My husband and I recently got back from a fantastic 4’th of July getaway! We went back to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (read about our first trip here) and had a great time. We learned several lessons from our first trip last year and tweaked our plans accordingly. This time around we stayed near Townsend TN, which is a MUCH quieter area than Gatlinburg or Pigeon Forge. Read on for our trip re-cap of the quieter side of the Smokies!
Read more about our hiking adventures during this trip in Hiking the Smoky Mountains: Miles Of Breathtaking Beauty.
Where We Stayed
After driving through Townsend during our last visit and seeing how quiet the area was we knew this was the spot for our next trip! Just like last year, we decided to book an Airbnb cabin. Though there are MANY options in the towns neighboring the Smokies, we wanted to avoid Gatlinburg as much as possible. We stayed there last year and it was VERY crowded during the 4’th of July weekend.
We ended up booking a gorgeous cabin nestled in the trees. The address was in Sevierville in the Wears Gap area, very close to Townsend. It felt private, quiet, and exactly what we were looking for in our mountain getaway. It had two balconies facing the trees with an amazing view of the mountains. They had a hot tub and gas BBQ grill available for use. They even had a private fire pit (which I regret not using!) and a pool table (which we actually played a game on and really enjoyed!).
The space was well appointed and clean. We even saw a baby bear walking near the front porch! Apparently a family of black bears roams around occasionally. Talk about a true nature experience! The Metcalf Bottoms entrance to the park was a mile away from our cabin which made access very easy in the mornings!
Food!
Since we were still wary of going out to restaurants during the pandemic, we brought all of our own food. We did this recently with our Florida beach trip (read about that one here!) and it worked out well. This time we brought plenty of ground beef, turkey, and just about everything else we could possibly want. We ate like kings during our trip and got plenty of use out of the BBQ. Delicious burgers, veggie skewers, stir fry, and S’mores were on our menu! Yum!
For hiking, we packed our hydration packs and a small hiking pack with snacks (trail mix! <3 ) and PB&J’s. It is always a good idea to be prepared when you are on the trail!
Truth be told we really wanted to try Elvira’s Cafe for takeout (it looked amazing!), but it was closed every time we wanted to go. Make sure you plan ahead and check hours if there is a restaurant you want to try!
What We Did
What else would you want to do in a place like the Smokies but enjoy nature? Our plan was to hike as much as possible and enjoy our beautiful cabin. I would say we were pretty successful. 😉
We did one long hike on Saturday, several small hikes on Sunday, and a quick stroll Monday before we left town. My husband picked the long hike, Charlies Bunion via Kephart Loop, which ended up being about 15.5 miles in total. It is rated as hard, and they aren’t kidding. Our second day of hiking involved a few “Quiet Walkways” and one longer hike that we stumbled upon called Schoolhouse Gap Trail. After our long and tough hike the day before, we took day two very easy and rambled around taking in the atmosphere. Check back soon for a full recap of our hiking adventures!
Every place you go in the Smokies is breathtakingly gorgeous. Though it may have rained on some of our hikes, and I may have thought I was going to die on some of our hikes… they were all worth it for the amazing surroundings!
The Great Smoky Mountains National park is VERY crowded, so we specifically looked for less-crowded hikes. We did a great job at finding some quiet trails, the only time we ran into a lot of other folks was the Appalachian Trail section of our long hike. It was only about 4 miles, but it certainly got crowded. In general, you can avoid crowds, you just have to be smart about what hikes you choose.
Overall Conclusion
For a quiet mountain getaway far from the hoards of people in Gatlinburg, this trip delivered! There are plenty of areas around the Smokies that are crowded and may not be the best option for a family looking to stay socially distanced. But there are places where you can be more isolated and thus safer. We loved our Airbnb and would gladly stay there again. One thing’s for sure, we will always stay in that quieter side of the Smokies away from the hustle and bustle of tourists! With some planning and research, the Smokies can be a fun and safe getaway!
Looking to start hiking, don’t know what gear you will need? Read “Day Hike Essential Gear for Beginner Hikers” for our recommendations!
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Sounds amazing! I do enjoy being able to walk through Gatlinburg, but this sounds like the perfect social-distanced experience.
I’m visiting the Great Smoky Mountains in October and I can’t wait. Hopefully there won’t be as many crowds. Thanks for sharing!
This sounds like the perfect trip! My fiance has always wanted to get out to the Smokies and it looks like a getaway destination I could get behind!! Thanks for sharing!
I enjoyed reading this as we drove through the area recently. Looks like you had a great time. Thanks for your tips!
Your cabin looks so comfortable! And yes it’s better to stay in places that are less crowded and where you can connect with nature!