Forum Discussion
RoyB
Mar 21, 2015Explorer II
The two major entrances to the Natl Park is from Gatlingburg or Townsend. If you wanted to be in the middle the RIVEREDGE RV PARK just as you enter Pigeon Forge coming from Gatlinburg would be a good place... We have stayed there many times. There are camp grounds inside the NATL PARK but they have no hookups. ELKMONT is our choice. Traffic in Gatlingburg is very slow going. Always have to watch out for people running across the main road...
Gatlinburg is walking the strip town with not many places to park your car on the side streets. Pigeon Forge is a drive to the stores and you can park at the store. Lots of shops in both towns and good eating places.
If the tourist thing is not your cup of tea then Townsend is where you might want to stay. Several full hook-up camps there and close to the West Entrance of the Natl Park. One of the sigths to see inside the park is CADES COVE motor trail which is on the Townsend side of the Park. The Major road that goes thru the park and comes out at Cherokee NC is on the Gatlingburg side. The highest point of the park is a great place that lots of folks visit as well...
Kinda what you guy want to do on where to stay...
My wife loves the Gatlinburg shops on both sides of the road. She will walk there all day long.... I usually drop here off and make a run to the park and do some hiking on a few trails. Then come back and find her...
All of our camping trips go through Gatlinburg both going and coming back haha...
August will be a pretty hot time to go there. You will enjoy the mountain roads in the park which will be a good 10 degrees cooler. We definitely go there in the late SEP Early OCT time frame and usually stay at the ELKMONT camp inside the park in our off-road POPUP camper.
I know you all will enjoy yourselves. We like to stop at TOWNSEND just before you get to the entrance and get a chicken picnic and then drive just inside the Natl Park and go sit on the banks of the Little River that goes through the park and watch the water and kids having fun in the water. Cades Cove is another great picnic outing along the motor trail. You want to time so you go thru the trail around dusk to see all of the deer and maybe a bear or two along the way. A whole bunch of horses will great you just as you enter the Cades Cove area. They like to be fed as well haha... Whenever you see a bunch of cars puled over to the side of the road it usually means a BEAR SPOTTING...
Best breakfast place for us is in Gatlingburg at BENNETS BBQ. Greatest breakfast bar out there.
Roy and Carolyn
Gatlinburg is walking the strip town with not many places to park your car on the side streets. Pigeon Forge is a drive to the stores and you can park at the store. Lots of shops in both towns and good eating places.
If the tourist thing is not your cup of tea then Townsend is where you might want to stay. Several full hook-up camps there and close to the West Entrance of the Natl Park. One of the sigths to see inside the park is CADES COVE motor trail which is on the Townsend side of the Park. The Major road that goes thru the park and comes out at Cherokee NC is on the Gatlingburg side. The highest point of the park is a great place that lots of folks visit as well...
Kinda what you guy want to do on where to stay...
My wife loves the Gatlinburg shops on both sides of the road. She will walk there all day long.... I usually drop here off and make a run to the park and do some hiking on a few trails. Then come back and find her...
All of our camping trips go through Gatlinburg both going and coming back haha...
August will be a pretty hot time to go there. You will enjoy the mountain roads in the park which will be a good 10 degrees cooler. We definitely go there in the late SEP Early OCT time frame and usually stay at the ELKMONT camp inside the park in our off-road POPUP camper.
I know you all will enjoy yourselves. We like to stop at TOWNSEND just before you get to the entrance and get a chicken picnic and then drive just inside the Natl Park and go sit on the banks of the Little River that goes through the park and watch the water and kids having fun in the water. Cades Cove is another great picnic outing along the motor trail. You want to time so you go thru the trail around dusk to see all of the deer and maybe a bear or two along the way. A whole bunch of horses will great you just as you enter the Cades Cove area. They like to be fed as well haha... Whenever you see a bunch of cars puled over to the side of the road it usually means a BEAR SPOTTING...
Best breakfast place for us is in Gatlingburg at BENNETS BBQ. Greatest breakfast bar out there.
Roy and Carolyn
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