Great Smoky Mountains Family Adventure
4 days from Rocky Mountains to Mississippi River
From $ 1649
Duration4 days
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Spend 4 days as a family experiencing the sights, summits, flavors and joys of the Great Smoky Mountains. Every day of this trip brings a new adventure and reveals a new side of these ancient mountains. Discover this UNESCO World Heritage site and International Biosphere Reserve with naturalist guides who seem to know something interesting about every plant, critter, hill and holler. You’ll hike amongst old-growth giants, mist-veiled valleys, meadows of year-round wildflowers, and a thousand years of human history. (Ever hiked a Civil War road or explored a moonshine cave? You will!). You’ll fly mountaintop to mountaintop on two miles of zipline, then board rafts for a ride on the rollicking Nantahala River. Evenings are for roasting marshmallows and cuddling up to the campfire and gazing up at “wow”-worthy night skies, all in the comfort of our deluxe private Signature Camp. Give your kids the chance to rediscover the beautiful simplicity of life with less technology. Kids get an REI day pack — Kids traveling on our Family Adventures will receive an REI day pack for their adventure! Kids age 8-17 will receive the REI Flash 18 Pack (while quantities last, colors may vary). Learn more about REI Family Adventures. Not traveling with kids? Check out our Great Smoky Mountains Adventure trip or our Great Smoky Mountains Backpacking trip.

This tour is operated by

  • Duration: 4 days
    Service level: Standard
  • Starts in: Rocky Mountains
    Physical Grading: Average
  • Ends in: Mississippi River
    Ages: 18+
Great Smoky Mountains Family Adventure - Tour Map

Itinerary

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Day 1: Explore Cades Cove and the Tremont section of Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Start place: Rocky Mountains

Our adventure begins at 10am in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. We meet our guides for a brief trip orientation before embarking on a 45 minute drive to Cades Cove. The unique topography and environment of this opulent Appalachian Valley attract a wide variety of plant and wildlife including the park’s famous black bear. Cade’s Cove captivates visitors with rich human history, including that of the Cherokee people whose deep connection with the Smokies dates back more than a thousand years. Our adventures will also take us past the remains of well-preserved churches, cabins and civil war cemeteries built by settlers of this area. Before heading back to our comfortable Signature Camp we’ll transfer to the Tremont section of the Great Smoky Mountains where we’ll hike to a beautiful waterfall and series of small cascades. All meals included.
Hiking: 3 miles; 600’ elevation gain and loss.
Meals: B, L, D
Day 2: The forest becomes a classroom on a day full of discovery.
Today’s journey takes us past settler's homesteads and the remains of gigantic Chestnut trees before reaching picturesque Hen Wallow Falls. Surrounded by a lush forest of rhododendron, fern and towering hemlock our naturalist guides teach us about the unique characteristics which make this amazing area an International Biosphere Reserve. Using the forest as our classroom we’ll take time to learn which plants are edible and which are valued for their medicinal properties. Back at camp, we'll play games, enjoy great food and end the day roasting s’mores on the campfire. All meals included.
Hiking: 5 miles; 1,000’ elevation gain and loss.
Meals: B, L, D
Day 3: Explore historical artifacts before indulging in a festive farewell barbecue.
Our mission today is to explore a unique section of trails; home to the largest collection of human artifacts in the National Park system. Walk along a beautiful mountain stream through an old growth forest. Climb to one of the most picturesque mountain vistas with expansive views of breathtaking rock formations. Our celebration of this spectacular region continues as we head back for a tasty meal around a roaring campfire. We’ll spend our final evening together sharing stories and reflecting on our last few days of adventure. All meals included.
Hiking: 3-6 miles; 1,000-1,500’ elevation gain and loss.
Meals: B, L, D
Day 4: Zipline over the forest floor and float down the beautiful Nantahala River.
An approximately one hour drive gets us to the Nantahala Outdoor Center. The NOC is a mecca for outdoor adventure and located at the intersection of the Appalachian Trail and the Nantahala River. After three days of exploring on foot, we take to the air to experience the park from above. We soar along a world class zipline course before loading into whitewater rafts to enjoy a family friendly ride down the scenic Nantahala River. After rounding out our exploration of the Great Smoky Mountains by land, sky and water we make our way back to Gatlinburg. We expect to arrive back to our host hotel by 7pm this evening. Breakfast and lunch included.
Inclement weather may impact the accessibility of the zip-lining course. If this is the case, we may substitute the NOC’s adventure rope course for the zip-lining activity.
Zip-lining: up to 2 miles, Time: 1-2 hours; Whitewater Rafting: 8 miles, Time: 3 hours..

End place: Mississippi River

Meals: B, L

Inclusions

Included

  • Any park or other admission fees or permits, Guides and Camp Host
  • Round trip transportation from Gatlinburg, TN to all destinations visited during the trip
  • All meals and snacks from lunch on day 1 through lunch on day 4

  • Accommodation

    REI Signature Camping, 3 nights

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