How To Find Smoky Mountain Cabin Rentals

As in every trip or vacation you need to plan where you are going to stay. This is the major part of every trip because wherever you stay tends to often times represent the theme of activities you are going for and what Smoky Mountain Cabin Rentals will work best for you.

The Great Smoky Mountain range runs along the Tennessee-North Carolina border and is part of the Appalachian Mountains. The Great Smokies is also part of the International Biosphere Reserve and covers about 187,000 acres. When you stay in the Smokies, it seems that the mountains are divided into the Tennessee Smokies and the North Carolina Smokies. The main towns for camping in the Tennessee part are:

Gatlinburg
Pigeon Forge
Cosby
Townsend
Wears Valley
Kodak

When you stay for camping in the Tennessee Smokies, there is a lot more to do then just camp, there is:

Fishing
Horse back riding
Auto Touring
Picnicking
Hiking
Waterfalls
Biking
Viewing of wildlife and flowers
Touring Historic Structures
Amusement Parks
Dinner Theaters
Going though the Great Smokey Mountain Arts & Crafts Community

When you are planning your camping trip to Gatlinburg Tennessee, there are many to choose from and they cover any type of camping you desire from primitive to camping cabins to RV campgrounds. The campground that comes highly recommended is Gatlinburg Campgrounds. This is a walking community, meaning that everything is within walking distance, such as restaurants.

Below is a brief list of the top recommended Smoky Mountain Cabin Rentals in Gatlinburg that rank high for service and comfort:

Cobbly Nob Rentals
White Oak Lodge & Resort
Rainbow Log Cabin Rentals
Laurel Inn Condominiums
Great Smokey Jellystone Camp Resort
Ridgecreat Cabins
Chalet Village
Olde Gatlinburg Place
Park Place Condominiums
Laurel Point Resort
Parkside Cabins

However, if "roughing it" isn't your thing, there are some highly recommended hotels available as well as the campgrounds.

Sleep Inn & Suites
Best Western Twin Islands
Howard Johnson Inn
Days Inn Gatlinburg
Rocky Waters Motor Inn
Rodeway Inn Skyland
Wildwood Inn
Rocky Top Village Inn
Best Western Crossroads

Now that the most worrisome part of a trip is taken care of, now it's time for activities. There are depending on the season events and festivals, Jim Gray Gallery, Day Trips, and Museums. Festivals include the Bi-Annual Gatlinburg Craftmen's Fair. This fair runs one week in July and two and a half in October. This fair features over 180 of the nation's best in the arts. There is another art fair in late September called The Arts and Crafts Heritage Days. The focus on this one is the traditional arts such as spinning, candle making and weaving. In early November there is the annual Chili Cook-off. Then of course, what trip to Gatlinburg is complete without making the trip to Dollywood. However, if a bit of fresh air and sunshine is in the day's plans there are quite a bit of things to do.

Trout Fishing
Whitewater rafting
Hunting
Hiking
Horseback riding
skiing
Llama Trekking
Biking on trails
Motorcycle and off road vehicle
trails
Rock Climbing
Rappelling
Caving

A word of caution though, this area has a population of black bears. Even though these bears, as a rule, are nocturnal, caution is advised.

After all this activity, it is time to eat but where? That depends on what you are in the mood for since there are the usual family restaurants and buffets. But if you want something a little more specific then there are steak houses, seafood restaurants, and barbecues. Here is a brief list of general restaurants in the area to give you an idea of what is available.

Bennett's Pit Bar-B-Que
Bellacino's Pizza and Grind
Stokely Hospitality Enter
Ihop Restaurant
Scs Restaurants Inc
Greenbriar Restaurant
chinatown Restaurant
Old Mill Restaurant
Applewood Farmhouse Restaurant
Mountain Lodge Restaurant

This hopefully gives you a helping hand in planning your adventure in Gatlinburg Tennessee.

Smoky Mountains Vacations

Affectionately known as the Smokies, this mountain range stretches between Tennessee and North Carolina. The Smoky Mountains form the southern part of the Appalachian Mountains and the National Park that was founded in the 1930s is the most frequented in America. It is an ancestral home to the Cherokee people. The highest peak is the 6,642 foot Clingmans Dome, also the highest point in Tennessee, and it's possible to follow a trail to the summit.

The scenery is magnificent with ample opportunity to see wildlife. The area is known for its wide range of animals, flora and fauna. There is a reported 100,000 different species within its boundaries. Wildflowers are abundant on the slopes and on the valley floors, including varieties of orchid and there are two types of rhododendron. The seasons are marked by heavy rainfall; a lot of winter snow and some mountains are shrouded in frozen fog in the fall.

Unfortunately, pollution in the atmosphere is having an impact on the Smoky Mountains and the effects have been seen with the oak and red spruce trees. Smog very often affects the visibility available in the region. There are numerous rivers and streams and flooding has hit the area. Landslides have also occurred after Hurricane Frances swept through in 2004, and then Hurricane Ivan made an impact too.

Tourism is important to the area, and is popular with white water rafters in the summer and skiers in the winter. Tourists like to go to Cherokeehttp://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/00/Smoky-mountain-hiking-club-cabin.jpg/75px-Smoky-mountain-hiking-club-cabin.jpg, North Carolina where Cherokee Native Americans pose for photographs in traditional dress and sit in tipis. There are shops that sell Native American crafts and costumes. Gatlinburg city in Tennessee has a ski resort nearby and it hosts the Smoky Mountains Jubilee, a celebration of local music, comic acts and folklore such as mountain clogging.

The biggest tourist attraction of all is probably the Dollywood Theme Park, situated at Pigeon Forge in Tennessee. Owned by country music legend Dolly Parton, it contains rides that include four roller coasters. There is also a water park that has four water rides. The local music and crafts of the Smoky Mountains are celebrated and it's the location for the Southern Gospel Museum and Hall of Fame. This is a tribute to the many gospel singers and there is a collection of memorabilia. The park puts on dinner shows and concerts by Dolly and other acts. This area is also famous for its many car and truck events.