Travel

Item Description

Hike a sample of the Great Smokie Mountains National Park's 800 miles of trails by day and spend your nights at two of the most interesting and authentic lodges in the Southern Appalachians.

Special Highlights: Two of your nights will be spent at Le Conte Lodge, at an elevation of 6,500 feet, which is accessible only by hiking trail (five mile minimum each way). We will offer a knowledgeable and entertaining hiking guide for two of your days.  An additional day trip option is an arts, crafts and craftsman tour of Western North Carolina.  Asheville, North Carolina is world renowned for Appalachian and contemporary art.

Three nights will be spent at the comfortable and beautiful Buckhorn Inn, renowned for its excellent food and breath-taking mountain views. Though only five miles from the bustle of downtown Gatlinburg, the Buckhorn is tucked away on its own nature preserve with trails, gardens, and a pond. It is less than one mile from the Greenbrier entrance to Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Item Special Note

# Participants/Experience Level: Two participants. The hike to Le Conte Lodge is at least five miles each way and gains around 3,000 feet in elevation. May not be suitable for very young children.

Details: Includes five nights lodging and an extravagant breakfast every day. Dinner will also be included for both nights at Le Conte Lodge. A hiking guide will be included on two days.  For the optional arts and crafts tour transportation from Gatlinburg to North Carolina and knowledgable guides will be provided.  We will also provide a special gift basket with hiking maps and other delightful materials from Great Smoky Mountains Association. The two nights at Le Conte Lodge cannot be weekend nights.

Package Does Not Include: Transportation to and from Knoxville is not included.

Dates: Lodging space is limited and reservations must be made well in advance. Le Conte Lodge has almost no availability on weekends. The lodge is closed from November 23 until March 24. It is best not to plan our trip between June 10 & August 15 and during the entire month of October. April, May, early June, and September are the recommended times.  Trip must be fullfilled by November 1, 2011.

Photo Credits: All photos are by Ann Froschauer. They are of scenes that could be experienced by the purchaser of the Smokies High Country Hiking Adventure.