GATLINBURG, Tenn (SMOKIES.LIVE) – A hike in the winter can come with cold days, but also rewards with some of the most remarkable views you’ll find with the trees without leaves.
Just stepping along the Gatlinburg Trail any time of year is amazing to hear the flow of water, a bird chirping or even seeing a bear. But doing it in the winter, when you can see more open, now that’s an experience worth noting.
Dana Soehn with Friends of the Smokies says some trails offer ways to see homeplaces, winter scenes of ice crystals and more.
“Hiking in the winter is one of the best times to step back in time to experience the history of the mountain communities,” said Soehn.
She recommends a hike on Old Settlers Trail from Greenbrier to Cosby.
“You can see some of the best examples of rock walls anywhere in the park along this hike, along with exploring places like the Tyson McCarter Place,” she added. “Old Sugarlands Trail from Cherokee Orchard Road to Park Headquarters. Good place to see old homeplaces and a CCC Camp.”
If you are looking for how people may have lived in the Smokies before it became a National Park, you can head into the Elkmont area. There you can walk along a river, stroll the old main street and walk into old homeplaces.
Soehn added, “Jakes Creek Trail/Little River Trail/Cucumber Gap Trail Loop out of Elkmont. Good place to see old homeplaces, walk through the Elkmont Historic District, and walk along the river.”
More than 400,000 people visit Great Smoky Mountains National Park in January. This shows how popular the trails and drives can be to visit in the heart of winter.
One response
Beautiful picture. The mountains are beautiful with I’ll give 5 stars on a job well done.❤️👍