Our Frugal Family Travelers love the water! In fact, any chance we get to be in the water, on one of our adventures, we take advantage of the opportunity! On a recent visit to Tennesse we discovered River Rat Tubing, which is located in Townsend. Townsend is adjacent to the Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge areas and is just a short driving distance. River Rat is a family owned and operated business which offers the best tubing experience in the area, including mild or wild tubing trips on the Little River! Being that our Frugal Family Travelers are younger, we chose the mild trip! Our float trip did not disappoint and was very adventurous! The mild trip begins right at the main outpost in Townsend with transportation provided back at the end of the trip! Check it out if you are in the area. You won't be sorry ou did!! Enough said......the pictures below are worth a thousand words!!
Cost:
$15.00 per adult, $12.00 for children 6-12. Children five and under are FREE! Rates include free transportation, life jackets and ALL DAY tubing fun on either or BOTH the upper and lower Little River. Tips: Pack sunscreen, a small net to carry a bottle or two of water or sunscreen on the water Directions: (click below to open Google Maps)
All content provided on Frugal Family Travelers blog is for informational purposes only. The owners of this blog make no representations as to the accuracy or completeness of any information on this site or found by following any link on this site. The owners of Frugal Family Travelers blog do not share personal information with third-parties and are not responsible for the republishing of the content found on this blog on other Web sites or media without permission. As with all travel, operating days, times, costs, etc., should be verified prior to departure.
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is one of the most visited parks in the US. Whether it be swimming, hiking, waterfalls, history, or the beauty of the mountains in October when the leaves begin to change colors, there is always something to see and experience in the park, regardless of the season one chooses to visit. Our Frugal Family Travelers enjoyed the park this summer! In addition to some of the most frequented spots by the park's approx. 9,000,000 visitors a year, we chose to visit some of the less traversed areas as well. In doing so we discovered some amazing spots that we highly recommend to anyone planning a visit here in the future.
There are 4 visitor centers located within the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Sugarlands, Cades Cove, Clingman's Dome and the Oconoluftee (near Cherokee, NC). In addition to a visitor's center, Oconoluftee offers the Mountain Farm Museum and Mingus Mill which features historic cabins and building collected from places throughout the Great Smoky Mountains and preserved on site for viewing, The visitor centers and the rangers who work there are an amazing wealth of knowledge and source for planning amazing adventures while visiting the park. Each center sells booklets for $1-$2 which focus on a particular area of interest within the park, such as waterfalls, auto touring, and hiking. We relied heavily on these booklets and bought everything we needed for less than $10! This was our ONLY expense for all of the adventures you see below. The rangers are also happy to help you with any and all questions. If you tell them what you are interested in seeing or doing, they are happy to point you in a direction to find those adventures. There is also a free quarterly newspaper published by the National Park Service which contains a calendar with interesting ranger-led activities and demonstrations happening throughout the park. Take advantage of these special program offerings as they will add yet another layer of excitement for your Frugal Family Travelers while visiting the park.
Another "secret" which may be obvious to some to keep these adventures affordable was to picnic nearly every day for lunch. There are picnic spots located throughout the park and almost every trail-head has a picnic area and restroom. Many spots also include barbecue pits and more than once we wished we had brought some grub for the grill!
A picture is worth a thousand words. View the pictures and links posted below to discover some familiar locations in the park and some locations that are "off the beaten path".
This site with multiple waterfalls is located just minutes from the Sugarlands Visitors Center. No hiking required--park right in the parking lot and walk just a few steps!
This bridge is located near the trailhead for Abram's Falls. Abram's Falls is a 2.5 mile hike (5 miles round trip) and is touted as a great family hike. We started out too late in the evening so we chose to hike to the Elijah Oliver cabin from this trailhead. This 1-mile round trip hike was easy and we all had a good time!
Trail to Hen Wallow Falls Note: Hen Wallow Falls was a new waterfall to the Family Frugal Travelers. After locating this waterfall on the waterfall guide provided by the National Park Service, we decided to give it a try! The trailhead is located about 30-35 minutes from Gatlingburg via Highway 321. The hike is 2.4 miles one way (4.8 round trip) and was moderate in difficulty. There were multiple stream crossings like the one below with bridges made from old logs. This was truly one of the favorite attractions for our younger travelers. The falls were stunning and truly made the hike worthwhile. There is a beautiful picnic area with restrooms at the trailhead where we also enjoyed a picnic after our hike.
