Suggestions for Smokey Mountain trip

Hi,

I am planning 4-5 day trip to Smokey Mountain with my family in June 2009 tentatively. I am driving from New Jersey in 3rd week of June, We want to spend Thu, Fri, Sat and Sun in the smokies and head back to NJ Mon morning. Can some one suggest me if this would be good time to visit? 3-4 days are enough or too many? what kind of activities we could do? And also I haven%26#39;t done any reservation yet for my stay but I am thinking of getting a cabin/house for all my days in there and driving around in car instead of booking multiple hotels.

I would be open for any suggestions on further itinerary planning as well.

As for what we like: scenic photography, short day hikes (5-6 mi), relaxing, good food

I would really appreciate your help. I will book something after I read some responses on this site.

Thanks.

Suggestions for Smokey Mountain trip

We are visiting the Smokies for the 7th time next week and we haven%26#39;t even begun to touch on all the things to do. I would suggest you go to the Tennessee forum and check out all the postings on there. Also, there is a website called discoverthesmokies.com. You will probably be overwhelmed. Our last visit (and this visit) we stayed (are staying) at condos above Gatlinburg. We love it there. We can go into town if we want or just admire it from up the mountain. There are books from the Great Smoky Mountain store (not sure of the website) about waterfalls, hiking, driving tours, etc. Have fun, let us know what you decide and post a trip report.

Suggestions for Smokey Mountain trip

I concur - your best cabin deals/choices will be in the Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge area in TN. You have the best access to the Great Smokies hiking and beautiful cabins, restaurants, shows, shopping, etc... it%26#39;s a the best location in the mountains for a variety vacation. Best wishes.

Don%26#39;t discount the NC side of the park. Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge is much too ';touristy'; for my taste. If your family likes that kind of stuff, then by all means you should consider going there. But if you like a little more of the unbeaten path, consider these NC options:

Maggie Valley--still ';touristy'; enough for the kids, but a little less congested. Plenty of great hiking trails nearby, both in the GSM Park and in the Pisgah Nat%26#39;l Forest.

Bryson City, Dillsboro, Sylva--charming little mountain towns with interesting shops and attractions. From here you have easy access to the Great Smoky Mountains Railway, the Nantahala and Tuckaseigee rivers (rafting is a great family activity!), hiking trails, and many other activities.

Arby%26#39;s right. Any of the towns he mentioned can give you the seclusion you may want, and be a great starting point for day trips to Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge, Cherokee, the waterfalls of Brevard, etc.

Have a great trip!

If you haven%26#39;t booked anywhere to stay check out this house in the Maggie Valley - it%26#39;s lovely with masses of room - big TV, DVD player, phone etc.

http://www.vrbo.com/159864

Thanks everybody for great suggestions. Our trip to smokies didn%26#39;t work out in June 09 so I%26#39;ll have to postpone it to July or August. Can anybody tell me about the weather there in these two months?

It can get hot during the day, but it will cool down nicely in the evenings. Weather in the mountains can be very localized, such that some areas are wet and muggy more often than not, while others are always windy, or foggy, etc. Also, conditions can change on a dime, especially in the high elevations. It can easily go from a nice warm summer day to a cold, windy rain, then quickly back again all in ten minutes or less. So you need come prepared--usually a sweatshirt or a light packable jacket is enough to manage the cool spots at that time of year.