smokies and the Nantahala Outdoor Center offer wildwater adventures and assistance in planning your rafting trip.

Bicycling

The Cades Cove Campground Store is a great place to rent a bike if you aren’t planning on bringing one yourself. It’s also the perfect place to bike in the Smokies. The 11 mile Loop Road is a hot spot for cyclists wanting to get out in the park. From the historic buildings to all the wildlife roaming the Cove, it’s a nature-lover’s paradise.

The 9th Annual Music of the Mountains Festival

The 7th annual Music of the Mountains Festival will feature a number of local artists with music ranging from old-time bluegrass to gospel.

The 9th annual “Music of the Mountains” festival, hosted by the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, begins this weekend with its first stop being Townsend, TN.

“We’re very pleased to again partner with the City of Gatlinburg and the Great Smoky Mountains Association to offer the public a variety of musical styles for this year’s ‘Music of the Mountains festival,” said Dale Ditmanson, park superintendent. “Our staff has lined up a wide spectrum of old-time, traditional, and bluegrass music performers. With the change to an all day festival we hope to allow more of our visitors to experience the rich traditions of mountain music.”

The “Music of the Mountains” event begins at 7 p.m. Friday at the Great Smoky Mountain Heritage Center in Townsend. Four Leaf Peat performs traditional Celtic music.

Saturday, the festival moves to the Sugarlands Visitor Center just outside Gatlinburg with the Lost Mill String Band, Boogertown Gap Band, Brien Fain, Tony Thomas, Matt Morelock and Ferd Moyse and the Mountain Strings. Then, at 7 pm Saturday, Steve Brown and Hurricane Ridge play at the Plaza at Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies in Gatlinburg.

On Sunday, “Heritage, Harps and Hymns” begins at 2 p.m. at the Smoky Mountain Visitor Center in Cosby.

“Music of the Mountains” is a celebration of musical traditions of the southern Appalachian Mountains, showcasing the evolution of mountain music over time,” said Kent Cave, North District supervisory park ranger. “The festival is one of several special events the park has developed to tell the story of the people who lived here prior to the park’s establishment in 1934.

“Musical expression was often, and still is, a part of daily life in the southern mountains, and mountain music is tied to Smokies history like no other part of our culture.”

Seating at Sugarlands (865-436-1291) is limited to 160 persons per concert, and available for free on a “first come, first serve” basis.

Ripley’s Aquarium, Dinosaurs: When Giants Ruled

A 10-foot Tyrannosaurus Rex at an aquarium? It’s not the first thing you’d expect to see on a trip to Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies. However, the T. Rex is the new centerpiece of the aquarium’s “Dinosaurs: When Giants Ruled” exhibit that just recently opened.

The “Dinosaurs” exhibit is there through 2013. It’s the aquarium’s big spring exhibit. Each year they seem to get bigger and better.

Now, T. Rex isn’t alone. He and four other animatronic dinosaurs fill the 2,000-square-foot exhibit space. You’ll think that you’ve back to the land that time forgot. There’s even a 7 ½-foot, man-made volcano.

There is an Apatosaurus, which for those of you asking “What is an Apatosaurus?”, it’s a 30-foot-long, green-skinned dinosaur that moves its long neck and turns its head in the exhibit. Meanwhile, the horned Chasmosaurus parent and child also turn their heads, open their mouths, roar and squeal at the passersby. Finally, you’ll find that the model Mosasaurus, a prehistoric marine reptile, is suspended in the exhibit’s ocean display.

There’s even a sand display that kids can dig through as they search for dinosaur bones. This interactive exhibit incorporates nine iPad dinosaur-themed, children-oriented “Dino Challenge” applications with the more old-fashioned technology of a dig pit.

“Dinosaurs: When Giants Ruled” also spotlights fossils of actual dinosaurs unearthed over the years including a Triceratops horn dug up in South Dakota, an arm and hand bone of a two-legged Gallimimus found in Mongolia, and a Stegosaurus skeleton found in China in the ’90s.

