The "Classic" National Park Tour
- 3 hours
- Free cancellation up to 24h before
- Guided in English
- Instant confirmation
Highlights
This trip begins as we pickup at our location in Gatlinburg, TN. We travel in comfortable and eco-friendly vans to our first stop at the remains of a long-gone resort town dating back more than 100 years. We'll learn about the history of logging in the Smokies, the lives of the early Appalachian pioneers, and the founding of the national park. From here we'll travel up the mountains on one of the most scenic roads in the southeast. Along the way we'll stop at scenic overlooks for pictures, questions, and interpretation of the area. Finally we arrive at Newfound Gap and the 5,000 foot-high boarder between Tennessee and North Carolina. Here we will learn about the 2,200 mile-long Appalachian Trail and the the site where President Franklin Roosevelt gave the park dedication in 1940.
Inclusions
What's included
- Bottled water
- Snacks
Itinerary
We will have the opportunity to get out and explore one of the mightiest rivers in Great Smoky Mountains National Park as we learn about the history of the founding of the park and how the lives of loggers, CCC workers, pioneer farmers, and the earliest mountain recreational visitors intersected.
Newfound Gap Road is one of the most scenic drives in the southeast. We'll make the 13-mile long drive out of the Sugarlands Valley while we learn about the people, plants, animals, and history of the Great Smoky Mountains. Along the way we'll stop at several scenic overlooks for photos of the towering mountains and dark, shaded valleys.
Deep in the mountains at a height of more than 5,000 feet we'll stand on the state line while looking down the the Sugarland Valley to our north and the Oconaluftee Valley to the south. The famous 2,200 mile-long Appalachian Trail passes through this point next to the stone stage where President Franklin Roosevelt gave the Great Smoky Mountain National Park dedication.
Cancellation
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts, for a full refund.
Reviews
4.9
- 5342
- 43
- 32
- 21
- 12
Ratings come from 350 reviews collected by our booking partner. They are travellers' own words, in the order they were written — never reordered to flatter the experience.
Know before you go
- Meeting point
- We'll meet you in the upper parking lot behind the Gatlinburg Welcome Center.
- Pickup
- Everyone meets at the starting point; there is no pickup.
- Ticket type
- Mobile or paper ticket accepted
- Group size
- Up to 10 travellers
- Operated by
- Smoky Mountain Guides
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
How it compares in Gatlinburg
- Its from-price is 55% above the median of the 39 experiences we list in Gatlinburg.
- Its length is typical for the group.
- By number of reviews it ranks 5 of 39.
- The operator lists free cancellation on it.
About Gatlinburg
Gatlinburg is a Tennessee mountain town at the gateway to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, with craft studios, scenic drives and Appalachian woods.
Gatlinburg sits in a narrow valley of eastern Tennessee at the entrance to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, one of the most visited national parks in the United States. Its main street is lined with shops, candy makers, pancake houses and attractions, and an aerial tram climbs to a ski area on the mountain above.
Top-ranked sights in Gatlinburg: Gatlinburg Space Needle.
Special offers in Gatlinburg
Was/now prices come from the operator, never from us.
