GSM Travel

Cherohala Skyway National Scenic Byway

October 18, 2023

  Cherohala Skyway Scenic Drive Just south of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the Cherohala Skyway. A road trip enthusiast’s dream come true! If you’re looking for a breathtaking drive through the mountains of Tennessee and North Carolina, look no further than the Cherohala Skyway! This scenic byway has some of the best mountain scenery in the area. This 43-mile National Scenic Byway through the Cherokee and Nantahala national forests stretches between Tellico Plains, Tennessee, and Robbinsville, North Carolina. It winds up and over 5,400-foot mountains for 18 miles in North Carolina and 23 miles in Tennessee. The…
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Cades Cove Loop Road Closed For Repaving

September 19, 2021

Cades Cove Loop Road Closed For Repaving Just a reminder that Cades Cove Loop Road is closed for repaving until September 27, 2021. The road is closed to all types of traffic including motorists, pedestrians, cyclists, and horseback riders. The project started on September 7 and will last until September 27, 2021. The loop road should reopen just in time for the arrival of all the fall foliage viewers that arrive in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The much-needed project will include resurfacing the 11-mile loop road. Cades Cove Loop Road gets about 2 million visitors a year. That’s…
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Tubing In Townsend On Little River

July 13, 2020

Tubing In Townsend On Little River Tubing in Townsend is a great way to cool off. Its summertime, it’s hot and you are in the Great Smoky Mountains. A great way to cool off is to enjoy a cool splash in the Little River. The Little River runs tight thru Townsend, Tn. Parts of the river are calm pools of cool water while other parts are fast rapids and swirling pools. The water is clean, cool, and clear. No matter what your level of fun, tubing on the Little River is a lot of fun for the whole family. Townsend…
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GSMNP Prepares For Tropical Storm Nate

October 6, 2017

GSMNP Prepares For Tropical Storm Nate Tropical Storm Nate and probably soon to be Hurricane Nate is in the Gulf of Mexico and predicted to head north toward Louisiana, Mississippi or Alabama. But then it continues north toward East Tennessee and the Great Smoky Mountains. It’s a fast-moving storm that will bring rain over the weekend. Sure the rain would be nice but the wind is unwanted. Just weeks ago the staff had to clean up after Hurricane Irma. Now they are preparing for another bout of bad weather. And at the worst possible time-the fall foliage season when the…
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Not Too Late For Fall Foliage Trip

October 31, 2016

Fall Foliage Reports and Weekly Updates for 2016 It’s not to late to head to the Great Smoky Mountains to see the fall foliage. The lower elevations are peaking now and the weather is just beautiful! 10/31/2016 Fall Foliage Report and Update: Peak colors are past for most of the park but there is still a lot of color to see in the lower elevations. A ride in the Great Smoky Mountains this week will still offer some beautiful views. Especially at all the overlooks that offer a long-range view. Lower elevations are at peak now (under 2000 ft). Places to…
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Smoky Mountains Christmas Trip Report

December 9, 2015

A Recent Smoky Mountains Christmas Trip Report Last week we enjoyed a Great Smoky Mountains Christmas trip to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. It had rained a lot the night before so riding through the Great Smoky Mountains by way of I-40 headed west was a nice drive with some pretty scenery. The rain water was  streaming down the rocks from high above and several areas displayed quite a waterfall show as we traveled west from North Carolina toward Tennessee. The rivers along I-40 where quite deep and the rapid flow of water over the rocks turned the usual meandering river into…
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Cades Cove Fall Foliage Trip Report

October 15, 2015

Cades Cove Fall Foliage Trip Report With Pictures! Here is our Cades Cove fall foliage trip report from October, 15, 2015. Took a ride through Cades Cove in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park today. Saw some fall foliage colors in the mountains tops as we rode thru the 11 mile loop road of Cades Cove. It was crowded with lots of cars and many visitors at the Cades Cove Visitors Center and in the picnic areas. The fall foliage colors where a little disappointing. I thought for the middle of October there would be more color. I did get…
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I-40 Closed For Hours Near TN/NC State Line

September 16, 2015

I-40 Closed For Hours Near Mile Marker 7 For Safety I-40 closed through the Great Smoky Mountains for several hours on Tuesday September 15, 2015 due to unstable rocks. An ongoing slope stabilization project caused some rocks to become unstable high above I-40 so to be safe the NCDOT closed both east and west lanes near mile marker 7 in North Carolina. The eastbound lanes were reopened late Tuesday night with the westbound lanes reopened later in the early morning hours of Wednesday. The slope stabilization project is being done to control any rock slides before they may happen. Rock slides in…
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What is Harmon Den on I-40 Near NC/TN State Line?

December 11, 2014

Have You Ever Seen the Road Sign Harmon Den on I-40 in Great Smoky Mountains? Have you ever been traveling on I-40 in the Great Smoky Mountains near the  North Carolina and Tennessee state line and seen the  sign Harmon Den? Did you  wonder  what it is?  If you take Exit 7 on I-40 and follow the signs you will discover it is a large horse campground with about 14 miles of designated  horse trails and facilities.  Harmon Den Horse Campground is located in North Carolina and is part of the Nation Forests in North Carolina. The horse campground is within the Pisgah…
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Great Smoky Mountains Railroad Fall Excursion

September 28, 2014

Take a ride through the mountains of North Carolina to see the spectacular mountain fall foliage show from a railroad car!. The Great Smoky Mountain Railroad is the  way to go to tour the colorful North Carolina mountains in the fall. The Nantahala Gorge Excursion is a 4 1/2 hour railroad ride that heads westbound toward the  Nantahala Gorge and then back. Round trip it is a 88 miles trip that goes thru the Little Tennessee and Nantahala Rivers across Fontana Lake and into the Nantahala Gorge. Enjoy a 1 hour layover at the Nantahala Outdoor Center to sightsee and enjoy…
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