The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is magical! My wife and I visit a few times a year, and the stunning scenery never gets old. Be warned: it's the most-visited national park in the nation, so it can be very crowded. Still, it is an experience everyone should have. Plan ahead and try to visit on a weekday or during the off-season for the best experience.

Do your research on the trails before you get there. We did not any phone service the whole time. Family of four, with kids. Paid for parking ($5). We got to do two trails which were super beautiful but the second one was a bit challenging with kids. Narrow and wet, rocky trails. They give you a map at the welcome center that shows the trails but the website will guide you better on the difficulty level. We were visiting and the smoky mountains was a must see stop. The drive alone was breathtaking, not to mention the trails. The view from the top (visitor area) was amazing. Plenty of restrooms available at the visitor centers. Was a dream visit!

Camped for 2 nights in the southern portion of the park and thoroughly enjoyed my time. You will encounter a substantial amount of fellow visitors but it still feels like proper wilderness. Creeks are plentiful and hiking any distance will take you through a nice variety of habitats.

Late October is our favorite time to visit the Smoky's. The leaves are changing color & the overlooks are breathtaking. The temperatures are great during the day, but they do dip quite a bit in the evenings. There is so much to do here, no matter what age group you are in there truly is something for everyone. If you haven't visited the Great Smoky Mountains, you really do need to add it to your bucket list.

Beautiful and so many hikes it would take you a month or more to do them all, and that's if you lived there and did one a day! You can print your parking passes ahead of time or in certain areas you can pay that day and have it printed. It's like a digital parking meter that spits out a pass. We payed for a full week and printed it at home. We saw bears, wolves, deer and your typical wildlife. Kids can do the hikes. If they are used to hiking 11 miles is do able. Just note if it says 2.5 miles, it may take you 2hours one way. Our first time 10yrs ago we asked a ranger which hike to do, they suggested Chimney Tops. They failed to warn us it would take 2hours up and 2 hours down. We were used to hiking yo we thought 2.5miles easy..haha, not here. We made it to the top, but made it out in pitch black with barley enough cell phone battery to light our way out. Start your hikes earlier so you don't end up like we did.

We visited the park summer of 2025 on a motorcycle trip to Tail of the Dragon. I absolutely loved the ride through the part. Amazing views and great riding roads. Fighting Creek Gap Rd, Little River Gorge Rd. Turned off on the Foothills Parkway which took us right down to Lake Chilhowee then right into the west end of the Tail of the Dragon and over to Deals Gap. Would ride again!

This park is very user friendly!! Great views! Some amazing hiking! I go here multiple times a yr! Free to enter the park, but they do want you to buy a parking pass at the visitor center!

We TOTALLY regret no going the last 3 years we've past it!! The food was sooooo good!!! Plus they have fruit, jellies & homemade little apple pies next to the restaurant. We WILL BE BACK!❤️❤️ I must have forgotten to take pics of the food🤦‍♀️

Home style food: Great view of orchards out the window...oh and !Grass Fed Butter On The Table!! Note: I came back and added to this review. my waitress was Fantastic! She was kind. When I sat down I told her I had a headache and she offered me some over the counter medication in a bottle. However in contrast. when it was time to check out I took my slip to the cashier at least I headed there. I was about 8-10 ft from the register when this dark haired woman about 58 yrs old 5 ft tall, heavy set & wearing a black T-shirt that said something mean on it Yelled "Don't come up here!" very loudly very rudely . She was at the register I was ready to leave & there was no line. So I sat down and waited. I don't know why she thought she could scold me. :( Rudeness is never okay. it takes nothing to be kind ..

Love this place. Sugar free salt water taffy available. Always a great selection of nuts and vegetables and fruits. Will continue to make this a stop while passing through Tennessee

AMAZING!!! We've been there a few times before. Would definitely recommend! Food was decently priced too!

We have stopped in several times for the food and also stopped in to get fresh fruits and veggies. The ladies are always so kind and give my youngest and apple and he just thinks they are the sweetest ❤️

Wonderful country style food. Everything was delicious & the service was outstanding.

It has been 10yrs since I'd eaten here last. I had fried pork chops and they were a good size, with apples and green beans. Got the Chicken & Dumplings to go. Of course I had the Cake donuts with apple butter and didn't mind paying $6, times have changed. Everything was good.

Fantastic stop after a few hikes! Perfect place to grab a coffee and browse all the cool trinkets, cute shirts (like so cute I got one), and such a great variety of books!