Ripley’s General Manager Ryan DeSear said an aquarium hosting an exhibit about dinosaurs “just kind of fits. We have a marine dinosaur back there called a Mosasaurus, where you can kind of see the evolution of sharks. So there is a fit there. It’s maybe a bit tenuous but it’s still there. And people love dinosaurs. They just do.”

Newfound Gap Road Re-Opens a Month Ahead of Schedule

Following a landslide which closed the road for almost three months, Newfound Gap Road (U.S. 441) in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park which runs from Gatlinburg to Cherokee, NC reopened Monday, April 15 at 10 a.m.

The landslide that occurred during January storms took out a 200-foot section of pavement six miles south of Newfound Gap. The North Carolina section of the road had been closed since January 16.

As a reward for finishing the job a month ahead of a May 15 deadline, Phillips and Jordan Inc. contractors received a $500,000 bonus, funded by the National Park Service and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.

“We recognize the economic importance of the road to our neighboring communities and are grateful that our partners at Federal Highways Administration and were able to respond efficiently to our need and work with the contractors to make the necessary repairs in less than 90 days,” said Smokies Superintendent Dale Ditmanson.

The contract awarded to Phillips & Jordan, Inc., totaled nearly $4 million. Included in the contract were incentives of $8,000 per day for early completion.

The final design includes pipes to allow for the drainage of subsurface water flow along with side drainage leading to a culvert at the end of the slope.

In January, heavy rainfall and an underground stream combined to loosen thousands of tons of rock, soil and trees, which slid the length a football field down a slope. Officials said an estimated 9,000 dump truck-loads of dirt, rock and roadway crashed 45-50 feet down the side of the mountain.

Engineers believe a subsurface spring underneath the area was a large factor in causing the landslide. It’s unknown how long the spring had been there. That, combined with the heavy rain that week, caused the collapse. In all, 8 inches of rain fell in the area between Monday and Wednesday the week of January 14.

At the time, it was considered an active landslide because of the continuously flowing springs underneath the road’s surface.

Laurel Falls

Want to get off the beaten path without actually leaving the path next time you’re in the Smoky Mountains? Take a hike to Laurel Falls and be amazed at the true majestic beauty of the Smokies.

The 80-foot high Laurel Falls descends from Laurel Branch in the Great Smoky Mountains. It takes its name from the mountain laurel that grow in the area, especially along the trail that leads to the falls. It can best be seen by hikers during the month of May. A walkway intersects Laurel Falls, which is made up of an upper and lower portion. The walkway crosses the upper section. Laurel Falls is undoubtedly one of the most popular and picturesque locations in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

The Laurel Falls Trail is the route you take to get to the falls, obviously. The trailhead can be reached just outside the Sugarlands Visitors Center in Gatlinburg. As you’re coming into town traveling south from Pigeon Forge, turn toward Cades Cove on Little River Road and drive 3.5 miles to the trailhead. There is parking available at the trailhead but it fills up quickly on a nice day and especially on weekends.

Just so you know and can plan accordingly, the round trip hike to Laurel Falls is 2.6 miles. Give yourself about 2 hours to hike to the waterfall and back, more if you plan on staying awhile which most people do.

This is a paved trail, but it’s a trail that has been traveled by many so to say it is completely even would be a falsehood. Some parts can be slippery in wet weather, especially the steeper parts. Be wary of children at all times, your own and others who may be hiking in. Those who wish to bring strollers or wheelchairs are highly discouraged to do so because of the grade of trail at points and also the worn condition.

Please refrain from climbing on rocks around the waterfall. A fair warning, several people have fallen to their deaths over the years and many others have suffered serious injuries from climbing on rocks near waterfalls or along the riverbanks. These rocks are slippery due to mist and algae.

Also, carry drinking water with you. Pets and bicycles are both prohibited on the trail.

Spring is Packed With Things To Do in Gatlinburg!

With temperatures steadily rising, the views getting greener around town, flowers in bloom, it’s no wonder Gatlinburg is a popular place during the Spring. The town is trying to capitalize on its natural beauty this year with a bevy of events geared toward getting people out and about, enjoying the old town.

