2 Great Smoky Mountain Family Hikes

"You are not IN the mountains. The mountains are in YOU." - John Muir

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The family together at the Alum Cave Bluffs.

We returned to our favorite campground near Gatlinburg, Tennessee, and enjoyed five days of hiking and sight-seeing in the Great Smoky Mountains.

Greenbrier Campground

Greenbrier Campground takes advantage of its natural setting to provide a unique camping experience for its guests. The campground utilizes the river that flows through it to create beautiful sites with entertaining natural features. These serve to keep the kids involved and the adults relaxed as they observe the gentle action and listen to the quiet waters.

Exploring the Pigeon River

It took some effort to reserve our favorite spot, but my daughter diligently planned within the reservation guidelines and phoned the minute the window opened for our dates. We were fortunate to get side by side spots right on the river. When the grandkids arrived on site, they bolted to their favorite water spot and were soon wading in the cool, gentle flow of the Pigeon River.

The Greenbrier is just a few miles from Gatlinburg, and it's a quick trip to dining, amusements, and the park. It can be difficult, however, to get to the Greenbrier if you're coming in from the north. Once in Sevierville, take the 321 east to the campground, passing through Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg. This would, no doubt, involve a lot of time in stagnant traffic. You also run the risk of any shoppers in your group being lured by the many retail establishments, including the Factory Outlet stores that trapped me. The GPS will likely send you east of Sevierville to the 416, which drops south to the 321 and bypasses the traffic. The downside is that this is a winding, hilly road that can be a challenge for the bigger rigs. We've always taken this route, but just a heads up that while it looks short on the map, it is time-consuming.

Enjoying a meal at Hungry Bear BBQ near Greenbrier

You pay a little higher fee for the Greenbrier (# Greenbrier), but you can readily see a return on your investment. The showers and bathrooms were exceptionally clean, and the laundry was sufficient to handle a number of campers. We noticed regular attention to the neatness of the campground and even saw landscaping enhancements taking place while we were there, in addition to improvements since our last visit. We look forward to returning to the Greenbrier.

Gatlinburg and Environs Attractions

While we come for the hiking, occasionally weather may bring a change of plans or maybe

One cinnamon roll at Crocket's!

it's just time for a nice dinner out. With rain in the forecast, we experienced a trip to an escape room, some high-wire climbing fun, and the Titanic Exhibition. All of these were enjoyable. Our dining experiences included breakfast at Crocket's Breakfast Camp and an evening meal at The Local Goat in Pigeon Forge. Crocket's was amazing. Jumbo serving sizes (plan accordingly) and fast service once you get seated.

The Local Goat had good reviews and a packed parking lot. The menu was full, but my choice missed the mark. My son-in-law and I both ordered a bleu cheese burger but had to hunt for any bleu cheese and found the burger bland at best. There are many dining choices out there; I'm sure you'll find one that suits your tastes.

The Great Smoky Mountains

The age of the kids afforded us the opportunity to take on a more challenging hike this visit. We set our targets on the formidable Alum Cave Trail (#alumcavetrail), one of the most popular trails in the park. The 2.3 mile trail to the Bluffs was both scenic and serene, with bridges, tunnels, and stairs. Our six-year-old granddaughter kept up with the group, and the adults were well spent when the first views of the bluffs appeared. Lots of families and groups were targeting the same goal, but the length of the trail helped spread out the crowd to comfortable spacing. Sue did an informal survey of hikers and found the oldest on the trail that morning was 78. After the scenic bluffs, we returned to our RV. For the adventuresome, however, the trail does continue on to the top of LeConte Mountain. On previous trips, we made it there and enjoyed the charming little village and lunch room there.

One of the great features of the Wonder RL by LTV is its compact size. At 24.9 feet in length, it can fit into many parking spots that are off limits to many RVs. We found a spot off the side of the road and it got us close to the trail. At another site, we were able to pull into a regular parking spot with little overhang.

On another day for hiking, we found a delightful hike and a much easier one just south of downtown Gatlinburg. Take the Historic Nature Trail off the downtown parkway. Turn up the mountain at The Crazy Mason Milkshake Bar (across from Five Guys). This road turns into Cherokee Orchard Road and gracefully winds up the mountain to the Loop Road, which circles back to Cherokee. Just before the loop, find the parking lot to see the Noah Bud Ogle Cabin. There is a nature trail with rock formations, creeks, and historic structures. It was a nice change of pace from the Alum Cave hike, but still enough to entertain each member of the family. On the trip down the mountain, we spotted a bear right along the side of the road.

We love the Smokies and there is always something new to try. If you can pace yourself and your blood pressure to work through the swarms of true tourists in the retail areas, you'll find amazing beauty, invigorating trails, and like-minded hikers throughout this wonderful park, which is conveniently situated Along the Pooka Trail.