In October this year, we want to visit 2 NPs; mammoth cave and great smoky mtn.

We plan to fly into nashville because United flights on sat 10/14 from denver are really low (8.7k points)

I'm thinking stay northeast nashville or maybe franklin/bowling green area for 2 nights for a full day at mammoth cave, then drive the 4 hours and pick a random Marriott in pigeon forge for 3 nights for 2 days at GSMNP. We will have a rental; Is that enough time at each park you think?

Surely we can find a cool museum or something fun in pigeon forge for those 3 evenings.. I went as a 7ish year old and have fond memories, though I don't even remember what we did lol. I just grew up remembering it was such a cool place.

Any thoughts or feedback on that itinerary, must sees in that area while we're over there or suggestions on what to see in the parks?
I did the Biltmore as a small kid.. I'm unsure if my kids would want to do it or if it's worth the extra driving.

Thursday we would drive to either nashville, atlanta, or greenville to stay 1 last night and fly back friday as they all have low prices that day.

The Aggies play Tennessee in Knoxville on October 14. We're going and staying at a cabin just outside the Great Smoky Mountain National Park.

I think your plan is fine. Are you with kids?

Mammoth is fun, but there's not a ton of other stuff around it, and personally, I think it's a half day kind of thing. But if you like the laid back travel style, your plan is fine. And the Smokey's are fun for 1 day or a week. Plenty to do.

One suggestion you might consider, if you decide to do like an 8AM - 3 PM thing in Mammoth and then drive a little, check out the Moonbow schedule at Cumberland Falls, KY. Very unique thing to do, and the falls are beautiful, even if there isn't a moonbow. It's relatively central to Mammoth and GSMNP. I think you could get all you want of Mammoth in the morning and early afternoon, and then drive probably less than 2 hours to see Cumberland Falls in the daytime, have dinner, and if it happens to be a moonbow night, head back to the falls after dinner to see that. In the morning you could be at the Smokey's by 10 AM easily.

Just an idea.

totally thought I mentioned kids in the post.. I started over on a chunk of it, I must have erased that part.

2 boys, 7/8. We like hikes and caves for sure, so I think we can easily do a few of the mammoth tours to fill a day, but we also really like waterfalls, so I may check that out.

Ah, cool. So also at the Cumberland Falls site, there is a great little hike consider, smaller falls called Dog Slaughter Falls. It's probably a 30-45 minute hike that is perfect for that age, nothing technical. The cool thing about that one though is that you can walk behind the falls and swim in the pool at the base.

I haven't done any of the hikes around Mammoth, just the caves. Regardless, you'll have a great time with the boys. Enjoy.

Dollywood.

You mentioned liking waterfalls; eastern TN has a bunch of them! My wife and I just did a weekend trip to TN a few weeks ago and saw close to a dozen over 2 days. Ended up with a bunch of good pictures. If it's in your travel path, I'd suggest Fall Creek Falls State Park. It's a decent sized park and they have a number of large waterfalls, a couple of neat pedestrian suspension bridges, and in the fall is probably very pretty with fall colors. I think Fall Creek Falls is supposed to be tallest waterfall east of the Mississippi. Twin Falls in Rock Island State Park was impressive due to the width of the falls, and Machine Falls was off the beaten path but pretty cool.

Here is a link to some info on waterfalls if interested.
[url=https://www.google.com/search?tbs=lf:1,lf_ui:1&tbm=lcl&q=tennessee+waterfall+map&rflfq=1&num=10&ved=2ahUKEwiOq6fq4Mr9AhVzk2oFHVVDCgsQtgN6BAgREAc#rlfi=hd:;si:;mv:[[35.59239097943574,-85.45824217897685],[35.16634787981296,-86.24445128542214]]]Tennessee Waterfall Map (Google)[/url]

We just got back from big road trip in our camper to hot springs, mammoth cave, smoky mountains, and Pensacola.

Mammoth cave is at most half day to do the tour of the cave.

GSMNP was beautiful and we saw ton of wildlife (bears, elk, deer, etc)

Park will be packed in the fall for the foliage so be prepared.

Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge are full of touristy stuff and not my thing but lot of people like it.

Townsend or Cherokee are much quieter and better imo.

Asheville full of breweries but a haul from pigeon forge.

If we flew in I would go this route.

Fly into Louisville and stay in bardstown to hit up distilleries and day trip to mammoth cave.