Definitely an incredible place to visit for books, CDs, vinyl, stickers, trinkets, or pretty much any unique things you may want. We were greeted by a kind lady who made delicious drinks for my whole family. I personally got an iced matcha latte with lavender. I found some modern music and enjoyed exploring the quirks of this little shop. Wish I had more places like this back at home.

I always make time to stop in and visit here when I’m in Gatlinburg. There’s great coffee & tons of different flavors to choose from to make it fun, and you will seriously get lost in here looking for your next book. Here’s a picture from my most recent haul: LOTS of poetry this time around as well as “Tender is the Flesh” and a Faux Leather copy of “The Handmaids Tale.” Plenty of games, jewelry, some toys, shirts, earth soaps that smell divine, and SO much more. Definitely worth the stop.

This little hidden gem made my entire day! Yummy drinks and loads of loads of books. It is definitely this bookworm dream 🥰📚

Absolutely LOVED this store and “experience”. Sipping coffee, scoping out the books, & great conversation with the owner. Coffee was delicious, reasonably priced books and gifts. Would go there all the time if we lived closer.

Fantastic little shop with rows of meticulously alphabetized books, reasonably priced crystals, and coffee so good I didn't need sweetener. I'm glad I stumbled upon this gem, and I could spend many more hours there if I lived closer!

It's not a trip to the Smokies without stopping here. This place has a little bit of everything. From books (of course) to some of the best smelling soaps, to hard to find games and toys. The coffee here is amazing as well. We love stopping to talk with the owner, who has watched our son grow up over the years. Thank you for always making our trip to Our Place really feel like it's our place. Thank you!

Fun trails, awesome views, and a great time with Kelly! 👍 Distillery tour & then buying a slushy to enjoy while hanging out with our new Jeep friends was just the cherry on top!

We had a blast on this tour! Hands down would do it again and highly recommend for a great adventure. Staff and guides were great, equipment was excellent, and overall just phenomenal experience. Jess was fantastic and gave good instructions. Some of the ups and downs seem intimidating, but soooo fun! The views are amazing, and the midpoint stop was just gorgeous!

This whole experience is absolutely amazing, the trails, the drive through the mountains are incredible. However the customer service is amazing we got to know our guide and could have stay at the top and talked for hours. This was the best start to our anniversary weekend getaway. We had drove on at 3:30am and only had 4 hours of sleep before we did this tour and it was nothing short of amazing all the way around. We even talked bout local restaurants which we went and grabbed lunch from and that was so good as well. We even got to go to the distillery co and loved it as well. We got to meet the owner Kelly and he was so down to earth and took time away from what he was doing to have a conversation with us. These guys and gals made our trip extra special. I plan to recommend this to all our friends and family who love off roading just as much as us! You don’t want to miss out on this amazing experience.

If you like going off-road with steep trails, backwoods and Smoky Mountain views, this is it. Forget those pretty Jeep sightseeing tours where you sit in the back; there's no comparison. This is real trail riding where you drive up to three of your friends in very capable vehicles that are purpose built for off-road. Our guide was great, the trails were steep with many great views and fortunately it was muddy from heavy rain the night before making it that much better. Definitely recommended and will do again if ever return to the area.

We rented two buggies. It was a total blast! Worth every penny. We will definitely be back! Strongly recommend this place. The staff is amazing. Ask for Jack, he was our guide and he did an amazing job! He was very knowledgeable and patient with all of our questions. Plus he gave us a heck of a ride. Most amazing scenery. Don't hesitate, book your ride today before they fill up!

Wow! We have been on a few different UTV adventures and this experience was by far the best. The equipment was in excellent condition. The location is an easy/quick drive from Gatlinburg. The trail was so much fun. Some serious hills and turns with a guide on the lead to keep us safe. We will be doing this again. The boys loved it as well: from 4 to 9 years of age. This is not the average rent a UTV to drive around town, but a real off road 4x4 experience in the mountain terrain. Thanks for the great experience!

My wife and I took the tour. It was 2-1/2 hours long and our guide was great. It was well worth the money. We travelled by roads for about 15 minutes before hitting the trail. Once we hit the trails, we put it into 4wd Low and went up the mountain. The trails were pretty steep grades up and down. As an ATV owner, I do a lot of trail riding, but this was a whole other level. We went to the top, about 2,200 ft and stopped to take a break. We took some pictures of the awesome views before going back down and making our way back. I also got to use my GoPro to capture the footage. I would definitely recommend this tour! You will not be disappointed!

