Smoky Mountains

The Elkmont Historic District is one of the most fascinating areas to visit in the Great Smoky Mountains. Before the establishment of the national park, Elkmont had a long history as a pioneer community, then as a logging camp, and finally as a resort town for wealthy vacationers. In recent years, the area’s long-abandoned cabins have made the Elkmont ghost town a popular spot for travelers to explore.

With over 800 miles of scenic trails, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the perfect place to go for a hike! If you don’t have much (or any) hiking experience, you may want to consider hitting the trails with a local guide.

Autumn is just around the corner! Here at Visit My Smokies, we can't wait for the official start of fall in the Smoky Mountains. It is nearly time to break out your favorite sweaters, order an extra glass of your favorite pumpkin-flavored drink, and begin planning your annual trip to see the Smoky Mountains fall colors.

When Josh White woke up last Thursday at his home in the Smoky Mountains, he heard a lot of commotion coming from his back porch. Initially, White assumed that his dog, whose name is “Bear”, was responsible for all of the noise. It turned out, however, that Bear was being framed, and the actual culprit was….a bear!

On August 21, 2017, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park will offer a front row seat to the first coast-to-coast total solar eclipse in almost 100 years! For a few minutes, the moon will pass directly between the Earth and the sun, creating an unforgettable experience for spectators. The total solar eclipse 2017 will cross the entire United States, stretching from Oregon to South Carolina.

One of Tennessee’s most beloved songs is celebrating a milestone birthday this year! 2017 marks half a century since Felice and Boudleaux Bryant wrote the bluegrass tune “Rocky Top” in Gatlinburg, TN. Recorded by the Osborne Brothers, Lynn Anderson, and countless other artists, the song became a cultural phenomenon when it was adopted by the University of Tennessee as their football team’s unofficial fight song in the 1970s. In honor of Rocky Top’s 50th birthday, Visit My Smokies did a little research to bring you the history of the classic song.

If you’ve always wanted to lend a helping hand in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, here is your chance! The National Park Service recently announced a series of “Smokies Service Days” where ordinary people can pitch in to help maintain the park’s trails, campgrounds, cemeteries, and vegetation.

When Christelle Ribeiro visited Gatlinburg, TN for her vacation, her number one goal was to see a black bear...and her trip certainly didn’t disappoint! Christelle and her family got an up close view of the area’s most famous critter when a Smoky Mountain black bear decided to take a dip in her friend’s inflatable pool. The bear’s unexpected visit was filmed on a smartphone, and the resulting video has been viewed thousands of times online.

If your kids are fans of the Harry Potter series, they will definitely want to visit the Smoky Mountains this July 31st! As any devoted book reader can tell you, the 31st is Harry’s birthday, and the Anna Porter Public Library in Gatlinburg, TN is marking the occasion with a special celebration. To help you plan your trip, Visit My Smokies has put together a guide to everything you need to know about the Harry Potter Birthday Bash in Gatlinburg.

Tennessee’s Smoky Mountains are the perfect place to have your next family reunion! Located just a day’s drive from 60% of the nation’s population, the cities of Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge are a convenient meeting place for your far-flung relatives. When you rent one of the large cabins in the Smoky Mountains, you’ll have an incredible home away from home for your family. Here are the top five reasons to choose a cabin for your reunion:

Last year marked the 100th anniversary of the founding of the U.S. National Park Service, and one American couple decided to celebrate the occasion in a big way. Stephanie Payne and Jonathan Irish set out to visit all 59 national parks in 52 weeks! From January 1, 2016 to December 31, 2016, Payne and Irish crisscrossed the country in an SUV and Airstream trailer, stopping at a new park each week (and sometimes, multiple parks per week).

Crusoe the Celebrity Dachshund visited the Smoky Mountains this summer! We had a great time with Crusoe while he was here! In case you missed any of the videos from Crusoe spending time in the Smoky Mountain area, take a look at all of his adventures with his brother Oakley in the videos below.

Spending an evening at the ballpark is a classic summer vacation activity! Sevier County is lucky enough to have its very own Minor League Baseball team: the Tennessee Smokies. As a Double-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs, the Smokies are a training ground for future Major League talent.

The Great Smoky Mountains are a paradise for bird watchers! Around 240 species of birds have been spotted within the borders of the national park. The Smokies have such a diverse collection of feathered residents because the park features so many different elevations and habitats. With chilly mountain peaks and more temperate lowlands, the Smoky Mountain area can accommodate a wide variety of avian species.

Young visitors to the Smoky Mountains will have the chance to join the ranks of the National Park Service this summer! From June through August, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park hosts a number of awesome Junior Ranger programs that are completely free to attend. These special events are designed to be fun, educational, and totally kid-friendly.