Smoky Mountains

Even black bears in Gatlinburg need to relax after a long day! A man on vacation in the Smoky Mountains wanted to enjoy a mountain view while he drank his cup of coffee, but opened the curtains to find a black bear on the deck of his cabin! Look below to watch the black bear in Gatlinburg take a dip in the hot tub:

Cades Cove is the most popular destination in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and it’s not hard to see why! Over 2 million visitors come to Cades Cove each year to enjoy the valley’s breathtaking scenery, spectacular wildlife, and well-preserved historic buildings. While we have already shared a step-by-step guide to everything to do in Cades Cove, it recently occurred to us that we have never told our readers what to avoid doing during their visit. So, without further ado, here are four things NOT to do in Cades Cove.

Did you know there are several hiking trails in and around Cades Cove? You probably know this area is a beautiful place to drive through and get out and explore, but there are quite a bit of Cades Cove hiking trails you might want to check out too! You can see incredible views or just enjoy a nice hike through the woods. Here are the top 5 Cades Cove hiking trails you should go on:

Mount LeConte is the third tallest peak in the Great Smoky Mountains. Many people enjoy hiking to the summit and staying in LeConte Lodge, a small gathering of cabins you can rent. If you stay more than a few days, you will probably eat the food the lodge prepares. But there aren’t roads to get to the top, so how do they get their supplies? Llamas! Learn all about the llamas that take supplies to the summit of Mount LeConte below:

The traffic to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park isn’t slowing down. It just keeps breaking records! More than half a million visitors were reported by the National Park Service in January of 2021. This area doesn’t see numbers like that until about March. Keep reading to find out more about the Great Smoky Mountains getting half a million visitors in January 2021:

If you’ve ever been to Cades Cove, you’ve probably stopped at the John Oliver Cabin. It’s the first stop along the Loop where you can get out and explore. We want to share some surprising things you may not know about this historical building. Check out these 6 surprising things you didn’t know about the John Oliver Cabin in Cades Cove:

Protecting Smoky Mountain wildlife is an important part of preserving the national park. To further protect these beautiful creatures, the Safe Passage Fund Coalition has launched the I-40 Pigeon River Gorge Wildlife Crossing Project. Learn more about this project below:

Despite the pandemic and being closed for a portion of 2020, the Great Smoky Mountains have broken monthly visitation records! More and more people came to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park to experience the beauty of the area and take a much-needed trip away from home. Keep reading to learn more about the monthly visitation records in 2020:

Great Smoky Mountains National Park Sees 2nd Highest Number of Visitors in 2020!

Despite being closed for a period of time in 2020, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park saw a near-record number of visitors! In 2020, the park saw 12,095,720 visitors. This is only the second time in park history that visitation has reached more than 12 million visits! The only other year was 2019, when the park saw 12,547,743 visitors. Although it didn't break the overall record, 2020 was still a record-breaking year for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park! Between June and December, the park saw 1 million more visits than that same time period the year prior, and 2.3 million more visits than the 10-year average for those months. In addition, the park shattered monthly visitation records for each month from August through December. These numbers were high despite partial closures throughout the park from May until September. Roads, trails, campgrounds and backcountry campsites all were busier than usual.

We love learning about the rich history of the Smoky Mountains and the many families who called the Smokies home! One of the best ways to learn about the history of the Smokies is to visit the historic buildings that still stand in the park today. One of those buildings that holds plenty of history within its walls is the Little Greenbrier School. Learn more about the history behind the Little Greenbrier School in the Smoky Mountains and how to get there so you can explore it yourself!

You probably know that Cades Cove is the most popular place to visit in the Great Smoky Mountains. It’s full of so many historic buildings people love to check out, but one of the most popular buildings is the cantilever barn in Cades Cove. This is a popular spot to visit along the Loop because it’s unusual. Here’s everything you need to know about the history of the cantilever barn in Cades Cove:

If you love unique things to do, then you will want to experience Smoky Mountain Llama Trek. Animal lovers will love visiting this attraction because you will be able to interact with all the llamas at the farm and on a hike. Keep reading to find out more about the Smoky Mountain Llama Trek:

You’ve probably driven the Cades Cove Loop before, but did you know you can go horseback riding in Cades Cove? This is an incredible way to explore the area in a new way. Plus, it’s a great activity for people of all ages! Find out everything you need to know about horseback riding in Cades Cove:

When you’re hiking through the Smokies, you probably expect to see birds, trees, and waterfalls. You probably aren’t expecting to see man made objects along the trail, but you will see one when you hike on Middle Prong Trail! Here’s everything you need to know about the secret Cadillac along Middle Prong Trail.

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park has reached a major milestone! It now has documentation of 20,000 species of animals, plants, and other organisms found in the park. We’ve gathered details on the different species you can find in the park and what to expect when you visit!