Beautiful short hike that is around 2 miles total roundtrip in Townsend near the Smoky Mountains…read more A lot of uphill climbing, but worth it for the waterfall. When we were here this trail was still quite crowded and parking was limited/hard to find so be mindful of that. Otherwise, it's a beautiful site to see.

Looking for short, less populated, but still fabulous waterfall hike while visiting Gatlinburg or…read morethe Great Smoky Mountains? This is it!!! SPRUCE FLATS FALLS is a very short hike that begins at the Great Smoky Mountains Institute @ Tremont. The waterfall trail begins at the exact same point as the Lumber Ridge Trailhead, but the Lumber Ridge Trail goes left while the Spruce Flats trail goes right. The trail is easy to follow for the most part due to the Institute providing additional signs along the way to help guide you. Various hiking websites have differing difficult ratings as well as differing distances to the falls. My personal hiking experience would rate this as mildly moderate and the distance, according to our tracking systems was around .8 miles to the falls for a grand total of about 1.6 miles round trip. ~ MILDLY MODERATE HIKE The distance is easy, and while there are some steep uphill and downhill sections, my heartrate was never elevated to the point of heavy breathing. Experienced hikers would likely rate this trail on the harder side of an easy scale, primarily because of the difficulty of the terrain. It is heavily laced with exposed tree roots and/or embedded with jagged stones making it important to watch your step and balance. ~ OUR EXPERIENCE Our primary reason for visiting the Smokies was to hike Mount LeConte, which we successfully did the day prior to hiking here to Spruce Flats Falls. LeConte is a beast of a hike with an elevation gain of just under 2,900 feet over 5.5 miles. Comparatively, Spruce Flats Falls trail was a delight, but our legs were still extremely sore from our LeConte hike! The pain made our this hike less joyful, but each painful step was well rewarded with a gorgeous waterfall. Our group included myself, an experienced hiker, a grandmother (64), two single moms (29 & 31), their two kids: Adorable 3 year old Jojo and 10 year old Zeke + my yelp daughter Jess (30). My wife was still sore from the LeConte hike and opted to stay back in Gatlinburg. *** LET ME JUST TAKE A MOMENT TO SAY HOW INCREDIBLE MOTHERS ARE!!! Little 3-year-old Jojo's mom carried her probably more then 1/3rd of the hike, particularly over some of the tougher terrains and didn't break a friggin' sweat!!! I carried her tiny 30 pound body up one of the steeper parts of the trail for about 5 minutes and thought I was gonna die! Jojo's 64 year old grandmother who does not hike at all handled the trail like a champion, even leading the way on occasion. Truthfully I was worried by some of the hiking reports for this trail saying it may be difficult for children, seniors and inexperienced hikers, but our group had all of those and it was not a problem. PLUS it had been raining most of the morning (wetting the trail) and continued with a light dewy drizzle most of our hike. ~ FINAL THOUGHTS Yep, my group included three generations of women on a rainy, misty Saturday and we all had a great time! The falls are beautiful! One of the more beautiful ones I've seen in the area, but hard to see in full from the base. This is definitely a waterfall where the pictures are best if you have a drone that can capture it's full grandeur. My difficulty scale: 0 = no effort required 1-3 = easy 4-6 = moderate 7-9 = difficult 10 = extremely difficult WATERFALL ATTRACTIVENESS: 8 out of 10 OVERALL DIFFICULTY: 4 out of 10 (mostly because of terrain) OUR TRACKING DISTANCE: 1.6 miles round trip from parking area across from the Institute @ Tremont. 2020 / 68

There are many beautiful scenic drives in this part of Tennessee and I'd be amiss to try and pick a…read morespecific location to say "this is the best of the best", but I can say with certainty that just calling this a typical scenic drive is an understatement, this drive is nothing less than amazing. It's always nice when you have a mountain to yourself but an entire mountain range to yourself is incredible - ok I must be honest I did see a few other vehicles as I made my way through the switchbacks and steep climbs and descents but they were far and few between. Most were motorcycles doing that bionic lean as they navigated the many curves on this beautiful day. I was very fortunate to discover this place while out exploring in my Jeep which is probably the second best mode of transportation to experience this drive, the wind in my hair and sucking in the good ole mountain air was nothing less than therapeutic. There are many amenities along the way including spacious pullouts, over-looks and an endless number of hiking trails. Hopefully if your planning to take the ride across this parkway you come prepared to fully experience it - hiking shoes, water and a few snacks will enhance your visit. As I researched this area prior to arriving I read several notes claiming this was "The Top of Tennessee" I can't say I know the exact topographic significance of this particular drive but I can tell the beauty crosses the horizon and there were many breathtaking moments. I certainly recommend bookmarking this location while liking my review and photos lol - seriously it's worth your time...

