I never met a waterfall that I didn't like. We did a driving tour along Little River in Great Smoky…read moreMountains National Park to see if we could spot some wildlife. The Sinks is a lovely waterfall along the river. There is a small parking lot with about a dozen spaces where we found parking. An observation area is a short walk from parking. A sign describes the area and that the falls were manmade. During the late 1800's the river was used to transport logs/timber to the nearby town of Elkmont. After a storm, flood waters caused a jam in the river. Dynamite was used to restore water flow. The blast resulted in a twist in the river and creation of the waterfall. A set of stone steps leads up a hill, offering lovey views of the falls. There are dozens of waterfalls in the Park. Sinks is one of the few that is drivable, which is great for people that cannot hike. I picked up a Waterfalls map at the visitor center that I found interesting and informative. Parking passes are required to park in the lot. There are no amenities at the falls. Plan 15-30 minutes for a stop and photos.

The Sinks is such a fun outdoor experience! Our boys, ages 11 & 13, loved it! The parking is not…read moregreat though, with only about 15 spots in the parking lot and nowhere else to go. It's super busy in the summer, so just be prepared for that. We had to wait about 15 minutes for someone to leave so we could park. That wouldn't keep us from going back, though.

The view was amazing, the kids enjoyed seeing the falls. It was easy to navigate but hard to find…read morewhen you first pull up if you've never been there before. It is not wheelchair accessible, and can be a bit of a steep climb. Parking is on the side of the mountain. We had a great time while we were there and there is a small swimming hole at the bottom of the falls.

It's not where it says it is on the google and apple maps. We asked a park ranger where it was and…read moreshe put us on the path. We went on a Tuesday and luckily for us we had the place to ourselves, an occasional hiker would pop in and look around and one other couple came to swim. The water was crystal clear, cool mountain aqua. No trash or other intrusive nonsense was present and the spot is absolutely serene. We swam for a few hours and wrapped by jumping off the big rocks into the "deep end" . Good times for sure, beware of bears and all that jazz.

Laurel Falls is a great starter trail for Families that are introducing their children to hiking in…read moreGatlinburg. There are plenty of interesting facts to be shared, different types of plants and wildlife along the trail. This time we didn't see many animals but the trail was a bit more crowded that day. I would not recommend taking a stroller or wheelchair on this trail. It is barely paved and there are many roots. Parts of it are very steep as well. It's a great place to practice mindfulness on the way up. There are enough roots and rocks on the path to force you to focus on being present and walking carefully. It's a peaceful trail that gives you a great view of the forest. The falls are still there but not as deep as they used to be. The rocks are very slippery! I definitely recommend water shoes if you have them. The way down is a bit harder than the way up. If you have issues with your legs or balance, I recommend using a support of some kind. There are no benches but you should be able to find large boulders to rest on.

Beautiful very easy to walk trail. More like a walk actually, close to the main entrance in the…read moreSmoky Mountains National Park

Stunning. The Great…read moreSmoky Mountains National Park officially ties with Yosemite as my two favorite national parks in the US. I love everything about this beautiful area of our country. We were there in early spring and enjoyed stunning weather, blooming wild flowers, and bear sightings a-plenty. We also were there when the dogwoods were blooming and there are dogwood trees throughout the park--it was stunning. We enjoyed driving around the park, hiking, and stopping at various points of interest. We were also able to take an accessible hike up a paved trail to the highest point in the park, which was amazing. My eyes seriously just could not get enough of all the gorgeous nature to be enjoyed here. Top notch. Get to it!

Great Smoky Mountain National Park has been on my bucket list for many years. I was hoping that…read morespring break would be down season at the Park, but the Park was busy!!! We had a fabulous visit to this vast natural wonder. We learned that Park is the largest natural habitat in the continental U.S. The signature "smoky" appearance of the mountains is caused by an evaporation of organic rich moisture released by the vegetation within the Park. We started our visit by stopping at the visitors center to pick up a parking permit ($5/day) and maps ($1). I was glad we picked up maps because there is very little internet connectivity in the park, so we lost our navigation tools. The leaves were not on the trees yet (April) so we had magnificent uninterrupted views of the mountains and skylines. Spring wild flowers were in bloom. And we actually saw a mother bear with two cubs crossing the road. Each day during our visit we explored a different part of the park. We hiked to waterfalls and enjoyed scenic overlooks. We enjoyed exploring historic cabins and cemeteries. Popular sites were crowded and sometimes we had to wait for parking. Plan to arrive early. The park is filled with parking areas to pull off and enjoy the views or hike. Rest areas are available at many of the major sites. Leased dogs are only allowed in camping and parking areas and on two of the many trails. Bring good walking shoes, a hiking stick is helpful, water and sun glasses. You probably need to bring snacks, but keep those secure from wildlife.

This hike is beautiful and the scenery all throughout this hike is great! You can even walk behind…read morethe falls; so cool! The trail is about 3 miles roundtrip and is pretty easy with a bit of an incline/hill. Should be manageable for all ages and levels. Enjoy the beauty!

This was our second hike on a trip. We were looking forward to exploring the waterfall trail. It…read morewasn't as long as yesterday's hike, but there was still a notable elevation. We arrived early in order to beat the crowd. It was raining off and on, so the rocks were slippery. That's why we use hiking poles. All in all it was wonderful. We did see bears before and after this hike. Fortunately, we were in our vehicles. We made enough noise so that they didn't come around- this of course as their home. We had an excellent time. Parking is sparse near the trailhead.

