Great Smoky Mountains: Bucket Listing

Colours of the Smokies

One of the main reasons we decided to go through the hassle of buying a car in the US was we thought it would give us greater freedom to go wherever we pleased. And to get to the places public transport doesn’t get you. So with this in mind we decided to spend a few nights camping out in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

The Smokies are the most frequently visited N.P. in the states (according to some sources), stretching across the state boarders of Tennessee and North Carolina. We believe this is in part due to their beauty, but mainly because they are (wait for that magical backpacker’s word) FREE. Yes you do have to pay to camp, but you don’t have to fork out an entry fee. So this was right up our alley – now we just had to get ourselves prepared to camp.

Nic and I had brought along our sleeping bags we used in Africa so thought they would be fine for the Smokies; after all it’s Fall here, not winter. We were to quickly find out the Smokies are a tad colder than Africa – who would have guessed.

But to stock up on all the other camping gear we headed to another backpacker haven – Walmart. A place where you can load up with all your outdoor sporting equipment, indoor furniture needs, food supplies, office works, electronic gadgets, (you name it, they stock it), and anything else you don’t need but somehow walk away from the place with it in your trolley. So looking back maybe it’s not a backpacker haven. Still we managed to come away without too much crap we didn’t need, and as a bonus actually managed to get all the shite we did need.

We got ourselves a tent, a little cooker, some food containers, an esky, and food for a little under a week in the semi-wilderness. I think all for a little over the $150 mark, which split between the 3 of us wasn’t too bad.

So with Rodge all loaded up we headed off to the Smokies. Along the way we made a quick stop to check out Lookout Mountain and Ruby Falls just outside of Chattanooga. Lookout Mountain lays claim to being able to see 7 states from its peak, but unfortunately the weather wasn’t kind enough to grant us this view with a heavy fog obscuring the lower lying areas. However, Chattanooga’s other tourist attraction, Ruby Falls is an underground waterfall where fog can’t ruin your view.

It was similar to the caves of Chapada Diamantina, just with a little American overkill. But to be honest, I reckon this made the whole attraction a little more enjoyable. The tour guides come fully quipped with quick wit and dry humour, and the waterfall itself is significantly enhance with a light show that makes for some appealing shots if that’s what you are into.

Ruby Falls - in all its American glory 

After this we continued on towards the Smokies and stayed just on the outskirts of the N.P. in the small, over-the-top touristy town of Gatlinburg. Apparently there was a major Civil War battle in the town of Gatlinburg but this is all overshadowed with the theme park-esque hotels and motels of the major street. In fact we couldn’t even find out whether there was anything at all dedicated to the battle, not that we looked extensively. To be honest the majority of our time was spent trying to locate the main entrance to Dollywood to get a photo for Al, which lead us on a wild goose chase to nothing but we did get a few laughs out of it.

With Gatlinburg behind us we headed out to the park at a leisurely pace the next morning – leisurely is all you really can muster in the park given all the RV’s about, but we were fine with that. We had been informed that on the way out to our first camp spot there were a few walking trails worth stopping and stretching our legs on, we just didn’t intend on stretching our legs just that far.

The sign posts had the trip out to Laurel Falls as an easy 1.3 mile stroll, and a 4 mile loop hike to Cove Mountain. We checked out Laurel Falls and happened to lose Big Al in the midst of all the excitement. He assumed we had continued on to the Cove Mountain loop hike and we assumed he had forged ahead. I should take a step back here and say the Smokies are renowned for their bear population and here I was hoping we would spot one. To cut a long story short, Al found a rather large pile of fresh shite that he believed to belong to a bear right in the middle of the track, and given he was on his own decided to turn back (at speed) to try and find Nic and I. Upon rounding a bend he nearly laid his own deposit on the track as well as giving himself a heart attack, only to find it was us – I didn’t think I was that scary looking. I had even shaved recently!

Laurel Falls 

With the 3 of us now back together we continued on the Cove Mountain loop hoping it would bring us back out somewhere near the car, and possibly in closer proximity to the potential bear. Now it was Nic’s turn to be in need of a change of underwear. She was a little way behind us and heard some nearby grumblings that were not human, and naturally she didn’t hang around to find out who or what was making them.

With this flurry of activity we made it to the top of Cove Mountain where it was apparent to us that the 4 mile loop hike wasn’t so much a loop, more a one-way hike uphill. At least the return would be downhill, and with a bit of luck that bear might make an appearance. Sadly he or she didn’t, and the leisurely stroll we had set out for finished up being an eventfully uneventful trek!

Our first couple of nights were spent at Cades Cove, and as it would happen we appeared to be the only ‘pleb’ campers in the park with our neighbours all decked out in motor homes you could live your lives in. And it was raining!

Rodge enjoying himself at Cades Cove Camp Grounds 

Dodging the showers, Al and I got the tent sent up without too much reference to the destructions, and much to the amusement (we later found out) to a fair few of our neighbours. With the tent set up we now turned our attention to cooking. This was going to be fun. We lasted out the rain by heading back to the ranger station where we did the prep work in the vacant auditorium and then headed back to complete the cooking by candle light. All things said, it turned out to be a pretty enjoyable night and a bit of a laugh.

One of the many scenic views on offer throughout the Smokies

The next day we joined the masses and drove the Cades Cove loop, constantly on the lookout for elk and bears. And although we were left disappointed on these two fronts, we did see a few deer, the scenery is amazing and the hike out to Abrams Falls is a comfortable meander, following Abrams Creek until it comes cascading down 20 feet or so into the tranquil waters below. All this, whilst being surrounded by the colours and sounds of the fir tree forest.

Abrams Falls

For our last full day in the park we moved camps to Smokemont, which took us via Clingmans Dome and Newfound Gap. The drive is breathtaking, with the distraction provided by the scenery just as dangerous as the drop to the forest below. Both Clingmans Dome and Newfound Gap offer magnificent views of the park, especially Clingmans Dome which grants you a 360° panoramic view of the park in its entirety. They also provide the perfect spot to take in a picnic.

North facing view from Clingmans Dome

The following day we left the park early and made a quick stop off in Cherokee to take in the Museum of the Cherokee Indians which gave us a great introduction into the struggles the native Indians had with the European settlement. The tragedy of the Trail of Tears resonates strongly with the Stolen Generation of Australia’s history, and makes you wonder how such decisions were ever made.

Museum of the Cherokee Indians

The Smokies were the perfect place for us to dip our feet in to the multitude of national parks that America has to offer. They are small enough that you get a good feel for the place within the first few days, and yet large enough and isolated enough to feel you are at the mercy of Mother Nature.

Clingmans Dome - one of highest points in the Smokies

On a side note, Nic was been able to tick off a number of ‘American Bucket List’ items during this trip. These ‘American Bucket List’ items aren’t your standard bucket list style items, rather gimmick bits and pieces we have all grown up with as typical to American life through media.

She spotted some road kill (I had to hold her back from collecting it with a shovel), we have eaten buffalo wings from a booth (yes the booth setting is important) in a diner (that’s like 3 ticks by the way), tailgated at an NFL game, torn up the d-floor at a Honkey Tonk. And the best of all, being told (in a very southern accent) ‘Y’all come back now’!

Bucket Listing! Tick!