Beautiful hike starting out of Cosby campground. To go straight to the fire tower and back is about 13 miles, but if you combine two trails it gets to a bit over 17, so double check which way you take. Ensure you start early enough, bring plenty of water and snacks. We did this hike in 2016, at the end of February, there was no snow at the base of the mountain, but sections as deep as three inches at the top, check the weather before going, and be prepared with proper footware (we only had sneakers). It was an enjoyable hike, and the fire tower allowed for some beautiful views.

Man... this is one heck of a hike! We started at the Cobb campground and made our way up to the Appalachian trail from there. This trip is not for the faint of heart! Very rewarding views and the sense of accomplishment is awesome. Stay frosty on this trail, especially in the summer (you are in the wilderness). Bring plenty of water and stay encouraged, you'll be there in no time! Hike time from Cobb to summit-4 hours Return trip to Cobb- 2.5 hours

Mt. Cammerer has the best fire tower in the entire National Park. You can climb up from either the Asheville side or Gatlinburg side. When approaching from Asheville side, start the hike near I-40 exit to Waterville power station straight on the AT or drive a little further up the road to Chestnut branch trail and hike up to meet the AT. I took the second route. When approaching from Gatlinburg, start from the Cosby campground. The hike was about 12 miles out and back with a 3000ft elevation for my route. The early part of the hike was along the Chestnut creek with views of the forest and little waterfalls. I found this part very peaceful. As you climb, you get little views of the surrounding hills through the trees. Other than this, the trail doesn't offer much views along the way until you reach almost the top. But the forest is beautiful and the trail pretty much uniformly goes up all the way. So it's one of those trails where you can set a relaxing pace and chug along at a good rhythm enjoying the hike. Finally, when you reach the top, the view is worth all the struggles you had while climbing. The Pigeon River valley and Tennessee on one side and the high hills of North Carolina on the other. Try to plan your hike for a day when it's not too cloudy though!

Great hike..5 hours to complete. I thought leconte was harder though!! Beautiful Edit ..hiked again this time starting from Chestnut branch..12.2 total miles 4:45 minutes with stopping at tower to eat and pics..I liked this starting route better!

Awesome but tough day hike. I did low gap up and down. 3 hours up and 2.5 hours down. The views on the way are nice but the lookout on top of mt crammerer is spectacular. Plan to stay on top for an hour.

Beautiful view at the top of the tower and well worth the effort! Took about 4.5 hours to get to the top with breaks and an additional 3 hours to get back with little to no stopping. Certainly rough on the joints and by no means is an easy hike. Total length of the trail is 10 plus miles with a good 3 miles of relatively steep incline with more leveled out elevation on the way to the lookout tower. It gets cold and windy near the top as expected so just a reminder. Have fun!

Starting from Cosby Campground on the TN side is the easiest option of this tough but fun hike. Starting at an elevation of around 2,200ft on the Low Gap trail you will climb to 4,200 ft at 3 miles when you reach the junction to the AT. At which time you will head North on the AT and climb another 900 feet or so in the next mile. The last 2 miles are relatively level with some expected ups and downs. At 5.5 miles in you will reach another split in the trail where you’ll proceed straight to reach the tower. To return you can either hike down the same route or make a loop by continuing along the AT north to Lower Mt Cammerer trail which wraps around the north end back to Cosby. Out and back using the Low Gap trail is a roundtrip of around 12 miles with an elevation change of nearly 3,000 feet. Makes for a impressive day hike. Scenery is best around.

Gigi was absolutely wonderful! She took the time to show me how to create designs on tie-dyes and was so patient and kind throughout the process. Her tie-dyes were amazing — full of color and creativity — and she shared great conversation that made the experience even more enjoyable. I really appreciated her guidance and friendly personality. Highly recommend her work!

Super cute shop. The owners are great folks who work with local artists to bring you some fantastic pieces. The tye dyes are beautifully done. Well worth a peek inside. Don't miss the giant mushroom garden out front for a great photo op.

They have the best high quality tie dye! It's so colorful and vibrant. The owners are amazing people. I always enjoy stopping by to support their small business when I'm in the area.