Things have already gotten kicked off with a number of new guided hikes and downtown Gatlinburg tours. Take a wildflowers tour or go bird watching on a hike in Smokies. Hikes take place Tuesday and Thursday. All tours are free to the public, but guests are asked to sign-up by calling Jennie (865) 436-0505 or reserve here.

Always a favorite, Gatlinburg Smoky Mountain Tunes and Tales cast includes bluegrass bands, strolling folk singers and storytellers who play to the delight of anyone passing along the Parkway during the evening. Tunes and Tales begin weekend performances on Friday and Saturday in April until mid-June when performers are out nightly on the streets of Gatlinburg through August.

Around here, Earth Week is celebrated to its fullest! It’s a family event. Gatlinburg’s Earth Week Celebration takes place from April 21-28 throughout town. You want to learn about easy green practices, enjoy some great live music, participate in green-related activities and games, crafts, food and more? Come to Gatlinburg’s Earth Week in late April. There will be a Disc Golf Tournament, you can attend a Go Green Seminar, or you can help in the Spur Clean-up, participate in the Earth Day Festival or run in the Earth Day 5K. During Earth Week in Gatlinburg, there is something for everyone who is interested in improving our natural environment.

Again, Earth Week kicks off with the Go Green Disc Golf Tournament at Mills Park on Sunday April 21, from 12:30pm – 4:00pm.  The 9-hole recreational course will feature tips on how to “go green” provided by Keep Sevier Beautiful. On site registration begins at 12:30pm and there is a small fee. Participants get an Earth Week t-shirt.

The Spur Clean Up takes place on Tuesday, April 23. Come join in as we pick up trash along a stretch of the National Park between Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, known as The Spur. To participate, bring a pair of gloves and meet at Gatlinburg’s Spur Welcome Center at 9 am.

One of the more popular ways to get out and enjoy the Smokies is taking part in the 63rd Annual Wildflower Pilgrimage, April 23-27. Every year this program gets bigger and bigger due to ever-growing response. Over 150 programs make up the annual Wildflower Pilgrimage which includes instructional walks and tours, demonstrations, and guest lectures. Download the 2013 activity brochure and register online at www.springwildflowerpilgrimage.org.

The Second Annual Earth Day 5K Run/Walk in downtown Gatlinburg will take place on Friday, April 26 at 10 pm. All age groups are welcome and encouraged to participate in this USA Track & Field-sanctioned event. Early registration is encouraged to guarantee your shirt size! Race day registration begins at 9 pm at the Nantahala Outdoor Center.

One other brand new event that will be taking place this year is the Gatlinburg Smoky Mountain Winefest. For all you wine lovers out there, stop by Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies on Saturday, April 27 anytime from 1-6 pm. You’ll  sample wines from more than a dozen Tennessee Wineries and small dish fare from the best restaurants in the Smoky Mountains.  Wine talks and food pairing demonstrations will also presented in the Jules Verne Room. Participants must be at least 21- years old and pay a $20 admission fee.

Spring Means Plenty of Guided Hiking Tours Around Gatlinburg!

FREE hikes in the Smokies and tours of Gatlinburg are just a part of the town’s efforts to get visitors and locals alike out and about, and enjoying Spring in the Smokies.

Take a Guided Hike
Locate some of the most beautiful spring wildflowers or take an afternoon and do some bird watching. These are just a few of the things you can do on a hike in the Great Smoky Mountains. For the first 3 weeks of April, Gatlinburg is offering people the chance to go out with their very own hiking guide on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Jennie Burke will lead a “Walk with a Naturalist” on Thursdays at 2 pm at the Cove Hardwood Nature Trail in the Chimneys Picnic area.  Former Park Ranger, Ray Sellers will lead 2 walks: Old Sugarlands Trail and Trillium Gap Trail at 2 pm on the first and third Tuesdays (April 2 & 16). Former National Park Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife biologist, Keith Watson will lead a bird walk at 9 am on the second Tuesday (April 9) on Rainbow Falls Trail. These hikes are FREE to anyone who wants to get out into nature, but guests are asked to sign-up ahead by calling Jennie (865) 436-0505. Space is limited! For a list of the hikes, click here.

