Get ready to experience a Rocky Top adventure. This trail is filled with the Rocky Top spirit – from history to modern day adventure, we’re sure you’ll love good ole Rocky Top as much as we do.
Music lovers and history buffs alike can begin their visit at the Gatlinburg Inn where “Rocky Top” was written, get a picture made with the statue of Dolly Parton in Sevierville or experience a live bluegrass performance at the Knoxville Visitor Center.
If nature is your thing, spend a day exploring the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, with entrances at Gatlinburg, Townsend, Greenbrier or Cosby Campground. Explore the culture of the mountains at the Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center near the preserved mountain village of Cades Cove. The Park boasts more than 800 square miles of preserved Appalachian wilderness, filled with rugged mountain peaks, ancient wooded slopes, clear water streams, elk, black bear, preserved homesteads, churches and other buildings – including Emerts Cove Covered Bridge. Take a refreshing break at one of 11 rafting outfitters on the Pigeon River in Cocke County. Fort Loudon State Park, Townsend’s Tuckaleechee Cavern and Sevier County’s Forbidden Caverns make for a great adventure, too.
Catch some amusement park thrills in Pigeon Forge at Dollywood, known for its award-wining rides and entertainment or experience some “underwater” adventure at Ripley’s Aquarium in Gatlinburg.
Shop and unwind in one of the many amazing shops along the trail. You’ll find the largest group of independent artisans in North America at the Great Smoky Arts and Crafts Community in Gatlinburg. Shop and dine in the historic Market Square District of Knoxville’s Old City or Historic Downtown Loudon. For a unique experience, stop by the Bush’s Visitor Center in Chestnut Hill – where you can find your weight in beans or savor a piece of pinto bean pie!
The vistas of the mountains, the lakes and rivers will leave you wanting more. So come along, experience the Soundtrack of America – and it’s all made in Tennessee!