Family owned small business. The nicest Woman rings things place. Shes so sweet and helpful. You can find just about everything you could wish for from things kind of store. Ties dies, jewelry, t shirts, tapestries, incense, smoking accessories, handmade goods from local artists and so much more! I'm sure to drop by everytime I'm in the area.

Love a place to stop and support local artists. Owners were very kind, great variety of items. Left with a couple goodies to take back home with me.

This place is so cute and if you’re a peace and love individual then it’s worth a stop by. They make their own items and also sell items from local artists and other small businesses. I got me a cute lil rose quart pendulum and a Smokey quarts crystal. As well as a peace sign car sticker. They have clothes and tapestries. So many beautiful crystals and homemade soaps and candles. And miss Barbara was such a sweetie. 💕 If I come back to Tennessee, I’m buying a tapestry!

Such an amazing guy love all the products and so mellow good pricing on everything definitely will be coming back 💛

Nifty place with a intersting selection. Prices are ok, still lots of smaller statues are reasonable. Lots of confederate metal yard art not found elsewhere. Plus all your common statues, fountains, etc. We got a few pieces, well worth the scenic drive.

Every type of animal you can think of, they have! Small, medium and large metal yard art. Ya just gotta go see for yourself!

Interesting and nearly unlimited array of yard figures. Reasonably priced.

Driving out some back roads in Tennessee and up comes RY yard art and it was cool with all kinds of gargoyles and yard ornaments and metal yard ornaments and got me a big old Tennessee rooster and a Groot....John was friendly ole fella

Just wish I could order online for small to medium Art. Would pay shipping for these wonderful pieces. I tried to order online but the feature wasn’t working

Ohhhh the choices! We came home with two prizes for the chicken coop!!!! Love love love this place! Next time I am getting the six foot chicken! 😍

Bought a metal chicken & NC State door thingy. Very friendly & a HUGE assortment. Very reasonable prices!

Wonderful shop, an equally wonderful drive on the way here ~

Lovely shop with such a huge selection of beautiful fabric! The owner was so very friendly and helpful! Highly recommend!

The owner was very sweet and a pleasure to talk with. She has beautiful quilts, and LOTS of them. Great selection. A great experience.

The ladies were super nice! Very beautiful craftsmanship all throughout the shop. There is also historic monument that was very neat and informative. Loved Cosby definitely has that small town feel. Super cute town!

Ladies were super nice! We saw some beautiful quilts for a queen size. Unfortunately they were out of our price range but definitely an amazing shop! Definitely recommend going

This quilt is locally owned. Owner, employee and customer were helpful. Had alot of fun talking about fabrics, quilts, patterns and sewing machines. All made us feel like we are welcome. Thank you for the friendliness.

We bought our new nephew a quilt from here... The quality is exceptional....the other quilt my husband bought me for my birthday... The ladies are super sweet...

Awesome. Dan has a great piece of property with some campsites and some awesome trails. Call first- before you get to the property so you can be greeted. When we arrive he showed up with map, details about the last condition of the trails he viewed and the requested trails the were to be avoided on said day. Map was color coded and the trails were all marked. Been there twice and I’d go back again if in the area.

Dan was amazing and extremely knowledgeable of Jeeps and all the best ways to tackle the trails. He was very honest on the hard trails and told us exactly what to expect. It was our first time doing difficult trails and we are very pleased with our experience with Outdoors in the Smokies. We will absolutely do it again! If you haven't tried this you are missing out.

Just spent a day with Dan on his awesome property. Tons of trails with amazing views. Dan was so knowledgeable about Jeeps, the ins and outs of wheeling, and did an excellent job of making us feel comfortable and confident in seeing what all our rigs were capable of. Stock rigs went down the trails with the same ease as the lifted rigs on 35s. We only did the "easy" trails today, but make no mistake about the term "easy." If you're wanting to learn more about your rig and its abilities, as well as your own, check them out. You won't be disappointed!

This place is special. My family and I had a blast! You won't find a better host than Dan. Very informative and just a good guy. He went out of his way to put a smile on my family's face and it was much appreciated. Explained in detail on how my Jeep does what it does and why. Extremely helpful for a beginner like myself. Thanks Dan ! I hope I can make it back to conquer all the trails sometime soon.

Fun privately-owned place for Jeeping. Lots of trails, hills, tight turns and ledges, and some pretty amazing views, too. Dan, the owner, is great to talk with. He will provide you with a map of his place, labeling the trails green, blue, and black for difficulty rating. Just call before you plan to go to make sure he's there. And also make sure you spend some time with Ernie, the friendly Great Pyrenees, to top off your day.

