class c in the smoky mountain national park

[dave17352]

I have a 27 foot Class C. It is 11 feet foot in height. I am considering whether or not to rent a car. We plan to be there for up to six days and we have a reservation in Pigeon Forge. I have plenty of experience in driving a class C as my Truck Camper combo is the same length and height! I am looking for opinions on if I should rent a car or not. We like site seeing in the Rig for the convenience but want to know if it would be practical. We will be there during the week so it should help with crowds.

Thanks in advance!

[Deb_and_Ed_M]

dave17352 wrote:
Ok I have the car reserved thanks!!!!

You'll be happier - in our experiences with National Parks, some of the scenic turnouts can only handle a dozen cars (if that many) - being in a car might mean the difference between seeing something spectacular, and being forced to drive on due to not enough parking space for an RV.
Have a great trip!

[ken56]

Glad to hear it. Have fun.

[dave17352]

Here now. I may say I am very glad I have rented the car. The park and the town is just one heck of a lot easier in the car. With enterprise they picked me up and will drop me back off at our camp. Super handy indeed. There are many places I would go with just my rig. This is one I would not want to.

Thanks again for the opinions

[Horsedoc]

If you explore the park, rent the car and do a favor to all the rest of the visitors. Yes, you can get around with the C, but it is slower, takes more of the road and more of the pull-overs than the auto you can rent.

[jrobert01]

you can take the tram anywhere you want to go really cheap from the camp site all Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg and you don't need to navigate traffic

[beemerphile1]

The park is easy, it is Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg that is challenging to drive.

[dave17352]

Ok I have the car reserved thanks!!!!

[ken56]

Rent the car.

[CharlesinGA]

Car. Clingmans Dome has very little space for larger vehicles and gets very crowded. I have not been to the west side except the Sugarland visitor center, but everything on the east side is tight, including driving thru Cherokee. Be aware that on the east side you will leave he park to get to portions of the park such as the Deep Creek area waterfalls and trails. Outside the park is tribal land (all of Cherokee and surrounding area) and mask restrictions are in force on tribal lands. Two of the best waterfalls are on tribal land, Mingo falls (200ft) and SoCo falls but there is no parking for an rv, barely a car, but worth the visit.

Charles

[Puddles]

You and EVERYONE else will be there thru the week... get the car.

[ajriding]

no issues driving a big thing there. Even the Dragon is doable by RV, but people will hate you if you drive the Dragon cause u will go so slow and slow everyone down. Pull out and let people pass

[dave17352]

So if you had your choice Class C or Car for seeing the sights which would you pick, the motorhome for the convenience or the car for the mobility.

[ken56]

You can do it, just go slower than you normally would around some of the corners on Little River road. As for going to the top and/or Clingmans Dome the road is plenty wide and 11 ft. is not a problem. Just don't burn up your brakes on the hills, they can be steep and challenging. Gear down and let the tranny do some of the work.

That said, Can-Am Spyders and Polaris Slingshots are available to rent in G'burg...Jeeps too. My opinion would be to rent a Jeep...or car. So much easier to park and maneuver especially when its SO busy.


Bring your patience because we are just starting color season here....that means LOTS of traffic. You can't tell there is a 'pandemic' or a recession. We are as busy as ever here.

[DrewE]

While I've only spent a day or so in the park, I had no difficulty with my somewhat larger class C except for the Cades Cove loop. It's passable by large vehicles, but there are overhanging branches and--more troublesome--many people pulling off and parking next to the road in inconvenient places, often leaving little room to inch by. I would suggest renting a car one day to go around that loop (it's very well worth seeing).

As for Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg, it's often slow going and congested in any vehicle.