Greenville, TN - 2 Day Trip

**FREE - Everything on this adventure is FREE except the campsite**

This trip is planned from Jackson, TN.  It can be revised to fit your location.

Day 1:

7:30am - Leave Jackson, TN

11:30pm to 12:00pm - 30 Minute Pit Stop - Where Ever We Are

2:00pm - Davy Crockett Birthplace State Park - 1245 Davy Crockett Park Road, Limestone, TN

Museum Hours: Monday thru Friday 8am to 4:30pm
Cabin and Monument
Camp Office Hours: 2pm to 7pm
Camping: FCFS $25
Swimming Pool: Memorial Day thru Labor Day

Day 2:

8:30am - Leave Camp

9:00am to 3:00pm - Andrew Johnson National Historic Site - 101 N College St., Greenville, TN

Hours: 9am to 5pm Daily
Visitor Center, Early Home, The Homestead (guided tours every hour), National Cementery (monument and grave), Birthplace Replica

Statue - Corner of College and Depot Streets

Stops on the way home:

Knoxville Sunsphere/World's Fair Park

Manhattan Project National Historic Site-Oak Ridge
American Museum of Science and Energy

9:30pm - Arrive Jackson, TN

Mileage: 784 Miles
($94)

Tennessee State Parks #1

**FREE - Everything we did on this trip was free except the campsite!**

Day 1:

7am - Leave Home

10:30am to 1pm - Burgess Falls State Natural Park - 4000 Burgess Falls Dr, Sparta, TN

136 Foot Lower Falls (Big Falls)

River Trail/Service Road Loop - 1.5 mile
The hike wasn't bad at all. There are a few areas of ups and downs but mostly it was easy walking.

20 Foot Cascades

  
30 Foot Upper Falls and 80 Foot Middle Falls...both photos taken from the path.

2pm - Standing Stone State Park - 1674 Standing Stone Parkway, Hilham, TN
Gift Shop Hours: 8am to 4:30pm

Camp (Site 21) $25.95

I always reserve campsites ahead of time which is sometimes hard to do because the campsite maps are never very informative.  I try to get just the right distance away from and near to the bathhouse without being in a congested area.  I felt good about this choice but when we got there is was so much better.  The campsite was huge, it was the only one with a swing bench, the bathhouse was the perfect distance away and there was a horse shoe game right next to the site.  We stayed 2 nights and loved every minute of it.  We drove around the whole campground and in our opinion we had the best site!

The park itself has a lot to offer...hiking trails, a seasonal pool, gift shop, cabins and campground, a recreation center, at least 2 playgrounds, fishing and boating as well as the main attraction, the Standing Stone Monument.

Day 2:

9am - Leave Camp

9:40am to 12pm - Cordell Hull State Historic Park - 1300 Cordell Hull Memorial Dr, Byrdstown, TN
Overlook/Cave Trail - 2.5 mile loop - We hiked the trail but did not go down to see the cave.
Picnic Lunch

1pm to 5pm - Cummins Falls State Park - 1081 Cummins Mill Road, Cookeville, TN

This park was AMAZING!  It is a crazy strenuous hike threw the river and over rocks and steep ups and downs but 1000% worth it!

If you can stand the workout...

 
 ...than this is what greets you at the end!

 
 

6pm to 7pm - The Pharmacy Burger Parlor - 731 McFerrin Ave, Nashville, TN
9pm - Home

**The above trip was the original plan, but we had some extra time so we decided to leave a day early. We left around noon on Friday and arrived at Standing Stone State Park around 4pm. We explored the park and hung out at our campsite the rest of the day. The rest of the trip was basically the same other than we did everything in reverse (Cummins Falls, Cordell Hull then Burgess Falls). Also we skipped The Pharmacy Burger Parlor, ate sandwiches from our cooler and stopped at the Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park instead.

Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park - 600 James Robertson Pkwy, Nashville, TN 37243

This was a nice park in the middle of downtown Nashville, a lot of room for kids to run around, some water to cool off in and the Farmer's Market is right next door.