This is an awesome facility and a MUST do for anyone wanting to take their rig Offroad! My wife and I just took our three kids out in my Wrangler JLU to this facility for our first time out as a family. Dan is great and very accommodating. He has done an awesome job in setting this course up and clearly marking all three levels of trails. My Jeep has no issues navigating these trails. The black trails with the best views are a bit challenging, but doable with some mods. My setup is MOPAR 2” lift, 37” nitro trail grapplers, and 12k winch.

Such an awesome experience! The owner is knowledgeable and kind. I still consider my self to be a beginner but with the great guidance and instructions from Dan - the owner, he made me feel alot more confident in my Jeeps capabilities and also mine. Definitely recommend and will be returning soon. Thank you again !

Cool little roadside store! The lady that runs it is extremely friendly. We need more small businesses like these in the country. A piece of Americana!

The owner was so nice and very helpful with all our questions. Thank you for taking some time to talk with us!

Super cool place to check out. Very nice people. Alot of supplies to check out. Alot of cool stuff in the store.

Great store. I stopped by just to "check it out" and it didn't take a minute to find prepping items I just had to have. Great selections and the staff is very knowledgeable, friendly, and helpful. I highly recommend shopping here. I will definitely shop here again in the near future.

Most fantastic folks 😀 I am very blessed by just walking inside. The owner and friends made us feel so grateful we stopped and bought a few wonderful items. I love the stone egg☺️😇

Kerrie & Sonjay two great people. Store was well stocked with all your hiking and camping needs. The front porch with the rocking chairs are awesome to relax in. Would highly recommend to stop by and check them out... Bruce & Rose

Wonderful porch and fascinating people. The mushroom class was just amazing and I went home with 2 tubes of Real Time Maxx for my knee pain that in 3 days fixed the pain I’ve been dealing with for a year! So impressed.

Great selection of fresh apples, at low prices. I love cherry jelly and is hard to find some that is good, and I found it here! If i knew I would've liked it this much I would have bought several jars. Very friendly staff that told us about their farm. I will be back.

Drove by today to check out the place. Appears to be closed. A guy was mowing the grass in the orchard, but otherwise, no signs of life.

Great place to get fresh apples. Got a large bag of deer apples for our horses, and got some for ourselves too. Delicious! Reasonable prices, and knowledgeable staff

The fellow was very friendly in the store and took the time to share information with us about the orchard and the apple varieties. Great prices! The York apples were tart and firm/crisp.

Bought a bag of gala apples. They only accept cash. Friendly staff. 🍎

Courteous staff and great apples. I can remember getting apples here since the early sixties. Maybe longer, but that is as far back as I remember.

Great apples, good prices.Just the workers were very odd and made the place feel unwelcoming, they weren’t talkative and very quiet and didn’t even acknowledge anyone.

Gigi was absolutely wonderful! She took the time to show me how to create designs on tie-dyes and was so patient and kind throughout the process. Her tie-dyes were amazing — full of color and creativity — and she shared great conversation that made the experience even more enjoyable. I really appreciated her guidance and friendly personality. Highly recommend her work!

Super cute shop. The owners are great folks who work with local artists to bring you some fantastic pieces. The tye dyes are beautifully done. Well worth a peek inside. Don't miss the giant mushroom garden out front for a great photo op.

They have the best high quality tie dye! It's so colorful and vibrant. The owners are amazing people. I always enjoy stopping by to support their small business when I'm in the area.

Family owned small business. The nicest Woman rings things place. Shes so sweet and helpful. You can find just about everything you could wish for from things kind of store. Ties dies, jewelry, t shirts, tapestries, incense, smoking accessories, handmade goods from local artists and so much more! I'm sure to drop by everytime I'm in the area.

Love a place to stop and support local artists. Owners were very kind, great variety of items. Left with a couple goodies to take back home with me.

This place is so cute and if you’re a peace and love individual then it’s worth a stop by. They make their own items and also sell items from local artists and other small businesses. I got me a cute lil rose quart pendulum and a Smokey quarts crystal. As well as a peace sign car sticker. They have clothes and tapestries. So many beautiful crystals and homemade soaps and candles. And miss Barbara was such a sweetie. 💕 If I come back to Tennessee, I’m buying a tapestry!

Such an amazing guy love all the products and so mellow good pricing on everything definitely will be coming back 💛