Lesser Known Attractions in the Smokies
For those wanting to try something a little different during their stay, read to find our top choices for lesser know attractions in the Smokies.
The Sinks
Here are our favorite attractions for off the beaten path adventures.
The Sinks is an unnatural waterfall on the Little River, in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee, United States. It is the most visited waterfall in the park due to the ease of access.
Cliff Jumping is a popular activity at the sinks, as well as family picnics and swimming.
When you travel from Sugarlands Visitor Center west 12 miles on Little River Road you will see some spectacular scenery. When the river makes an S turn and flows over giant river boulders you will see one of the most picturesque spots along the way to Cades Cove.
Townsend Wye
Another popular local swimming area and lesser known attractions, Townsend Wye, is located just inside the Great Smoky Mountains National Park entrance.
The Wye (or Y) is where the Little River and Middle Prong of the Little River converge, joining in a Y shape. There’s a huge swimming area here. While there are many people in the summer, there’s plenty of room to spread out. It also a lovely place to picnic in the fall.
Just keep in mind there are no facilities like bathrooms here, you will need to go back a couple of miles into Townsend for them.
Townsend
Rich in history, and archaeologically dating back to 2000 B.C., Townsend is known as “peaceful valley”- the Cherokees named it long ago. The first English settlers arrived here in the 1700s.
Townsend is known best for its pristine mountain views, as well as for its festivals throughout the year. Townsend is one of the smallest of the Smoky Mountain towns – a tiny outpost with about 500 residents. It is frequently referred to as “The Quiet Side of the Smokies.”
Visitors often use Townsend as a home base for hiking expeditions, making the town a popular spot for adventure seekers and lovers of the outdoors. Fly fishing, golf, bike riding, hiking – there is so much to do.
Check out the hikes from Townsend. Read more about Townsend in our blog post.
Craighead Caverns is an extensive cave system located in between Sweetwater and Madisonville, Tennessee. It is best known for containing the United States’ largest and the world’s second largest non-subglacial underground lake, The Lost Sea.
Your Lost Sea adventure begins with a guided tour of the caverns. This involves a ¾ mile round-trip walk on wide sloping pathways. While touring the caverns and underground lake guides will tell of the cavern’s exciting and colorful history. They will also explain the fascinating geological development of the immense cavern rooms and rare formations. At the bottom of the cave, you will take a boat ride on The Lost Sea, America’s Largest Underground Lake.
Arts and Crafts Community in Gatlinburg
Get back to the roots of the people who have lived in The Great Smoky Mountains by going to Gatlinburg’s Arts & Crafts Community to watch artisans.
“Carvers, weavers, watercolor artists, casters, soap makers, potters, wood workers, silversmiths and dozens of other artisans skillfully demonstrate their abilities before thousands of visitors,” the Community says on its Web site. Everything from dulcimers to stuffed bears, ceramics and baskets are being made and sold here.
Gatlinburg Arts and Crafts Community is the largest independent organization of artisans in the United States. As such it doesn’t disappoint in the diversity of crafts you can see when you visit. You’ll find a wide assortment of items from dulcimers to stuffed bears to ceramics. The artists often will talk with visitors and discuss the history of their craft. Each shop offers plenty of free parking.
The Great Smoky Mountains Thanksgiving Arts & Crafts Show is Nov. 26 – Dec. 1 at the Gatlinburg Convention Center, featuring many of the artisans from the Arts and Crafts Community.
Check out more about the community in our blog post.
The real “locals”
Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail
Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail is a 5.5-mile long, one-way drive just outside of the heart of Gatlinburg, TN. Feel like you’re driving through history while taking in historic buildings, a mountain vista or two, and listen to the babbling streams. You’ll forget you’re only minutes away from town when you see wild turkey, grazing deer, and even the most famous Smokies resident – the American Black Bear.
Rainbow Falls Trail is one of the best hikes on the Tennessee side of the park and part of the Cherokee Orchard/Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail. You’ll pass Rainbow Falls, a portion of LeConte Creek that pours for 80 feet over a rock cliff. It earns its name from the rainbow that the afternoon sun reveals when it hits the water at the right angle. The hike is 2.6 miles each direction, but there is a great break around the 2.5 mile mark, where you can see the entire valley. Difficulty: Moderate
Visit Cosby
Cosby is located on the northeastern border of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It’s a pretty 30-minute drive to Cosby from Prigen Forge. Worth the drive to Carver’s apple orchard, restaurant, and fruit stand.
Named one of the top 100 thing to do in the Smoky Mountains, Carver’s Orchard & Applehouse Restaurant draws visitors from all over the area. It is an off the beaten path place to enjoy delicious offerings like chicken and dumplings, pot pie, country ham, apple fritters and more. There is also a produce store and candy shop from which you can browse and select treats.
Mount Cammerer
The most popular route to the Mount Cammerer lookout tower begins at Cosby Campground. Hikers take Low Gap Trail for 5.2 miles to get to the summit. Located at 4,928 feet, the summit has incredible views of the Smoky Mountains year-round, with especially stunning views during the fall months when the colors are peaking.
Check out our blog on 7 Reasons to Visit Anakeesta
Located in the heart of downtown Gatlinburg with mountain views and 70 forested acres of fun and relaxation, Anakeesta is a mountain playground for all ages.
There is a zip line adventure, gem mining, a personal roller coaster, treehouses, garden walks and a new splash pad. Among the trees are wonderful spots for selfies, viewing the scenery, watching downtown Gatlinburg. And food – from barbecue to southern foods with a view from the top.
Anakeesta is a Cherokee word referring to high ground, literally meaning “the place of the balsams.” Balsam forests are found at our highest elevations in the Smoky Mountains.
To start your day of fun, buy tickets online, then take the scenic open chairlift or the enclosed Chondola from Gatlinburg up the mountain to Anakeesta – you can’t drive yourself.
If ziplining is on your mind, choose a time online and make sure to the zipline entry 30 minutes prior to your scheduled run. Anakeesta recommends zipline guests arrive at the Chondala 1.5 hours before the zip time.
Go Glamping – in a tent or in a treehouse!
Just because you want to spend some time in nature doesn’t mean you have to “rough it.” You can Glamp!
Under Canvas offers safari-style canvas tent camping that offers luxury under the stars from April 4th -December 2nd. Visitors stay in a tent on a 182-acre camp minutes from the national park. Tents come in several sizes and include bathrooms with running water and showers. Glamping packages are 2, 3 and 4 nights and include daytime adventure options such as Smoky Mountains hiking and driving tours, helicopter tours, fly fishing, ziplining and whitewater rafting.
There’s coffee service, daily housekeeping, meals, fire pits, s’mores and camp activities. This isn’t your childhood camping!
Contact Under Canvas at 1015 Laurel Lick Road, Pigeon Forge, 865-263-1006.
Prefer four walls? Sleep in a treehouse! American Patriot Getaways has treehouse options that are fun and have hot tubs!
Out on a Limb Treehouse in Gatlinburg
Book a cabin – or treehouse – with American Patriot Getaways
Cozy Mountain View
Whether it’s your first visit to the Smokies or your fiftieth, American Patriot Getaways has a cabin for you. From studio-style economy cabins to 13-bedroom palatial chalets, any family or group can be accommodated in our cabins. There are movie theater cabins, cabins with swimming pools, secluded cabins, cabins with multiple kitchens and cabins with game rooms.
Choose a cabin close to the Parkway and you won’t miss any Gatlinburg fun. Book online using our website, or give our friendly Reservation staff a call at 800-204-5169 to get started planning your trip to Anakeesta and the Great Smoky Mountains.
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Published on Friday, October 11, 2024