My week long road trip recap continues on the blog this week! Last week I shared my adventures in Washington, D.C. and the Shenandoah National Park and then headed on to today’s adventures, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

The Great Smoky Mountains straddles the border of North Carolina and Tennessee and the drive is beautiful with an amazing view of the Smokies.

The Blue Ridge Parkway made my drive that much better, and I couldn’t get enough wind in my face!

Of course I couldn’t help but stop along a few overlooks to take some selfies. Who doesn’t love a good selfie?

My first stop in the Smokies was the Oconaluftee Visitor Center where I shared a picnic lunch and met up with my Uncle Taylor, who lives in North Carolina, for the day.

After lunch I set out to hike the Oconaluftee Trail, one of the two pet friendly trails in the Smoky Mountains National Park. 

This 1.5 mile trail (one way) is relatively flat and follows along Oconaluftee River. I probably would have enjoyed a bit more challenging hike, but unfortunately most of the more scenic trails in the park are off limits to dogs. But I’m always one to follow the rules, because they are there to keep everyone safe.

I still had a blast taking dips in the river to cool off and despite the fact that this trail isn’t as tucked into the wilderness as I typically like, I got quite a fill of wildlife….

….I met Elk for the first time!

Although to me they just looked like smaller than average ponies!

After I reached the end of the Oconaluftee trail I was surprised to find myself in the outskirts of a small town, Cherokee, N.C.

It was quite the contrast from my nature filled hiking trail, and I found myself suddenly immersed in a touristy town.

I had a blast exploring the town, stopping for ice cream, watching other tourists ride the mechanical bull, and I even met some larger than life farm animals! It was a fun little surprise at the end of my trail that I very much enjoyed.

Eventually it was time to hit the road again, and I headed off to my accommodations for the night in Gatlinburg, Tennessee.

I’ll be back to share more about my road trip adventures the rest of this week, so stay tuned!

Any other pups out there hiked in the Smoky Mountains before? I wish I had had time to check out the other pet friendly trail in the park, the Gatlinburg Trail, but perhaps next time!

P.S. for anyone wondering where my super comfy car travel bed comes from – check out my post about Pet Safe Travel.