Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Pigeon Forge Tn

me and the wife biked it, errr pushed a bike up several steep hills lol

I believe the deal is on Wednesdays/Saturdays they don't let the jerkwads with the backwards turned Cocks hats driving the Avalanches in till 10am. Either got people stopping in the middle of the road cause they never seen a woodchuck,
or you got somebody wanting to do 45mph up your ass.


Cataloochie is where the elk are, it's well clear of all the rat race. 50 miles on the other side. Be sure to always check online for road closures. They are NOTORIOUS for not posting any signage. Couple of 4" saplings fall across the road and they'll shut the east end of the park down for 3 weeks till they can muster enough girl scouts and 80 y.o. volunteers to do the physical work.


There's also a narrow two-way that guts up through Metcalf Bottoms picnic area and craps you out on 321 halfway through Wears Valley. So you don't have to make the gauntlet back through Gatlinturd. Works if you're staying in PF or Sevierville.

Been there, done that. Get out of the tourist trap main drag and out into the county. The area is beautiful but the town it's self is just one big tourist trap. If you're into that kind of thing then I guess its ok but I'd rather spend my time in Smokey Mountain National Park just a little further down the road.

Sure was alot nicer 30 years ago.
Went there when dollywood was new,went back for our honeymoon,went back one last time, kinda sad turn of events.

I work off Winnfield Dunn near Pigeon Forge. If your not interested in the tourist stuff pm me & I'll take you fishing.

It did seem nicer 30 years ago, but there are still places in the area that you can go and enjoy peace and quiet. That being said, it isn't on the main drag in and out of there. LOL.

It can be crowded during Summer and Fall. Not too bad at this time of year. We go 2-3 times a year. Usually stay at a budget hotel in Pigeon Forge and spend most of our days hiking in the park. There are lots of good places to eat and shop if you want. I've never tried fishing, but it is an option in the park.

The best fishing is across the mountain in Cherokee NC. To fish on the indian reservation you pay by the day for a permit. It is about $7/day last time I fished there. They also ahve a large casino there if that is your thing.

They had a mudslide in Jan. that took out about 100 yards of road between Gatlinburg and Cherokee. Coming from Gatlinburg they turn you around at Newfound Gap now. Not sure how far you can drive in coming from Cherokee. The road is supposed to be open by summer, but I'd check first.

Cades cove is a good place, but the Roaring Fork driving trail is just outside Gatlinburg and is almost as nice and is often overlooked.

I highly recommend hiking to the Mount LeConte lodge on the Alum Bluff trail. It is about 5 miles one way. Great scenes and the lodge is worth the hike. I've made the hike several times, but never spent the night there.

https://www.google.com/search?q=mt+...mp;ved=0CEcQsAQ&biw=1311&bih=565

https://www.lecontelodge.com/

Driving over to Cataloochee to see teh elk is a good drive, but with the road across the mountain out it is a long drive. You have to go back to the interstate and go around. Cades Cove and Cataloochee are on opposite ends of the park, but worth the trips.

Now you're talkin! Appreciate that.
We stayed here nice enough place,wouldn't want to try the hill up to it in the winter

Went to Gatlinburg a couple times.
Seem to remember a chairlift up a mountain to a bear park?
That was few beers years ago

wife and I stayed at the very last motel before entering the park ( past Pidgeon Forge )

And took the LONG wwinding driving tours.

Lots of turkey and trout streams.

+ whatever on Cades Cove, ( early in the day, day break before the mobs )on weekdays.

If you car nuts like us, Drive the Dragon's Tail..
what is it? US 42 or ??
South of the park.
The most fun paved road we have ever seen!

That was Ober Gatlinburg. http://www.obergatlinburg.com/..which is a good place if you have rug rats.

Working off Winnfield Dunn is a Mother F*cker during the weekends. I will usually go further east to the Dandridge exit to get to work or Douglas Lake. If you traveling thru Sevierville/Pigeon Forge do not speed. The cops love to write tickets and write hundreds a day during spring/summer.

I would PM field hand on this, he lives nearby and spends all his extra time playing hillbilly golf and riding go carts.

Less than 75 miles from my home , fishing maybe, hunting opportunities would suck tho. Never waste my time going there, nothing but a Tourist Trap in my opinion.

That seems right,(bears and all) I don't remember there being "tram cars",thought it was more like chairs,like a ski lift?
Starting right in the middle of town?

yes, they have been there for 20 years at least, cable tramway. Terminal hubs into the ice skating rink/mall at the top of Ski Mountain.

but there is also a redneck chairlift above Christus Gardens, across from the Hilton Garden hotel along River rd

You can drive there also Roy.

THIS is what i was thinking about
I must have got the 2 places mixed up or combined.
Like I said that was many beers years ago

The park stats are interesting...out of 9.4 million visits, only 77,000 stayed in the backcountry. In my experience, this is true in almost every NP, (big exception Isle Royale).

Usually when I have only a night or two in a National Park I book a backcountry campsite that isn't very far in. Often, only a mile is enough to get away from the crowds.

Visitation
More than 9.4 million recreational visits in 2010, which is the highest visitation of any of the 58 national parks. The second most heavily visited national park is Grand Canyon with 4.4 million visits, third is Yosemite with 3.9 million, fourth is Yellowstone with 3.6 million. Additional information

Acreage
Great Smoky Mountains National Park covers 521,085.66 acres. Of this total, 276,343.88 acres are in North Carolina and 244,741.78 acres are in Tennessee.

Economic Impact
The park provides an economic hub generating over $718 million a year for surrounding tourist communities.

Annual Budget
$20.3 million base budget in Fiscal Year 2010.

Developed Campgrounds
10 campgrounds with a total of 1000 sites, recording more than 350,000 camper nights annually.

Picnic Areas
11 picnic areas, totaling 1050 sites.

Backcountry Campsites
More than 100 sites, including shelters. More than 77,000 overnight visits per year.

Backcountry Trails
800+ miles with over 400,000 hikers annually. Approximately 70 miles of the Appalachian Trail run through the park.

Roads
384 miles total �238 are paved and 146 are unpaved.

Buildings
342 structures are maintained in the park. This number includes 78 historic structures located in five historic districts.

Mountains
Elevations in the park range from approximately 875 feet at the mouth of Abrams Creek to 6,643 feet at Clingmans Dome. Sixteen mountains peaks exceed 6,000 feet in elevation.

Streams
2,115 miles of streams.

Park Designations
International Biosphere Reserve (designated October 26, 1976) and World Heritage Site (designated December 6, 1983).

Personnel
Approximately 250 permanent and more than 100 seasonal.

Volunteers
3,713 volunteers donated 135,436 hours in Fiscal Year 2010.

Park Stats

Slg888 thanks for the offer. If my sister guilts me hard enough I might be calling you to find out where to fish.

Traffic will most likely suck
Cades Cove is worth the trip
Floyd Garrets car museum is cool, if it is still there
Smokey Mountain Knife Works is worth a look

I work a mile from this place and it's a must see while visiting East TN. The amount of taxidermy inside is fantastic.