Carolina Bound Adventures basically made our trip to North Carolina. They provide any adventure you…read morecan think of. I only wished I could do them all in our vacation! Mark and Dave were our guides for a Jeep Tour and a Canoeing tour. They were both very accommodating and very knowledgeable about the cultural and environmental history of the area. This really was one of my favorite birthday trips I've taken in a while and North Carolina will always have a special place in my heart because of this. I usually try to travel to different places I've never been to before but I really want to go back to NC! Definitely do not hesitate to book with Carolina Bound Adventures! You will have the best time!

My husband and I went kayaking on Fontana Lake. Great experience from start to finish! Owners…read morewere very friendly, had everything organized, and gave great directions on where to meet up. Kayaks, paddles and vests were all in great shape. Kayaking on the lake was quiet and peaceful. Highly recommend this company if you are looking to kayak or paddleboard!

Been on family trips for more than ten years. We've tubed and canoed but this was by far the most…read morefun. Guides are friendly and fun all while giving the sense of trust that they are looking out for your safety. Our group was 4 parents in one raft and 5 young adults in another (each raft can hold 6). Be sure to tell your guide you want to "surf the rapids".

We did the Ziplining with Mack and Jasper and had a fantastic time!! Recommend 100% the whole staff…read moregave you the confidence needed to enjoy!!

Little River Outfitters is a bit of a hidden gem. We decided to visit while we were staying in…read moreGatlinburg, since I've gotten the itch to get back into fly fishing after a 20+ year hiatus. Dennis welcomed my wife and I as soon as we walked in the door and after I explained my situation and target types of waters he took me straight to the perfect affordable setup. He expertly answered my questions and refrained from trying to upsell me to the readily available much more expensive options. Once we'd made our choices he left us to wander the store browsing. In the end I walked out with a nice rod and reel combo, a few extra leads and tippets and a big smile on my face. If you a tired of the big stores where they treat you more like money bags than fellow anglers, check out Little River Outfitters. It's well worth the drive and the personal and very knowledgeable service.

First of all, this shop is AMAZING!!!!!!! I am 10 years old just starting fly fishing and fly tying…read morethey are very very nice, respectful, and knowledgeable! They gave me a bunch of stickers and even fly tying materials! And even a trout stuffed animal and they put Velcro on it so I could practice casting!!!! They were very kind to me and my dad VERYY GOOD SELECTION from reels and rods to fly tying materials they have benches and fly vises and bobbins and tools very good selection honestly they have whole floor of fly tying materials and a trout hatchery very good prices too!!!!!! Over all just a great shop with amazing employees!! I love em and can't wait to go back

Great hike in a wonderful location that still keeps you close to civilization. Many other places…read morethroughout the park offer incredible experiences but if you are looking for a short trek that full of beauty and history this is a hike worth taking.

This is a very remote property located along the Little Brier Gap Trail, about 1.5 miles from the…read moreLittle Greenbrier School. It is only accessible by foot. The site contains a house, corn crib or barn and springhouse built in the mid-1800s. The buildings are the last remnants of the Little Greenbrier Community and were occupied by the Walker Sisters until the 1960s. Although the hike to the property is fairly easy, this spot does not attract as many visitors as others in the park and as a pleasant result you can find more solitude and tranquility here than other places you may visit. It is hard to imagine what life must have been like for the women who lived here. A tour of the interior of the house will leave those of us used to creature comforts thankful for all we take for granted. The grounds provide ample spots for taking a break, stretching out and relaxing. There are no restrooms, water stations or amenities of any kind available here. The hike to the Walker Sisters Place for the most part follows an old road and is easy to navigate. Just before the turn to the property, a narrow footbridge allows you to cross the stream. The sounds of running water, scurrying critters and the leaves rustling in the wind can make you forget that just a few miles away there is a park road teeming with traffic and other visitors. We hiked after lunch and it made for a perfect afternoon. We met a few people on the trail as we hiked in, but there were only three or four other people at the house when we arrived. This is a great family hike. We managed well with a 3 and 5 year old, although some piggy back rides were needed on the return trip.

Emma was an incredible guide that handled the entire trip with grace and expertise. Her…read moreknowledgeable approach and lively candor kept our family well informed and entertained the entire trip. I've never been on a River Rat rafting trip before, but I know that I'll use them again in the future! 5 A+ well done.

We had the BEST experience with River Rat whitewater rafting! From start to finish, everything was…read morerun so well--extremely organized, clean facilities, and perfectly on time. Every staff member we met was funny, friendly, and incredibly knowledgeable, which made the whole day even more enjoyable. Our guide, Ocean, was AMAZING! She knew it was our first time and went out of her way to explain what to expect, making us feel confident and excited. She turned our first rafting trip into an unforgettable adventure--full of laughs, thrills, and a few "core memories" we'll be talking about for years. If you're thinking about going rafting, do it--and go with this company. You won't regret it! We did try other rafting companies after and that was a mistake. We will always come back to Ocean & River Rats.