Go on a Guided Tour of Gatlinburg
Go in depth about Gatlinburg’s past and present during the guided downtown Gatlinburg tours on Fridays and Saturdays at 2 p.m. for the first 3 weeks of April. Tours are FREE to the public, but guests are asked to sign-up ahead by calling Jennie (865) 436-0505. Space is limited!

Sign up for one of these hikes or tours here or call (865) 436-0505.

Gatlinburg Farmer’s Market

The Gatlinburg Farmer’s Market is back on Saturday, May 19 with an assortment of locally grown goods and hand-made items.

Fresh is back and green is good along the Parkway in Gatlinburg this summer as the Gatlinburg Farmer’s Market prepares for another eventful season starting Saturday, May 11.

Each participating vendor will have their own locally grown or made fares for sale and/or sampling, and all promoting healthy mountain living. The Gatlinburg Farmers Market will be open each Saturday from 8 – 11:30 am in the Alamo Steakhouse parking lot at 705 East Parkway through October 12.

Last years opening day events at the farmer’s market included a demonstration of stained glass cutting and assembly techniques by Talking Turkey Studios. Vendors that day included Ely’s Mill – honey; Catskill Farm – garlic, walnuts, vegetables, cut herbs; Gourmet Creations – sauces, pie mixes, soup mixes; Wildflower Bake Shop – home made breads and pastries; and Valerie Dixon – produce and blackberries. A number of vendors are expected back for another go-round this year.

The Gatlinburg Farmers Market started as a dream and a vision to provide residents and visitors with fresh, local produce for fair pricing while supporting and stimulating the local economy.

You’ll find all Gatlinburg area growers and supporters from Sevier and Cocke counties at the market. Of course, the market was established to shine its light on fresh area produce and homemade products offered locally and in an atmosphere focused on food, lifestyle, technology, and major event productions in this area.

Directions to the Gatlinburg Farmers Market: From stop light No. 3 in Gatlinburg, turn south onto Hwy 321 toward Cosby, the Gatlinburg Farmers Market is located about a mile down the road on the left in the Alamo Steakhouse parking lot.

Visit the Gatlinburg Farmer’s Market online at GatlinburgFarmersMarket.com.

Gatlinburg Meetings & Conventions

The Gatlinburg Convention Center features over 148,000 square feet of meeting and exhibit space and is a popular alternative to the average day-to-day convention center landscape. That, and you’re within a hop, skip, and a jump from downtown Gatlinburg and all the great attractions, shopping opportunities, and restaurants.

Looking to stay on budget and have your meeting go as planned? The Gatlinburg Convention Center is at your service. The services are exceptional, from planning to setting up site inspections and supplying informational brochures, they’re ready to assist you. And the center’s kitchen is fully staffed with an accomplished chef, providing exceptional food, flowers, wine and spirits for groups from 10 to 3,000.

The Great Hall provides 67,000 square feet of exhibit space, 60,000 square feet of which is free-span with a ceiling height of 30 feet. It can accommodate 6,000 people, 350 booths or be divided into three separate halls for smaller events.

In March of 2006, an additional 50,000 square feet was added with the opening of W.L. Mills Conference Center adjoining the Convention Center. This expansion added a beautiful 17,000 square foot Ballroom and allowed us to revitalize our Mills Auditorium, creating a venue that takes your breath away as you enter the room! Both the Ballroom and Mills Auditorium are ideal for any type of event – from a formal banquet or general session, to a themed celebration.

The Convention Center Gallery area is 38,200 square feet, including 18 meeting rooms, pre-function space, two private parlors and a special VIP/media suite.

Meetings in Gatlinburg are enhanced by the wide variety of accommodation options. Gatlinburg is home to numerous Smoky Mountain cabins and chalets. These accommodations are available with a variety of locations: from downtown overlooking the Little Pigeon River, to a mountaintop overlooking the Smoky Mountains to secluded natural surroundings.

No matter what your preference, the Gatlinburg Convention Center can accommodate your needs and desires