Smoky Mountain Skies

09/05/2026

Gatlinburg Friday!

Traffic is still moving smoothly this afternoon, but that'll change as we move further into the weekend.😉

09/05/2026

🌿💦 Chasing waterfalls in the Smokies? Grotto Falls is one you’ll want to add to your list!

Tucked away in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Grotto Falls is the only waterfall in the Smokies that you can actually walk behind! The trail winds through a lush forest before bringing you to the 25-foot waterfall, where you can cool off and take in the beauty of the mountains.

📍 Grotto Falls | Great Smoky Mountains National Park

09/05/2026

09/05/2026

08/29/2026

08/29/2026

Just off the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina, the Craggy Pinnacle Trail offers some of the most incredible views in all of the state! Located about 20 miles north of Asheville in the Craggy Gardens area, this short mountain hike packs a lot of scenery into roughly 1.4 miles round trip. The climb is moderate in spots, but before long you’ll reach the 5,892-foot summit, where wide-open, 360-degree views stretch across layer after layer of the Blue Ridge Mountains. You can even look down at sections of the Parkway winding through the mountains below. Along the way, the trail passes through tunnels of rhododendron, twisted sweet birch trees, rocky areas, and seasonal wildflowers. The Catawba rhododendrons are especially beautiful when their pink and purple blooms usually peak in June. The Craggy Pinnacle Trail reopened in September 2025 after landslide repairs were completed along this section of the Parkway following Hurricane Helene. Fall is another beautiful time to visit, when the surrounding ridges begin changing to red, orange, and gold and the high overlook gives you a huge view of the changing mountains.

08/29/2026

The Dolly Parton statue in downtown Sevierville has been extra beautiful this week. 🦋 Thank you to everyone who has visited to leave flowers, balloons and notes in her memory. The Smoky Mountains will always love you, Dolly. 🩷

📷: Mary Ellen Rader

08/22/2026

08/22/2026

Cotton candy skies over the Smokies

📸: Melissa

08/15/2026

Views like this are easy to get lost in

📸: Adam Gravett