Stsy in Townsend to hit up cades cove, north side of park, and touristy stuff like Dollywood.

Stay in Asheville hit up the NC ale trail and south side of GSMNP on drive over.

Fly out of Asheville

Don't discount staying at cabin in RV park.

We stayed in little arrow in Townsend and they had super nice cabins for rent or even an air stream.

The KOAs we stay in all have cabins and usually better priced than hotels.

Snipes said:

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We just got back from big road trip in our camper to hot springs, mammoth cave, smoky mountains, and Pensacola.
Mammoth cave is at most half day to do the tour of the cave.
GSMNP was beautiful and we saw ton of wildlife (bears, elk, deer, etc)
Park will be packed in the fall for the foliage so be prepared.
Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge are full of touristy stuff and not my thing but lot of people like it.
Townsend or Cherokee are much quieter and better imo.
Asheville full of breweries but a haul from pigeon forge.
If we flew in I would go this route.
Fly into Louisville and stay in bardstown to hit up distilleries and day trip to mammoth cave.
Stsy in Townsend to hit up cades cove, north side of park, and touristy stuff like Dollywood.
Stay in Asheville hit up the NC ale trail and south side of GSMNP on drive over.
Fly out of Asheville
Don't discount staying at cabin in RV park.
We stayed in little arrow in Townsend and they had super nice cabins for rent or even an air stream.
The KOAs we stay in all have cabins and usually better priced than hotels.

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Louisville flights from denver for some reason are triple that of nashville (25k+ points). Also, we strongly prefer nonstop, so asheville might be out.. it's a min 4 hour layover.

We are KOA members and have done cabin stays plenty of times (doing 5 nights in yellowstone in July a KOA cabin), but honestly, these cabins are now upwards of $150 a night now, without a bathroom, and many don't even provide linens. Deluxe ones can be $200+
For giggles I looked up Townsend KOA, a deluxe cabin is $265 a night, pigeon forge is $213.. but the one in NC is $150ish.

Maybe you stay in KOAs that are in less traveled areas, but we've kinda given up on them, as we feel we get much more value out of a hotel room. The price of KOA cabins and RV slots has doubled since covid, I have several confirmation emails from 2019 to compare. We just stayed in fort collins last weekend, exact same pull through rv slot and season, 2019 was $60, now $115. For an effin RV slot!


Anyway, we have 500k marriott points, so likely all of our stays on this trip will be marriotts, which might kick some of those smaller towns off the list.

the NC KOA has a brand new year round outdoor pool.. hmm

Tell me about mammoth cave.. the nps website has like 10 different tours.. do you just pick one?

We always stay in KOA rv spots with our pop up and generally $50 a night including the hot springs KOA we stayed at two weeks ago.

I think you are targeting the peak fall foliage which is driving up the prices.

You have to go on a guided Ranger tour of the cave so read through the descriptions and restrictions to find what suits you.

We did the historic tour and main reason why is we could bring our 3/5 yr olds.

Pretty neat tour that was roughly 2 hours.

Had quite few stairs to climb on way out of the cave.

ok we have a hotel in franklin Ky for 3 nights booked, then decided to do cherokee KOA for 3 nights.

Now we have a night in Charlotte for flight out the next morning. Any suggestions on where to stay in charlotte (marriott properties.. there are dozens).

Never been anywhere near there. Looking for mainly a place we can walk to a selection of good local restaurants and it be relatively safe.

Definitely check out Cades Cove while you are in the Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg area. It is a cool half-day trip to go drive around and do some hiking and see the wildlife.

Mammoth Cave is a half day....get an early morning tour and then head south that afternoon to maximize your time at the Smokys....I don't think two days is enough for Smokys.....ESPECIALLY if you have any plans of doing the carnival that is Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg.

The National Corvette Museum is in Bowling Green - you'll drive right by it getting from Mammoth Cave there to Nashville.

62strat said:

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We are KOA members and have done cabin stays plenty of times (doing 5 nights in yellowstone in July a KOA cabin), but honestly, these cabins are now upwards of $150 a night now, without a bathroom, and many don't even provide linens. Deluxe ones can be $200+
For giggles I looked up Townsend KOA, a deluxe cabin is $265 a night, pigeon forge is $213.. but the one in NC is $150ish.

