2020 Pigeon Forge Travel Guide 2020 Travel Planner | Page 13

GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK HIKING TRAILS JUNIOR RANGER PROGRAM Whether out for a quiet stroll or outfitted for a day- long hike, Great Smoky Mountains National Park has a trail for you. Here are some of the most popular. National parks offer a special Junior Ranger program for kids 5-12 years old. By completing a series of activities during a park visit and sharing answers with a park ranger, youngsters may receive an official Junior Ranger patch and certificate. Booklets are available at any park visitor center ($2.50) or can be downloaded at gps.gov/grsm. Laurel Falls Trail: 2.6 paved miles; 80-foot-high Laurel Falls is found at the 1.3-mile mark. It is the longest of four paved trails in the park. Clingmans Dome: At 6,643 feet, this is the highest point in Tennessee. An observation tower is at the end of a steep half-mile paved trail, where you can see for hundreds of miles on a clear day. Alum Cave Trail: Creeks are crossed on log bridges along this 5-mile round-trip trail that winds through an old-growth hardwood forest. It leads to Alum Cave Bluff, an 80-foot-tall concave cliff, and Arch Rock, one of the park’s most unusual geologic formations. Gatlinburg Trail: Great for beginners, this trail is an easy walk and located directly behind the Sugarlands Visitor Center. It’s 0.9 miles long with only a slight elevation of 93 feet. Pet Lovers: Dogs are allowed on two park hiking trails – Gatlinburg Trail and Oconoluftee River Trail. Outside those two areas, pets are allowed in the park only in campground and picnic areas. WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE TRAIL Located near Sugarlands Visitor Center, the Sugarlands Valley Trail is wheelchair accessible. Partially paved and nearly level, the half-mile path is good for all skill levels and is highlighted by a waterfall. The self-guided nature trail features numbered interpretive signs along the route. CADES COVE Laurel Creek Road, the only route to access the popular Cades Cove area of the national park, will be closed to automobiles, cyclists and pedestrians from Jan. 3, 2020, through Feb. 29, 2020. Cades Cove is a lesson in Smoky Mountain history. Park visitors can view cabins, barns, gristmills, stores and other buildings constructed by early settlers, before the area became a national park. The cove is a special place to see via car, on foot or by bicycle. From early May until late September on Wednesday and Saturday, 6-10 a.m., Cades Cove Loop Road is open to bicyclists only. Bicycles can be rented at Cades Cove Campground store. 13