Spring in The Great Smoky Mountains
We love East Tennessee and the Great Smoky Mountains in the spring! As the temperatures rise yet the busy tourist season hasn’t fully started, the time between mid-March and early May is perfect to enjoy the great outdoors and embark on new mountain adventures. With a variety of things to do, be it hiking, horseback riding or attending spring events in Gatlinburg, Townsend or Pigeon Forge - wonderful opportunities to create memories worth repeating wait for you here!
We’ve handpicked these top 5 things to do during your next spring vacation in the Smokies and hope you will give them a try.
1. Fun in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park
With over 11 million visitors in 2019, The Great Smoky Mountains National Park boasts over 850 miles of hiking trails and has something for everyone. Come to the Smokies in the spring and see wildflowers as you hike colorful Little River trail or step into the magical world of Whiteoak Sinks. On the trail, you will find blooming rhododendron, crested dwarf iris, colorful trilliums and violets, among other species.
2. Horseback Riding and Visiting Cades Cove
For some exciting family activities, we recommend horseback riding and visiting Cades Cove. Riding horses has been a popular means of transportation in the Smokies and Gatlinburg since the first settlers came to the area centuries ago. It also makes an ideal way to discover the mountains if you aren’t quite ready for walking the trail or hope to see more in a short period of time. Cades Cove also offers guided horseback rides along with fun activities such as hayrides, wildlife viewing and guided historic tours where you can visit primitive cabins, chapels and see early settlements.
3. Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center
The Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center is located minutes from Elvira’s Cafe. The site offers a historical Appalachian Village with numerous log cabins, a permanent exhibit featuring artifacts from the largest archaeological project in the history of Tennessee, the Transportation Station displaying an extensive collection of 19th and 20th-century antique automobiles and more.
4. Hands-On Gatlinburg Arts and Crafts Weekend
If you are an art lover and enjoy making crafts, this event is for you! Mark your calendar for May 1st - May 3rd, 2020 and come to Gatlinburg to make a piece (or two) of artwork with your own hands. You can choose from over 40 different classes taught by talented artists from our community. Whether you are interested in painting, pottery, making jewelry, soaps of scarves, Hands-On Gatlinburg is the place to be!
5. Celebrate Spring in Dollywood
It’s no secret that Sevierville is home to the brightest musician of our era, Dolly Parton and that Dollywood attracts millions of visitors to our area every year. In 2020, Dollywood opens for its 35th anniversary season on March 14th with a handful of new events like Flower and Food Festival. And perhaps the biggest introduction this year will be Wildwood Grove, a charming village built inside the park. It features a lit-up Wildwood Tree that plays music and blinks with over 650 multicolored butterflies and 9,000 full-color-spectrum LEDs leaves. Dollywood is only a short, 20-minute drive from Elvira’s Cafe and it’s definitely worth visiting this spring.