Gatlinburg
Last year I took a solo trip to Gatlinburg, TN.
I’ve visited this area several times before on family trips—so I’m no stranger to the touristy spots around town. Dozens of options for Southern comfort food (check out the Apple Barn, btw), plenty of attractions, and so many scenic views even if you never want to leave the car.
But I’ve been itching to hike the trails in the area for a while. I decided on a week-long trip, after Thanksgiving and into the beginning of December. That time of year the weather is usually chilly but not cold, highs near 50F and lows near 30F, with a little chance of snow. I rented a cabin in Townsend (to escape the crowds and higher prices a bit), selected a few trails, and set out!
Hiking & Photography
Hiking and photography are slowly becoming a bigger hobby in my life. I love setting out on a trail to see parts of the world in a way we normally don’t get to every day—and naturally, I want to capture that.
Setting out on long hiking trips isn’t something I can do every day though. So, I’ve been working up my stamina, learning how to pack, how to prepare, what to take (bring water💧), and on this trip I wanted to bring a camera and some light equipment.
So, I decided to stick to the (very) well-known trails and use this as more of a trial-run…as I wasn’t sure how difficult that was going to make the hiking.
Rainbow Falls — 👉trailhead
Clingman’s Dome — 👉trailhead
Clingman’s Dome is a quicker hike to the “highest point in the Great Smoky Mountains”, and there’s even an observation tower at the top!—which is where these pictures came from. I finished hiking Rainbow Falls a couple hours before sunset, and even though the sky was still mostly overcast, I tried to get a couple shots with that last bit of sunlight.
Greenbrier via Metcalf Bottoms — 👉trailhead
After a long day between Rainbow Falls and Clingman’s Dome, I needed a little break. There are a couple trails leading to the Greenbrier school, and this one I took from the Metcalf Bottoms picnic area is relatively short and follows only slight elevation changes.
Indian Flats Falls via Middle Prong Trail — 👉trailhead
Indian Flats Falls blew me away. Even the drive to the trailhead was picturesque; I can say that even if you aren’t interested in hiking, the drive to the trailhead is worth it for the sights alone. While it doesn’t have the elevation of Rainbow Falls or Mt. LeConte, it’s a slow constant incline until you reach the falls. That combined with the 7.8 miles (out and back) makes it a little challenging.
Mt. LeConte via Alum Cave — 👉trailhead
This was going to be my last full hiking day, so I wanted to make it a good one.
