Where Luxury Meets the Smokies: New Luxury Big Cabins in Gatlinburg

GATLINBURG – A new development in Gatlinburg bridges the gap between rustic hillside cabins and well-appointed downtown hotel rooms. Cherokee Orchard has four big luxury rental cabins and a pool house with indoor pool — so far. The development at 368 E. Holly Ridge Road is already available for rent, but four more cabins are to come beginning in January 2019. This collection of eight cabins has enough space to host up to 500 guests, of all ages, for a family reunion, company retreat, sports team competition, family anniversary celebration or a Smoky Mountain destination wedding. At this unique cabin community, you can get large parties–up to 96 people–under one roof. A ribbon-cutting June 18 drew about 100 people, mostly local government and business officials connected to tourism and economic development. Cherokee Orchard is the work of Kenny Hayes, the owner of Southern Scapes Home Design. The cabins will be managed by Wyndham Vacation Rentals Smoky Mountains. Wyndham has been in the Gatlinburg-area market since 2012, managing properties with multiple owners. Cherokee Orchard, on Historic Nature Trail, is designed like a small village with winding sidewalks, thoughtful landscaping, and plenty of parking, even for buses. It’s close enough to walk to the Gatlinburg strip, but a trolley stops at the bottom of the private driveway, too. Inspired by the majestic beauty and rich history of the Smoky Mountains, Cherokee Orchard is your own private mountain oasis. Designed to bring the outdoors in, this incredible destination features stunning open-plan living spaces with modern mountain-lodge style and local décor. Sharp peaks, timber and rustic colors give the exterior of Cherokee Orchard...

Cades Cove Loop Road Tour

The most visited part of the Park—and for good reason. A favorite in the Fall, this 11-mile loop road is located in an idyllic setting and offers a self-guided tour of historic homesteads, preserved structures, and churches. Mountain vistas, beautiful pastureland, abundant wildlife, and a visitor’s center allow the visitor a real feel for what it was like for the early settlers to the area. The loop road also provides access to Parson Branch Road and Rich Mountain Road which exit on the NC and TN sides of the Park, respectively. An additional feature of Cades Cove is access to the trailhead to Abrams Falls, a relatively easy 5-mile round trip hike. From this trail, Abrams Creek bends away in a horseshoe shape to a secluded area favored by anglers for trout fishing. Plan on spending the entire day in Cades...

Cataloochee Auto Tour

This 11-mile tour passes an historic school, home, and church on the North Carolina-side of The Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Cataloochee is bounded on the north by Mount Sterling Ridge and on the south by the Cataloochee divide. Furthermore Cataloochee is enclosed by Balsam Mountain to the west and Scottish Mountains on the east. For these reasons, Cataloochee is more difficult to get to than other areas of the Park. Before the arrival of the Park in 1934, Cataloochee consisted of farmland maintained by an agrarian community of approximately 1,000 people. While few of the original structures remain, Big Cataloochee, the largest of several coves in the area, is considered to be North Carolina’s “Cades Cove”. The Caldwell and Woody homes, the Will Messer barn, Beech Grove School and Palmer Church in CataloocheeService. The entrance to Cataloochee is via old NC 284 (Cove Creek Road), which is immediately south of exit 20 on I-40. From the south or east, follow US 276 to Dellwood, NC, and turn right to continue on US 276. Go approximately 5 miles and turn left on Cove Creek Road. Take note—there is no sign to mark Cove Creek Road. At approximately one-half mile, the pavement ends. After another half-mile, you will come to a fork in the road—the Cove Creek Road continues to the right. You will climb approximately 5 miles to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park boundary at Cove Creek Gap. Continue on about 2 miles. Turn left onto the new Cataloochee Road, cross Cataloochee Creek and on to Cataloochee Campground, which has 27 sites for vehicle camping. The Boogerman Loop Trailhead is...