jamessahib1126

Hi everyone. We will leave from Boone, stay at Asheville, Cherokee and Pigeon Forge after a week. We don't do long hikes as travelling with our 6 years old son. Our interest is photography of landscapes, scenery, fall colors. We know the route, but not able to decide where to spend more time. 2 options I can see here :

Option-1 : 1 night Asheville, 1 night Bryson City and 4 nights at Pigeon Forge. A rough route can be like this -->
Day 1 : Drive from Boone to Asheville. Spend this first half in driving. Second half, driving around any of these two loops (Chimney Rock SP, Lake Lure, back to Asheville or Leicester, Trust, Hot Springs, Weaverville and back to Asheville)
Day 2 : First half Baltimore estates and second half on the way to reach Cherokee by evening. Stay at Cherokee.
Day 3 : Drive to Pigeon Forge.
Day 4 : Cades Cove, etc.
Day 5 : Anakeesta, Gatlinburg
Day 6 : GSMNP and other places.
Day 7 : Leave

Option-2 : 2 day Asheville, 1 day Bryson City and 3 nights at Pigeon Forge. A rough route can be like this -->
Day 1 : Drive from Boone to Asheville. Spend this first half in driving. Second half, driving around any of these two loops (Chimney Rock SP, Lake Lure, back to Asheville or Leicester, Trust, Hot Springs, Weaverville and back to Asheville)
Day 2 : Baltimore and probably one loop drive like - Fryingpan Mountain, Devil's Courthouse, Cradle of Forestry in America, Looking Glass Falls and back to Asheville.
Day 3 : Drive to Bryson City, spend rest evening around area.
Day 4 : Drive to Pigeon Forge. We can see Gatlinburg town and Anakeesta Theme Park on the way and stay at Pigeon Forge.
Day 5 : Cades Cove, etc.
Day 6 : GSMNP and other places.
Day 7 : Leave

Thanks

Gretchen

I don't understand what you think you will "see" with your driving loops in the afternoon after spending a few hours at Biltmore.
When is this.

Gretchen

I see this is your first post unless you posted under another name.
You may not have read other threads about this area in which we try to advise folks to avoid Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge like the plague. This is a beautiful area of the country. You have a youngster so you would probably like to go to Dollywood/Pigeon Forge for a day. You could stay in Bryson City or even Cherokee and enjoy the Park from those places.
In Cherokee you and your son could go fly fishing in the Reservation waters.
What have you planned for the Boone area. There is much to do there.
Biltmore is more that a couple of hours to warrant the entry fee, if nothing else!! LOL

sunbabe

I would definitely plan on more than half a day at Biltmore, as there is much to see and do there.

Please avoid staying in Pigeon Forge or Gatlinburg, as both are commercial messes with a lot of traffic. A better option would be to rent a cabin in the Townsend or Wears Valley area which would be close to Cades Cove.

Sassafrass

Guess things have not changed. Our one trip through Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge years ago was such a disappointment.

Gretchen

I LOVE Dolly Parton and she has done wonderful things--including this area for supporting the employment of that area. BUT just stay somewhere else and enjoy your trip to a NATIONAL PARK.
I went to camp near Gatlinburg when the Gatlinburg Inn was the ONLY place to stay. GO SOMEWHERE else now. You can still have the Park experience by staying elsewhere--EVEN Cherokee