Swain County Trip Overview
Explore Great Smoky Mountains National Park and discover why it’s the most visited National Park in the country! Tour these famous mountains while learning about Cherokee history & legends, Appalachian life, and much more. We’ll point you to all the best spots to take in the timeless wonders of the mountains. There’s no better way to see Clingman’s Dome, Cades Cove, or Rainbow Falls!
Recommended: Purchase one tour per car, not per person. Everyone listens together!
Here’s how it works: Within 30 mins, we’ll send you two things: a unique password and an app. Download the app onto your phone, enter the password, and download the tour. When you arrive, go to the first stop, launch the app, and follow the instructions! Stick to our recommended route and speed limit for the best experience.
NO EXPIRATION — THE TOUR IS AVAILABLE FROM THE MINUTE YOU BOOK UNTIL FOREVER!
THIS IS NOT AN ENTRANCE TICKET TO ATTRACTIONS ALONG THE ROUTE. CHECK PANDEMIC RULES AND OPENING HOURS BEFORE YOUR VISIT.
Additional Info
Duration: 2 to 3 hours
Starts: Swain County, United States
Trip Category: Cultural & Theme Tours >> Cultural Tours
Explore Swain County Promoted Experiences
What to Expect When Visiting Swain County, North Carolina, United States
Explore Great Smoky Mountains National Park and discover why it’s the most visited National Park in the country! Tour these famous mountains while learning about Cherokee history & legends, Appalachian life, and much more. We’ll point you to all the best spots to take in the timeless wonders of the mountains. There’s no better way to see Clingman’s Dome, Cades Cove, or Rainbow Falls!
Recommended: Purchase one tour per car, not per person. Everyone listens together!
Here’s how it works: Within 30 mins, we’ll send you two things: a unique password and an app. Download the app onto your phone, enter the password, and download the tour. When you arrive, go to the first stop, launch the app, and follow the instructions! Stick to our recommended route and speed limit for the best experience.
NO EXPIRATION — THE TOUR IS AVAILABLE FROM THE MINUTE YOU BOOK UNTIL FOREVER!
THIS IS NOT AN ENTRANCE TICKET TO ATTRACTIONS ALONG THE ROUTE. CHECK PANDEMIC RULES AND OPENING HOURS BEFORE YOUR VISIT.
Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: Great Smoky Mountains National Park, 107 Park Headquarters Rd, Gatlinburg, TN 37738-4102
Great Smoky Mountains National Park straddles the border between North Carolina and Tennessee. The sprawling landscape encompasses lush forests and an abundance of wildflowers that bloom year-round. Streams, rivers, and waterfalls appear along hiking routes that include a segment of the Appalachian Trail. An observation tower tops Clingmans Dome, the highest peak, offering scenic views of the mist-covered mountains.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Oconaluftee Visitor Center, Us-441, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, TN 28719-8249
Our drive through the beautiful, majestic Smoky Mountains begins at the Oconaluftee Visitor Center. Get ready to explore the Smokies and discover why this is the most visited National Park in the country! Buckle up and prepare for a deep dive into the most famous stretch of the Appalachians, from the history and legends of the Cherokee in the area to the awe-inspiring Rainbow Falls.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Mingus Mill, 1/2 Mile North of Oconaluftee Visitor Center, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, NC
Our first stop is at the Mingus Mill, an 1886 grist mill which, believe it or not, is still fully functional! If you’re here on weekends, you can even see the mill operators grind corn just like they did back in the 1800s. As we continue, we’ll be introduced to the Cherokee, who lived here long before anyone else. We’ll hear their history and their legends, from the buzzard who shaped the Smoky Mountains to the witch whose blood blooms into stalks of corn! Then we’ll get down and dirty and hear about the geology of this fascinating landscape.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Quiet Walkways, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, TN
As we drive, we’ll come to the Beech Flats Quiet Walkway, a perfect spot for anyone who wants to soak up the natural beauty of the mountains without having to hike an arduous trail.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: 7 miles off US-441 on the Clingmans Dome Road About 19.6 Miles from Sugarlands Visitor Center, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, TN
Clingmans Dome is a mountain in the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee and North Carolina, in the southeastern United States.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Clingmans Dome Visitor Center, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Clingmans Dome Rd, Bryson City, NC 28713, USA
Next, we’ll arrive at Clingman’s Dome Tower, an astonishing observation tower offering unparalleled views. You really haven’t seen the Great Smoky Mountains until you’ve seen them from up here! Then, we’ll hear about how this massive park got its funding, and what all that has to do with the famous Rockefeller family.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Newfound Gap Road, Between Sugarlands and Oconoluftee 13.2 MIles from Sugarlands Visitor Center is the state line marker overlook, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, TN
Our drive continues to Newfound Gap, a stunning mountain pass with huge historical significance. Hear the story of how trappers, farmers, and merchants used to cross the Smokies, and how this gap changed all of that.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Rockefeller Memorial, Newfound Gap Stae Line Marker 13.75 Miles from Gatlinburg, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, TN
Up next is the Rockefeller Memorial, in case you were still wondering about Rockefeller’s importance to the park! This memorial was dedicated by President Theodore Roosevelt himself.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Morton Overlook, Us-441, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, TN
Keep driving until you reach Morton Overlook, most popular for its unbelievable sunset views.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Morton Mountain Tunnel, US-441, Gatlinburg, TN 37738, USA
Continue on into the Morton Tunnel and hear about how a politician named Ben Morton got his name all over the park. Hear about how Morton navigated the dicey political waters of the Great Depression and worked with FDR to make sure the park became a reality!
