Mountain Time

Wild Animals of the Smoky Mountains (Beyond Black Bears): What Guests Should Know

While black bears often get the spotlight, they’re just one part of a rich and active Smoky Mountains ecosystem. If you're staying at a mountain cabin, you may see - or hear - more wildlife than you expect. Here’s a practical guide to the most common animals in the Smokies, what to expect, and how to safely coexist.

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GSMNP Nature Season: Spring Wildflowers

Wild Violets in the Great Smoky Mountains: A Delicate Sign of Spring

Every spring, the forests of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park come alive with wildflowers. Among the earliest and most charming are wild violets, small purple blooms that brighten the forest floor and signal that warmer days have arrived. If you're visiting the Smokies in early to mid-spring, spotting these tiny flowers along hiking trails is a special treat.

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GSMNP Hiking Nature Season: Spring Wildflowers

Lady Slipper Orchids in the Smoky Mountains

The Great Smoky Mountains are home to more than 1,500 species of flowering plants, earning the park the nickname "Wildflower National Park."
Among the most fascinating and rare wildflowers in the park are the Lady Slipper orchids, including the Pink Lady Slipper and the Yellow Lady Slipper species that grow in select forest habitats throughout the Smokies.

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Scenic drives GSMNP Hiking

Tennessee Smoky Mountains Waterfall Hikes and Scenic Drives

The mountains of Great Smoky Mountains National Park contain more than 100 waterfalls, ranging from small cascades along mountain streams to large, dramatic falls deep in the forest. Many of the park’s most beautiful waterfalls are accessible by scenic drives or moderate hikes, making them a great activity for visitors of all experience levels.
If you are visiting the Smokies during your stay with Blue Mountain Cabins, exploring a few of these waterfalls is an excellent way to experience the natural beauty of the area.
Below are some of the most popular and accessible waterfall hikes and scenic drives near Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge.

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Historic Scenic drives GSMNP

Smoky Mountains Grist Mills and the History Behind Them

A gristmill (also: grist mill, corn mill, or flour mill) grinds grain into flour. The term can refer to both the grinding mechanism and the building that holds it. Four grist mills remain within the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Mingus Mill, a half-mile from the Oconaluftee Visitor Center in North Carolina, is the grandest. Park millers still produce cornmeal in the three-story building as they tell stories of old-time mills and millers. Cable Mill in Cades Cove is a classic small mill with its picturesque waterwheel and tree-shaded millrace. It millers, too, grind grain the old-fashioned way. Ogle and Reagan mills, near Gatlinburg, are examples of the little tub mills once built along mountain streams throughout the Smokies.

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Roads to drive, sights to see, things to do, places to visit, tips and interesting tidbits - all about your Smoky Mountains vacation

Wild Animals of the Smoky Mountains (Beyond Black Bears): What Guests Should Know

Wild Violets in the Great Smoky Mountains: A Delicate Sign of Spring

Lady Slipper Orchids in the Smoky Mountains

Tennessee Smoky Mountains Waterfall Hikes and Scenic Drives

Smoky Mountains Grist Mills and the History Behind Them

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