Great Smoky Mountains & the Lost Sea

OVERVIEW

Taking into account interest to Great Smoky Mountains & the Lost Sea lets do it as a 4 days 3 nights trip at the nearest weekend. [ Weather supposed to be favorable].

Thursday we drive from C-ville to Gatlinburg,TN
Starting around 9am we will be in Gatlinburg around 3pm.
Then we enjoy this small lovely town its Winter Magic
http://www.eventsgatlinburg.com/event_detail.aspx?id=37 and
other attractions.
“The community of Gatlinburg, Tennessee is only two miles long by five miles wide, with just over 3,500 people who call the mountain burg home.” We may visit the Space Needle
http://www.gatlinburgspaceneedle.com or Guinness World Records Museum http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/default.aspx
or World of Illusions http://www.attractions-gatlinburg.com/world_of_illusions.html
or just take the ski lift to see the town and mountains from a top

Friday we will walk through The Great Smoky Mountains National Park and hike Alum Cave Bluffs trail to the top of mt. Le Conte (11 miles) or Rainbow falls trail to the highest waterfall in the park (~6 mls) or we may join these two trails in one. Then continue to explore Gatlinburg.

Saturday we may have some short hike in the park (for example to Clingmans Dome – the highest point in Tennessee and at the Appalachian Trail (~5mls)),
and visit America’s largest underground lake – the Lost Sea

Sunday we will pack our stuff and move back to Virginia, visiting Mt. Roger National Recreation Area and its (and Virginia) highest point – Mt. Roger by Rhododendron
trial (8.6mls) and then we will drive home and hopefully will be there before 12am.

Since neither campgrounds nor the lodge in the park will work in February, we will need to stay outside the park in a hotel or cottage or cabin ($45-75/night per room). More precise expense will be known a day prior the departure when I’ll know how many people go. Also you need to have some cash/card for the attractions and a lunch/dinner on the way to and back