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Alum Cave Trail, Newfound Gap Road, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, TN
We’ll arrive next at the Alum Cave Trail. Explore the remains of an old salt mine and learn the history behind the mine, its importance during the Civil War, and why it’s empty today.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Chimney Tops Overlook, US-441, Gatlinburg, TN 37738, USA
Continue driving to Chimney Tops Overlook, where we’ll hear all about wildfires in the Smokies, and how they cause lasting damage to mountains like this one. Then, we’ll dive into the history of Cades Cove, the 4,000-acre meadow between mountains that was once home to hundreds of people.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Carlos Campbell Overlook, Newfound Gap Rd A little over 2 miles from Gatlinburg on Newfound Gap Rd, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, TN
The next overlook on our route is right by the roadside, and offers panoramic views of towering mountains and lush forests. Here, we’ll pick up some fast facts about the flora of the Smokies.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Sugarlands Valley Nature Trail, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, TN
Next up is the most accessible trail in the park! Sugarlands Valley Trail can be accessed by wheelchair or stroller, and offers a great way to venture into the scenic wilderness. We’ll also turn back the clock to get an in-depth look at the complicated history of this valley and the settlers who once lived here.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Sugarlands Visitors Center, 2 miles south of Gatlinburg on US-441, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, TN
The road leads us next to the Sugarlands Visitor Center, a perfect rest stop and the site of a few trailheads.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Cataract Falls, Cove Mountain Trail, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, TN
Our drive continues to Cataract Falls, a beautiful, secluded set of waterfalls tucked beneath a shaded canopy of beech trees.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Gatlinburg, Gatlinburg, Tennessee
Gatlinburg, a mountain town in eastern Tennessee, is known as a gateway to the roughly 520,000-acre Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Ripley’s Believe It or Not!, 800 Parkway, Gatlinburg, TN 37738, USA
Our next stop is perfect for anyone amused by kitschy oddities. This funky museum displays everything from shrunken human heads to rare animal skeletons. We’ll get the inside scoop on how it started as a simple one-panel comic strip and grew into a national phenomenon.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail, Rte. 441 Enter from stoplight 8 at Airport Road, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, TN 37783
Continue following the road to the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail. This driving trail invites you to slow down and enjoy the forest and historic buildings of the area. It also features three of the park’s most famous waterfalls!
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Rainbow Falls Trail, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, TN
Our route takes us next to the Rainbow Falls Trail, which leads to the park’s most popular waterfall. Standing at 80 feet, Rainbow Falls is the tallest waterfall in the Smokies, but that’s not all! When the sun hits it right, it glimmers like a rainbow–hence the name.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Grotto Falls Trail, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, TN
Keep driving until you reach the Grotto Falls trail. While it’s not quite as grand as Rainbow Falls, this secluded, less crowded waterfall is absolutely worth a visit. On your way, hear about a rare salamander you can only find right here!
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: The Place of a Thousand Drips, Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail, Gatlinburg, TN 37783, USA
Why settle for one waterfall when you can have several? Our next stop is the Place of a Thousand Drips, where numerous narrow falls come together to form a stunning torrent.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Baskins Creek Falls, Baskins Creek Trail Trailhead Baskins Creek Trail, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, TN 37738
Our drive takes us next to the Baskin Creek Falls, a sparkling waterfall where we’ll hear about the amusing, and slightly misguided history behind the name of these falls.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Ephraim Bales Cabin, Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail, Gatlinburg, TN 37738, USA
Up next, we’ll pass the Ephraim Bales Cabin, a portal back in time to the 19th century. We’ll hear all about the family that lived here, and why there’s a big hole in the middle of their cabin!
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Alfred Reagan Tub Mill, Reagan Tub Mill (Historic), Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail, Gatlinburg, TN 37738, USA
The road brings us next to the Reagen Cabin, which displays a perfect example of old-timey technology in the form of the so-called “tub mill.” Hear all about what that is and why it was useful here.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Ely’s Mill, 393 Roaring Fork Rd, Gatlinburg, TN 37738-4804
Next, our drive takes us to Ely’s Mill, a historic mill on the outskirts of Gatlinburg which gives us another window into the lives of the early Appalachian settlers. Here, we’ll learn about Andrew Ely, the bigshot lawyer who upended his entire life after his wife died, abandoned his law practice, and moved to Gatlinburg to start over and live a simpler life.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Gatlinburg, Gatlinburg, Tennessee
Finally, we’ll arrive in the mountian town of Gatlinburg, we’ll hear how it all began with the unfortunate, ill-fated William Ogle, who built the town’s very first cabin but never got to live there. Then we’ll hear about how the town grew, the struggle that consumed it during the Civil War, and how it became what it is today. This is where our tour officially concludes.
Duration: 10 minutes