Trail Behind Sugarlands Visitor Center: This trail is great for families who do not want to take a strenuous hike with small children. The trail head is right behind the Sugarlands Visitor Center. This short .9 mile trail links the town of Gatlinburg to the visitor's center. This was a great end of the day activity for us and a great place for skipping rocks across the stream.
Note: This waterfall is not listed on any park map but is one of the most beautiful hikes! Please note that this is very a strenuous hike with vary narrow paths at times adjacent to steep drop offs. In order to access the trail for Spruce Flat falls, follow the signs for the Tremont Institute within the National Park. The Institute is located near Townsend, TN. After parking in the parking lot, look for the sign for Spruce Flat Falls. Spruce Flat Falls was truly an amazing find because there are few hikers and the area is vitually undistrubed. Southern Living Magazine has named it the Best Photo Spot in the Smoky Mountains.
Look Rock observation tower is located on the scenic Foothills Parkway. An easy 1/2 mile hike leads to the observation tower which provides a spectacular 360-degree panoramic view of the mountains. The Foothills Parkway is not as busy as other roads in the park, so this is a great place to get away from the crowds and traffic, especially during the summer months or peak fall leaf color viewing times in October. The Parkway is 18 miles long with many scenic pull-offs. Look Rock is at the highest point along the Parkway. The National Park Service maintains a picnic area and a campground at Look Rock. Look Rock is a great alternative to the more lengthy drive to Clingman's Dove and offers a competing view!
(Be sure to click on all highlighted text within the blog for additional information regarding activities, including websites, special instructions and travel directions!)
Disclaimer:
All content provided on Frugal Family Travelers blog is for informational purposes only. The owners of this blog make no representations as to the accuracy or completeness of any information on this site or found by following any link on this site. The owners of Frugal Family Travelers blog do not share personal information with third-parties and are not responsible for the republishing of the content found on this blog on other Web sites or media without permission. As with all travel, operating days, times, costs, etc., should be verified prior to departure.
Frugal Family Travelers recently visited numerous areas in both Tennessee and North Carolina. If you were following our Facebook page posts, you may recall that daily picture clues were shared to showcase the amazing locations we visited. Today's blog will reveal the first of these places called "Blue Hole", which is nestled in the North Chickamauga Creek Gorge Area in the town of Soddy Daisy, Tennessee. Soddy Daisy is approximately 45 minutes north of Chattanooga. "Blue Hole" as it is called is a deep swimming hole formed in a crevice of a mountain stream. The large rock adjacent to the hole is perfect, as it allows visitors a place from which to jump to experience the refreshing waters. After our 30 + minute (approximately a mile) hike to the "Blue Hole," our Frugal Family Travelers were more than willing to take a plunge into the water. If you are a fan of hiking on beautiful mountain trails, with a rewarding adrenaline rush at the end of your journey, then you will definitely want to plan to visit the "Blue Hole" on one of your future excursions to Tennessee.
Tips:
Pack water, sunscreen, and insect repellent!!
At one point along the trail it is necessary to cross the stream so water shoes are a must have!! Water levels can fluctuate on this stream so be sure to check levels prior to departure and before jumping into the water! Although we saw many visitors to this area diving head first into the water, we DO NOT recommend this!
Be sure to check the area for letterboxes!! To discover more about letterboxingClick Here to read the information previously posted on our blog.
Note:
There are several trails to waterfalls and other areas that branch from the trail to the blue hole! Don't be afraid to ask other hikers on the trail for more specific directions. We noticed another place on the stream trail which had a jumping rock but the locals suggested the "Blue Hole" especially those traveling with children.
Directions:
418 Montlake Rd, Soddy-Daisy, TN
These are approx. directions. The entrance to the park area is to the left! Look for the "brown" park sign - North Chickamauga Creek Gorge.
(Be sure to click on all highlighted text within the blog for additional information regarding activities, including websites, special instructions and travel directions!)
Disclaimer:
All content provided on Frugal Family Travelers blog is for informational purposes only. The owners of this blog make no representations as to the accuracy or completeness of any information on this site or found by following any link on this site. The owners of Frugal Family Travelers blog do not share personal information with third-parties and are not responsible for the republishing of the content found on this blog on other Web sites or media without permission. As with all travel, operating days, times, costs, etc., should be verified prior to departure.
