Great Smoky Mountains and Mammoth Cave NPs, moderate day hikes

1420 Little River Road,Gatlinburg TN 37738

11 March, 2021

Description

In this trip we will hike the main draw for Great Smoky, its namesake mountains, with the cool streams and waterfalls, and .. In this trip we will hike the main draw for Great Smoky, its namesake mountains, with the cool streams and waterfalls, and the homesteads that can be found in Cades Cove and Cataloochee Valley. Then we explore Mammoth Cave in Kentucky (to where tourists have been heading since 1816) with its many twists, turns, and drops in the cave. No one is quite sure how long Mammoth Cave really is. At last count nearly 370 miles of passages had been measured, and the world’s second longest cave, Jewel Cave National Monument in South Dakota, is fewer than 145 miles in length. Spring weather in the areas of these parks is sunny with day average temperatures 60 degree F and possible winds. See updates of weather forecasts at: https://bit.ly/3m2nOBi * 3.5days/3nights trip for a small group of 6 explorers. * The starting point is Nashville International Airport (BNA) and ending point is Knoxville McGhee Tyson Airport (TYS). * Level of activities: Easy to Intermediate. * Hotel accommodations in Cave City, KY, Cookville, TN, and Gatlinburg, TN. All locations in this event follow safety requirements by the state. Clothes and gear recommended: * good hiking shoes, * warm jacket for evenings, be ready to layer up, * hiking poles if you used to them, * consider hydration bladder for hikes, * sunglasses, * sunscreen, * flashlight and/or headlamp, * hat, * swimming suite, cap, flip-flops, * for personal protection: mask, carry-on sanitizer, gloves (by your choice.) Cost $490 per person. What is included: * 3days/3nights stay in 2-people occupancy non-smoking room (two queen beds in room.) Rooms have coffee-making machine, small fridge, free wi-fi, outdoor swimming pool, * Breakfasts at the hotels, * Transportation by minivan (like Chrysler Pacifica, Dodge Grand or similar) covering approx. 500 mi of road-tripping total, * Park entrance fees, * Ranger's guided tour to Mammoth Cave, * Guided hikes in all days. What is NOT included: * Getting to Nashville, TN and getting back from Knoxville, TN. * Meals, snacks, water. Sunrise: 7:40am. Sunset: 7:45pm. Everyday we want to start off from the hotel at 7:30am, or 8am as the latest. If you are a nigh owl, please try to adjust yourself for an earlier getup during the trip - the purpose of it is to use more of daylight at winter time for activities. No refunds after March 3rd. But, if you (or we) are able to find other person to take your spot the refund will be given in full. We will try the best to handle personal requests and situations. Reserve ASAP and feel free to comment/message with any questions! UPD. Please note that for this trip participants need to get two one way air-tickets. One ticket is from their departing location to Nashville International Airport (BNA). And the returning ticket is from Knoxville McGhee Tyson Airport (TYS) to their home destination. And as we want to use the first and last days of the event (the 11th and the 14th) for activities, only certain flights will suite the event's schedule. Please make your decision on joining the trip and discuss your flight choice with the organizer soon.