As a local content creator here in Gatlinburg The Gatlinburg Hussey, I highly recommend hiking Mt…read moreLaconte in Gatlinburg, TN Smokies I've done it 2 times and I was almost 280 the first time and 200 the second time I tell all of my subscribers to do this and if it's too tough, try a smaller trail Please bring the kids too and have them explore nature ahd and get them off the phone and have their hands get dirty

After a strenuous hike up Mt. LeConte, the Lodge provided amazing , hardy meals enjoyed with fellow…read morehikers from many, many places. The welcoming staff made the meals even more enjoyable! At 83 years old, I know this was my last hike to Mt. LeConte Lodge, after four previous hikes beginning in my twenties. My wife and I celebrated our honeymoon there 49 years ago in 1977.

What a great little place. Wanted to do a short hike in the Smoky's but didn't have my trekking…read morepoles along. (Can't take them in carry-on, TSA rules) Had hoped to rent some here. Nice man working there just let me borrow one for the day. Wouldn't accept money or even a security deposit. Enjoyable hike he recommended up to the Grotto Trail. We returned the pole before closing, even tho it would've been ok to bring it back the next morning. Enjoyed talking with owner and his wife. Worth dropping in! Really appreciated the southern hospitality.

Just visited again and it's still AWESOME! Hikey Mikeys makes hiking in the Smokies a fantastic…read moreexperience. Visit this shop and make the most out of your trip to the Smokies.

Walk to the fall is nice - the fall is a bit average - it is not very large. We enjoyed the walk…read more There are some logs and puddles along the way for kids to enjoy.

This is a nice sized waterfall. The best part is how easy it is to get to it. While others require…read moremiles of hiking... this one is under 10 mins. It's easy to access by foot with children or for older folks that can't walk far. The short walk to the waterfall from the parking lot is beautiful and shaded by trees. You walk alongside the river the entire way. Once you reach the waterfall there is a small bench to sit and admire. If your trying to find waterfalls that are safe and easy walking distance this is the perfect one to visit! Although the sign says "do not climb" plenty of kids were walking up and down the areas above and around the waterfall. I would not suggest this. Nearly gave me a heart attack when my son ran up.

10/10. This was such a fun experience. It reall felt like a cool day in the jungle. We went during…read morethe week in May. Feeding the birds was well worth the extra $3. Getting to hold the baby birds in the nursery was a unique experience. They were playful and sweet. If you want a souvenir picture I suggest not paying in advance for it if your going in couple/group. The picture we got was a single $45 versus the paying double the ticket price per person in advance. We then had lunch at the cafe wich was really good. Be prepared the road coming in is very steep just FYI.

We came here, on a whim. We saw it on a tourist pamphlet and decided to try it…read more The drive here, is outside of the main town, though a narrow road, that leads up the mountain. The driveway is steep, so be careful. Once there, the parking lot is a little small, however we found a spot pretty easily. You enter up a ramp, pay at the check In booth. Here you have a chance to buy the nectar feeding tickets, $3 each. I would 100% recommend this, if you want to be up close and personal with some birds. With military discount, nectar feed, and taxes for 2, it was about $72. Once inside the park, you walk trails, seeing the beautiful birds, some on posts, hanging out as you walk by. There are signs on some of the posts, don't feed/pet as you enter and walk around. You get close to the birds and plenty of photo ops. Some birds are in their cages, some just on posts as you walk around. Part of the tour you get awesome smoky Mountain View's. Soon your at the feeding/petting section. You walk into the area, there are still signs and rules, don't pet the ones that say no petting or feeding on their posts. When touring this area there's plenty of birds to pet, pick up, hold, feed. The feed costs a quarter, so bring some, or a few small bills 1s or 5s to buy feed. Some parrots here are loving and friendly. Once you're done here you continue the tour, shortly you'll be at the Nectar feeding area. The staff gives you a small cup of nectar and explains what will happen. Once the door is open, be prepared to be swarmed by small beautiful birds. They swoop in landing on your arms, shoulders, head. I think I had at one time about 6-7. This lasts about 10 minutes. Once you leave there you continue the tour seeing more beautiful birds and the nursery, then end at the gift shop/deli before heading out. Overall would recommend coming here if you love parrots, and birds.

I didn't know what to expect but this place is the real deal and tons of fun for the whole family…read more Our only strategic error is we didn't bring food with us and when we went there (late December), none of their food options were open. We spent an entire afternoon and did both of their zipline courses which were thrilling and beautiful. It took about 4 hours to do both. The views from the mountain tops were spectacular and I was impressed with how long the zip line spans were. The guides were friendly and professional and I watched them be very tactful and effective to a group of two moms with 5 obnoxious tween-aged boys. Our group was my husband, myself and three teenagers (daughter, son, and son's girlfriend) so this was a perfect activity for us. The zip line does take some physical exertion so don't do this if you are a complete couch potato. The property is really pretty with lots to do wandering around but we only did the ziplines.

Cool place to hike to the waterfall! The lady was at the counter was super friendly and…read moreknowledgeable! Definitely a great experience!