NPCA Suggests
Biking through Cades Cove, Great Smoky Mountains National Park
During the summer months, the park service closes the 11-mile loop to all motorized vehicles on Wednesday and Saturday mornings until 10am. During the summer and fall seasons, bikes can be rented at the Cades Cove store. Experiencing the Cove by bike is a unique way to enjoy the beauty and solace of the Cove without competing with motorized vehicles.
If you are looking for a more strenuous challenge, take your mountain bike around the Cove to Rich Mountain Road. Rich Mountain Road is a 7-mile one-way gravel road that exits the Cove. Bikers can enjoy the challenging 3.5-mile ascent and rewarding views as they travel the road. There is a parking lot at the Rich Mountain and Ace Gap trailheads for those that want to set up a shuttle instead of backtracking.
Moonlight tours of Cades Cove are also a popular choice. The Cove is closed to vehicles past dusk, but bikers and walkers still have access. Although a full moon can provide adequate lighting, you should always have a headlamp or bike lighting system with you.
Hiking to White Rock & Sand Cave, Cumberland Gap National Historical Park
In addition to its rich history, the park offers a number of wonderful natural areas along the length of the Cumberland Mountain at the junction of Tennessee, Kentucky, and Virginia. The trailhead is not signed on the road, but off of Hwy 58 in Ewing, Tennessee. Turn at the only flashing traffic signal in Ewing and drive toward the mountain (with White Rocks looming in front of you); the road dead-ends at the trailhead. The trail climbs about 1,500 feet to the ridgeline of the mountain to the spectacular views of White Rocks, sheer bluffs overlooking the Tennessee Valley.
Continue hiking down the Ridge Trail and you’ll reach Sand Cave. This is one of the most splendid sandstone features in the eastern United States. The size of the cave and the erosion patterns of the sandstone will occupy you for a while, so allow yourself the time to sit, look and listen. Going just beyond the turnoff to the Sand Cave on the ridgeline trail will allow you to complete the 7-8 mile loop and return to your car. This hike can be especially spectacular during the fall season.
Gulf Island National Seashore, Natchez Trace Parkway, and more...
Greg Kidd, Senior Program Manager – Blue Ridge Field Office, describes one his favorite trips:
My wife happens to be a park ranger in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. We share a love for exploring our national parks and often plan our vacations around visiting the units in the southeast. In the autumn of 2004, we left our North Carolina mountain home and headed towards New Orleans. Along the way we explored the units honoring the Tuskegee Airmen and the Tuskegee Institute, the Gulf Island National Seashore, Jean Lafitte and the many units dedicated to Creole culture. One of the many highpoints of the trip was a visit to the New Orleans Jazz National Historic Park. We enjoyed two great bands that day representing Dixieland and Latin jazz styles. Jazz was born and raised in America and it was fascinating to explore its history and hear its sounds thanks to the national park system.
Our region is filled with a variety of incredible national park units focused on the resources and struggles that have defined southern culture. Whether you share an interest in the history of the Civil War or Civil Rights you can experience first hand those places where history was made. My wife and I choose to satisfy our interest in American Indian and early Euro-American culture by traveling home via the Natchez Trace Parkway. All in all it was a great road trip.
Do you have a favorite activity in our national parks? If so,
e-mail Alissa McMahon a one-paragraph description. She'll be updating this webpage with suggestions from NPCA members.