Maybe you stay in KOAs that are in less traveled areas, but we've kinda given up on them, as we feel we get much more value out of a hotel room. The price of KOA cabins and RV slots has doubled since covid, I have several confirmation emails from 2019 to compare. We just stayed in fort collins last weekend, exact same pull through rv slot and season, 2019 was $60, now $115. For an effin RV slot!

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Peak season is definitely playing into that.

But hotel room prices have also skyrocketed....and finding hotels with two queens (to sleep our 4 person family) have become extremely difficult to find.

If you have points, definitely use them....but I still feel like the KOA cabins are a great option/price.

AgRyan04 said:

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62strat said:

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We are KOA members and have done cabin stays plenty of times (doing 5 nights in yellowstone in July a KOA cabin), but honestly, these cabins are now upwards of $150 a night now, without a bathroom, and many don't even provide linens. Deluxe ones can be $200+
For giggles I looked up Townsend KOA, a deluxe cabin is $265 a night, pigeon forge is $213.. but the one in NC is $150ish.

Maybe you stay in KOAs that are in less traveled areas, but we've kinda given up on them, as we feel we get much more value out of a hotel room. The price of KOA cabins and RV slots has doubled since covid, I have several confirmation emails from 2019 to compare. We just stayed in fort collins last weekend, exact same pull through rv slot and season, 2019 was $60, now $115. For an effin RV slot!

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Peak season is definitely playing into that.

But hotel room prices have also skyrocketed....and finding hotels with two queens (to sleep our 4 person family) have become extremely difficult to find.

If you have points, definitely use them....but I still feel like the KOA cabins are a great option/price.

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We ended up doing both. Got 3 nights doing a point/$ combo in a springhill suites (not even open yet, opening in June) with resort style pool for 35k points + $150 in franklin.

Then that one Cherokee KOA for some reason is quite a bit cheaper than the others.. I think it's because it's not in a town like pigeon forge, it's really isolated on the south side of GSMNP. ~$130 a night for deluxe with kitchen and full bath/shower.

AgRyan04 said:

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Mammoth Cave is a half day....get an early morning tour and then head south that afternoon to maximize your time at the Smokys....I don't think two days is enough for Smokys.....ESPECIALLY if you have any plans of doing the carnival that is Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg.

The National Corvette Museum is in Bowling Green - you'll drive right by it getting from Mammoth Cave there to Nashville.

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Our issue is our kid's bday is the 16th, and we don't want to be traveling on that day.. so it's kind of forcing us to do 3 nights/2 full days at each location. We will do cave one day and hike the next, find some waterfalls or something. Then 2 full days in smokies.

We are skipping pigeon forge/gatlinburg. We are going to branson in july for a week so we'll probably have a day of that kind of stuff while we're there!

semi-related topic, I actually haven't rented a car in a while (last time was Feb of 2020 for a day.. got a convertible camero for Joshua Tree NP for like $50).

How is that market in a post covid world? Are there better routes these days then budget/ hertz etc? like renting people's personal cars or something?

I am budget member. I am willing to uber a bit from nashville airport to get one if it saves a few hundred $.
But I am one way nashville to charlotte, so I'm guessing that might cross off rental shares.

I looked hard at the Cherokee KOA and Jellystone. Jellystone looked nasty and KOA I couldn't tell from the reviews so curious on your experience. We ended up staying in the smokemont campground in the park was ok but sucked not having a shower for couple days. Definitely drive the 441 just north of the Oconaluftee Visitor Center to see Elk either just after sunrise or right before sunset. Seeing all the bears in cades cove was highlight of trip so make sure you do that also early or late. Since you are staying in Franklin Ky i highly recommend going to buffalo trace and doing a tasting/tour. Hit up the gift shop on the way out to get some Blantons. Also recommend makers mark, woodford reserve, heaven hill, and willet. Even if you don't like whiskey the grounds are all stunning.

Snipes said:

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I looked hard at the Cherokee KOA and Jellystone. Jellystone looked nasty and KOA I couldn't tell from the reviews so curious on your experience. We ended up staying in the smokemont campground in the park was ok but sucked not having a shower for couple days. Definitely drive the 441 just north of the Oconaluftee Visitor Center to see Elk either just after sunrise or right before sunset. Seeing all the bears in cades cove was highlight of trip so make sure you do that also early or late. Since you are staying in Franklin Ky i highly recommend going to buffalo trace and doing a tasting/tour. Hit up the gift shop on the way out to get some Blantons. Also recommend makers mark, woodford reserve, heaven hill, and willet. Even if you don't like whiskey the grounds are all stunning.