 
        

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Day One:

7:00amCT - Leave Home (Milan, TN)

30 Minute - Bathroom Break

1:30pmET to 2:30pmET - Look Rock - Foothills Parkway (Look Rock Picnic Area Road A)
*Picnic Lunch
*Observation Deck - 1/2 Mile Hike

3:30pmET to 4:30pmET - Elkmont Campground - 434 Elkmont Road, Gatlinburg, TN
Camp - $20night (SiteG018)

4:45pmET to 7:45pmET - Laurel Falls Trailhead - Little River Road, Gatlingburg, TN
2.6 mile Round Trip - Laurel Falls

8:00pmET - camp/dinner

Day Two:

9:00amET - Leave Camp

9:30amET to 10:30am ET - Lazy Daze Campground - 8429 State Highway 73, Townsend, TN
Shower

11:30amET to 1:00pmET - Cades Cove Visitor Center & Museum - Cades Cove Loop Road
Cable Mill
Hours: Summer 9am to 7pm

1:00pmET to 1:30pmET - Picnic Lunch

3:00pmET to 4:00pmET - Sugarlands Visitor Center - 1420 Old State Hwy 73 Scenic, Gatlinburg, TN
Hours: Summer 8am to 7pm
20 Minute Film
Museum

4:15pmET to 5:00pmET - Noah "Bud" Ogle Self-Guiding Trail - Cherokee Orchard Road
Trail: 0.7 mile loop

5:00pmET to 7:00pmET - Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail
*5:15pmET to 6:30pmET - Grotto Falls Trail - 2.6 mile RT

7:30pmET - Elkmont Camp/dinner

Day Three:

9:00amET - Leave camp

10:00amET to 12:00pmET - Clingman's Dome - Clingman's Dome Road

12:30pmET to 1:30pmET - Newfound Gap - Newfound Gap Road
*Picnic lunch
*Appalachian Trail
*Tennessee/North Carolina State Line

2:00pmET to 3:00pmET - Oconaluftee Visitor Center - US-441
Mountain Farm Museum
Mingus Mill

3:15pmET to 4:15pmET - Cherokee/Great Smokies KOA - 92 KOA Campground Road, Cherokee , NC
set up camp
$35 night

4:15pmET to 5:15pmET - Mingus Falls - Big Cove Road, Cherokee, NC
0.4 mile 

5:15pmET - Camp/Dinner/Shower

Day Four:

 9amET - Leave Camp

9:40amET to 11:00amET - Deep Creek Trails - W Deep Creek Road
Juneywhank Falls
Indian Creek Falls
Toms Branch Falls

 12:00pmET - 1:00pmET - Fontana Dam - Fontana Dam Road

 1:30pmET to 3:30pmET - Cherohala Skyway - US-129 & NC-143

 7:30pmCT - Home (5 hours drive)


Great Smokey Mountains National Park does not have showers at their campgrounds.  Here is a list of places that have been known to allow you to shower for a fee of $2-$5.

Alpine Campground-Pigeon Forge
Shady Oaks-Pigeon Forge
Fontana Dam TVA
Gatlinburg Community Center
Lazy Daze Campground-Townsend
Big Meadows Campground-Townsend
Ye Olde Mill Campground-Townsend
 Cherokee Campground-Cherokee
Happy Holiday RV Park-Cherokee

Other Lodging Options:

Fontana Village Resort-300 Woods Ave, Fontana Dam, NC
Honey Hill-2630 Smokey Park Hwy, Candler, NC
Mountain Bear Cabins
 

Gatlinburg 2-Day Trip

Day 1:

7am - Leave Home

10:00am to 10:30am - 30 Minute Pit Stop - Cookeville, TN

12:00pm to 1:00pm - Knoxville Sunsphere - 810 Clinch Ave, Knoxville, TN
Observation Deck Hours: 9am to 10pm
Admission: Free

1:00pm to 1:30pm - Knoxville Visitor Center - 301 S Gay St., Knoxville, TN
Hours: Monday thru Friday 8:30am to 5pm, Saturday 9am to 5pm, Sunday 12pm to 4pm

