Atlanta, Gatlinburg, Smokies

sherman12 · 07-19-2014, 09:31 AM

Hey Guys! Heading to Atlanta in September for a wedding taking Rt.90, 71 and 75 through Ohio, Kentucky etc. Good easy route we've traveled before. Heading back east to Gatlinburg and the Smokies. Will I have any problems towing our RAV4 on a dolly through the Smokies heading east? Also any suggestions on places to stop/things to see would be great.

Bryce · 07-19-2014, 10:44 AM

Where about in Atlanta? On the NW side, there is Redtop State Park and McKinney CG (Army Corp park) that will be open... Some of the ACE CGs close shortly after Labir Day. If near Kennesaw, I always take the out of towners to the Souther Railroad museum. It's focused on the Civil War battles around Kennesaw and the Great Locomotive Chase. They have one of the original trains there. The other Train is as the Cyclorama in Atlanta (cool to see if you never have).

http://www.southernmuseum.org

Jasbury31 · 07-19-2014, 10:59 AM

We are camping just outside Gatlinburg in Pigeon Forge TN currently at Pine Mountain RV. First time here and it is very clean and quiet.

sherman12 · 07-21-2014, 09:38 AM

Staying at Twin Lakes RV park in Cumming, GA. Wedding is in Milton which RV Parky says is only six miles or so from Twin Lakes. Excellent review at campgroundreviews.com. Stepson lives in Roswell.

Bamaman · 07-27-2014, 07:13 PM

This posting is getting a little old, but when going out of Atlanta to The Smokies, the best way is to go out I-85 northeast of Atlanta.
Take a left on I-985 to Gainesville and just keep on going straight when the road turns into GA Hwy. 365 It'll take you straight to the NE corner of the state with a total of 6 miles of 2 lane hwy.

When you get to Dillsboro, you're close to Cherokee, NC on the south end of the Smokies. You can turn right on Hwy 23/74 and it's straight shot into Asheville. You can also go north on Interstate 40 and come into Gatlinburg from the East--avoiding the really big mountains.

sherman12 · 07-28-2014, 03:59 PM

Bamaman, thanks for the feedback. Your route sounds interesting. Is it as simple as you wrote and is it many miles back tracking into Gatlinburg?

Bamaman · 07-28-2014, 07:32 PM

You might want to look at a map. I think from Dillsboro over to I-40 is about 20 miles on a controlled access Hwy 23/74. You go north on I-40 and west into Gatlinburg is 60 miles--about 80 miles.

If you go through Cherokee and over the big, big mountain to Gatlinburg, it's 50 miles. It's 30 miles difference.

I wouldn't really like to tow my fifth wheel trailer over the mountain--too steep up and too steep down. There again, I prefer the quieter southern side of the Smokeys over the flashy, congested Pigeon Forge.

sherman12 · 07-29-2014, 10:27 AM

Thanks again Bamaman. I will check out the route on a map. A good friend used to visit Gatlinburg every year as part of his NASCAR trek to Bristol and raved about it to me every time. He wanted to retire down in the area but met a pre-mature death at 56. I've wanted to visit ever since and now that I will be in Atlanta thought this is my best chance to see what Dane loved so much.

Bamaman · 07-29-2014, 10:46 AM

I used to travel Upper East TN for work maybe one week per month. It's almost like a place lost in time. It's really the East TN people I like, and some natives are almost like modern day hillbillies. I used to visit a big tobacco warehouse in Greenville, and all the farmers hung out there telling jokes and talking about UT football. I also visited a Ford Tractor dealer in New Tazewell with a pot belly stove. The people there are quick to laugh and seem to enjoy the day. Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg is now more DisneyWorld--busy, busy place.

speedcat · 07-29-2014, 10:57 AM

In the Sevierville area check out Anchor Down RV campground. Exceptional new park close to I40

Bamaman · 07-29-2014, 11:21 AM

Looked at Anchor Down online. Looks very nice. But for $59 and $69 per night, they should be. You can get a really nice hotel room in Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg in a hotel for those rates. You wouldn't believe how the cheap rooms are there in the Winter.

roanmountaincampers · 07-29-2014, 12:14 PM

My favorite is River Plantation in Sevierville.

sherman12 · 07-30-2014, 08:29 AM

Speedcat, thanks for the tip on the campground.

sherman12 · 08-05-2014, 08:40 AM

Checking out routes on MapQuest one that came up that doesn't add many extra miles was hooking up with Rt. 411. Coming from Milton Ga. it looks like this route goes north and skirts around the west side of the Smokies and loops back down into Gatlinburg. Bamaman or anyone else, would you have knowledge of route 411?

Bamaman · 08-05-2014, 09:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sherman12

Checking out routes on MapQuest one that came up that doesn't add many extra miles was hooking up with Rt. 411. Coming from Milton Ga. it looks like this route goes north and skirts around the west side of the Smokies and loops back down into Gatlinburg. Bamaman or anyone else, would you have knowledge of route 411?

Hwy 411 is a 2 lane highway, and there are relatively few towns on it. I goes from Cartersville up to Chattsworth (GA), eventually into Maryville. You can turn right (east) at Maryville and go into Townsend, TN. Turn left on Hwy 321 and it'll take you into the heart of Pigeon Forge.

The question is whether you want to drive a 2 lane road vs. the interstates that run 10-15 miles west of Hwy 411. It's a pretty good 2 lane highway though.

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