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I love me some blantons.. but Frankfort KY is 2.5hours away from Franklin. I don't know if I can swing nearly an entire day to go get some whiskey lol.

Don't feel bad, when I told my wife I found a hotel in Franklin, she said "isn't that the capitol?"

At 7/8 I don't think I would take kids to the Biltmore. Louisville isn't too far from Mammoth cave national park and has a lot in this area. The Mega caverns are touristy, but has a ropes course and underground zip lining, AAA baseball and the Louisville Slugger factory tour if your kiss like baseball.

I'll throw in my two cents worth as a born and raised, and current resident Tennessean.

The Smokies
Beautiful. Hike, explore, drive around.

Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge
Not my cup of tea for more than a day. One tourist trap after another and the traffic is horrendous. However, there are plenty of mini-golf, arcade, and go-kart tracks to pick from, which are fun with kids. The Aquarium in Gatlinburg is worth a visit. Dollywood theme park is super fun with plenty of rides for kids and adults. I love the wooden roller coaster the most.
Lots of dinner shows, and museums/attractions. I can't comment on those as I haven't been (not my thing) but you might enjoy that sort of thing.

Mammoth Cave
Mammoth Cave is incredible. I went as a kid and loved it. Went again as an adult (anniversary trip) and loved it. Keep saying we're taking the kids (10 and 12) and think this summer we'll finally do it. There are a variety of tours, varying in length and intensity, to pick from. You could do a shorter one and be on your way to the next leg of your trip or you could do two in one day (or over the course of two days). You do need to book your tours in advance and with your trip being in October (peak travel time around here sit to leaves changing), you should definitely book in advance. There are also hiking trails in the National Park. Absolutely worth the time.

Biltmore Estate
Incredible. Went as a 10-year old and enjoyed it way more than I expected. Took my kids a few years ago (they were 6 and 8) and they enjoyed it. I mean, it's not every day you get to tour a mansion with an indoor bowling alley and swimming pool! Plus, Asheville is a cool town with great food options.

Gaylord Opryland Resort
I would stay here a night or two and buy the Soundwaves water park package. We have had three "staycations" here since they opened the new water park. It is so much fun for kids and adults. Plus the resort has plenty to see and you're right next to the Opry and near the airport.

Tons of state parks, especially with waterfalls, between Nashville and the Smokies. Our state park system is pretty incredible so don't overlook those.

Enjoy your trip and the beautiful, yet more and more developed and crowded, Volunteer State!

I like your outlook on mammoth cave. It seems earlier in the thread some people were dismissing it as a half day, but I think we want to spend a full day plus maybe a half day. My kids have been talking about mammoth cave ever since they learned about it.

We don't really have any plans to visit pigeon forge, not the putt putt/go kart type of stuff anyway. We can do that by our house. We typically stick to nature-oriented recreation, and overall, we are trying to get in a national park or two a year. We will get 4 this year, which may be a record for a while.

I looked some up the waterfall suggestions earlier in the thread, and we will def. have some of those on our list.

I have a handful of relatives in Tennessee (some of my dad's cousins), and I went to that area 2-3 times during grade school. Looking forward to going back.

I would spend a couple of hours at the Corvette Museum in Bowling Green on way from Nashville to Mammouth Cave National Park.
We haven't been to the caves and it is on our radar but I heard although different it is comparable to Carlsbad In NM which is unreal. Louisville would be a great day with kids before turning toward the Smokies.

62strat said:

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My kids have been talking about mammoth cave ever since they learned about it.

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That right there is your decider. I love it when my kids are interested in just about anything, I say feed that!

Wicked Good Ag said:

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comparable to Carlsbad In NM which is unreal.

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Carlsbad/white sands/guadalupe is on my radar for maybe next year. It's only a 9 hr drive for us. Would like to throw in big bend too, but that may have to be on its own. 4 parks is too much for 7 day trip with 2 driving.

After those get done, it's time to get some CA NPs checked off the list!

A few years ago, with 6 kids in tow, I did Big Bend, McDonalds Observatory, Guadalupe Peak, and Carlsbad in half of Spring Break. The first half I was in San Antonio and the wife and kids did the Alamo and River Walk.

So without the San Antonio part, you could definitely get all that in, plus White Sands.