Roaring Fork & Gatlinburg Adventure

• Round trip transportation, from hotel/accommodation or point of pickup.
• Scenic drive through Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail, and into the quaint mountain town of Gatlinburg for free time.
• Photo opportunities at scenic pullouts, guided out and back nature walks of historical farms, homesteads.
• Guided interpretive nature walks, fully equipped.
• Opportunities for wildlife viewing.
• Mountain vistas, see and hear rivers and streams, encounter historical structures.
• Learn about history, culture, flora and fauna of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park via interpretive guides.
• Tour Duration 5 hours.

Looking to see the natural and historical wonders of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and add a splash of food, attractions and music in a beautiful mountain town? Then this is your adventure! Enjoy a guided scenic drive along a five mile one way loop that is chalked full of scenic vistas, historical farms and homesteads all nestled amongst mountain streams justifying its name, Roaring Fork, is a stream in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and like many mountain streams, Roaring Fork can be volatile. While the stream is normally a peaceful trickle on any given day, it can quickly becomes a raging whitewater rapid after a mild rain shower, the “roar” of the water is amplified by its echo on surrounding mountain ridges! We will enjoy these views during our drive as the motor nature trail weaves and winds along these beautiful streams and cascades. Along the drive as we travel through the foothills and enjoy stops at scenic overlooks that allow for great photo opportunities while admiring distant mountains and valleys.

Then it’s off to enjoy short out and back nature walks back into time, as we view several farms and homesteads that early settlers carved out a living amongst natures bounty, learning about how they built their homes and cultivated the ground littered with ancient sandstone!

Historical stops will include, an early 1900’s double cabin with a passageway in the center known as a “Dog Trot” placed on a 70 acre plot of which the Bales would farm 30 acres and the remaining 40 being heavily wooded, would be used for building materials and fire wood. This site also has a barn, hog pin, corn crib, and barriers typical to the time. This stop will be a walk into the history of life in the foothills area, and via guided commentary we will see, smell, hear how early settlers carved out a life!

Our second stop will include a personal favorite “Alfred Reagan house” of which includes a Tub Mill used for making cornmeal, flour and was built by Alfred in 1895, he and his family would cultivate this small farm but Alfred was a man of many talents, he ran a general store, blacksmith shop, and was a preacher spreading the word at the Roaring Fork Church. The Tub Mill was one of the best built and its location along the stream was well placed allowing it to perform even during low water flow, earning it the distinction of most consistent! This is a great stop, full of history and sounds of water passing through the rocks. Each of these two stops will average 15 minutes out of vehicle and the out and back nature walks are guided and fully equipped! After our nature walk into the past ends, it’s all aboard and off to the mountain town of Gatlinburg for two hours of free time that you and yours can find attractions, food, entertainment and much more!

Each additional hour at $75.00 per-hour.

Add additional Gatlinburg time!

Add a Guided Interpretive Nature Walk! Full Equipped, lightweight backpacks, water, snacks, botanical insect repellant and binoculars. Our out and back nature walks are fully equipped to get you out into the natural wonders and allow for safe viewing of wildlife, see, smell, hear and interact through our guides via interpretation and education of flora and fauna, history and culture!