2:00pm to 2:30pm - Hotel Check-In
Super 8 Sevierville, 1410 Winfield Dunn Parkway, Sevierville, TN

2:40pm to 3:00p, - Dolly Parton Statue - Sevier County Courthouse - 125 Court Ave, Sevierville, TN

3:30pm to 4:30pm - Cooter's Place - 542 Parkway, Gatlinburg, TN
Monday thru Saturday 9am to 9pm, Sunday 9am to 7pm
Admission: Free, $5 photo w/ General Lee

4:30pm to 5:30pm - Hard Rock Cafe - 515 Parkway, Gatlinburg, TN

6:00pm to 10:00pm - Wonderworks - 100 Music Road, Pigeon Forge, TN
Hours: 9am to Midnight
Admission: Combo GA & Wonders of Magic - Adults $35, Kids $27

10:15pm - Hotel

Day 2:

8:30am - Leave Hotel

Ripley Attraction Combo Tickets
Aquarium + 3 attractions
Adults $49, Kids $32

Hours: OPEN DAILY 365 Days a Year

January – February: 10am to 8pm

March – Memorial Day: 9am to 9pm

Memorial – Labor Day: 9am to 11pm

Labor Day – New Year’s Day: 9am to 9pm

 

9:00am to 11:00pm - Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies - 88 River Road, Gatlinburg, TN
Hours: see above

11:10am to 12:00pm - Log Cabin Pancake House - 327 Historic Nature Trail, Gatlinburg, TN
Hours: 7am to 2pm

12:04pm to 1:00pm - Space Needle - 115 Nature Trail (Historic), Gatlinburg, TN
Admission: Adults $8.50, Kids $4

1:00pm to 3:00pm - Ripley's Believe It or Not - 800 Parkway, Gatlinburg, TN
Hours: see above

3:05pm to 5:00pm - Guiness World Records Museum - 631 Parkway, Gatlinburg, TN
Hours: see above

5:00pm to 6:00pm - Sherlock Holmes Pub - 651 Parkway, Gatlinburg, TN

6:00pm to 8:00pm - Marvolous Mirror Maze - 623 Parkway, Gatlinburg, TN

2:00am - Home

or stay another night in the hotel and go home in the morning.

Other Interests in the area:
Old Smokey Moonshine - 903 Parkway
Skylife - 765 Parkway
Monster Truck Rides - 910 Parkway

2 National Parks, 2 Distilleries and a State Park in 2 Days

**FREE - This adventure is FREE except the campsite**

Day 1:

7am - Leave Home

9:30am to 10:30am - Stones River National Battlefield - 3501 Old Nashville Hwy, Murfreesboro, TN
Visitor Center Hours: 8am to 5pm
*Junior Ranger Program
Admission: Free
map

11:30am to 12:30pm - George Dickel Distillery - 1950 Cascade Hollow Road, Normandy, TN
Tours: 9am to 4:30pm
Admission: Free

1:00pm - Old Stone Fort State Archaeological Park - 732 Stone Fort Drive, Manchester, TN
*museum 8am to 4:30pm
*1.25 mile trail - waterfalls
*Fort Enclosure Trail
park map
Camp $25 

Day 2:

9am - Leave Camp

9:30am to 12:00pm - Jack Daniels Distillery - 280 Lynchburg Hwy, Lynchburg, TN
Tours: 9am to 4:30pm
Admission: Free
*Jack Daniels Grave - Church St and Morgan St.

12:00pm to 1:00pm - Lunch in Lynchburg

2:30pm to 4:30pm - Russell Cave National Mounument - 3729 County Road 98, Bridgeport, AL
Hours: 8am to 4:30pm
Admission: Free
*Junior Ranger Program

Home is 4 Hours

Cypress Grove Nature Park

**FREE - This adventure is FREE**

Cypress Grove Nature Park

866 Airways Blvd

Jackson, TN

Hours: 8AM to Dusk

Admission: Free

Click on map for larger view

Tree Knees

 

 Creatures Along Our Way

The Lake

Raptor Center