Great Smoky Mountains Hiking, Rafting and Glamping Weekend

Hike the best trails by day while glamping with your best girls by night on this women’s hiking trip to the Smoky Mountains. Enjoy four days of sweeping mountain vistas, whitewater rafting, forest hikes, and more. Spend a long weekend with a small group of women hiking the best trails in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (including parts of the Appalachian Trail). Luxuriate with nightly glamping near Gatlinburg, TN.

Your hiking adventure has been carefully (obsessively?) curated by the Explorer Chick team over countless in-field tests. Only our top treks make the itinerary. Prepare to be challenged on the trail and rewarded with the most OMFG-level mountain views and waterfalls.

Stride through sweet-smelling pine forests to reach sweeping panoramic vistas with a girl gang you’d trust more than Paul Bunyan. Climb to only one of three remaining fire towers in the National Park when you embark on the strenuous trek up Mt. Cammerer. You can take it “easy” on a moderate hike to the park’s highest single-drop waterfall, Rainbow Falls. Then, inch out to a bald rock outcropping on Charlie’s Bunion to get your heart hammered by mountain scenery in every direction. Walk in the foot path of thousands of Appalachian Trail thru hikers that have come before you on two hikes. Your Insta feed won’t know what hit it. Yes, this is real life with WILD women.

These smokeshow Smokies aren’t all trails and peaks. Scoot that booty into our estrogen-powered white river raft. Grab a paddle and prepare to laugh yourself silly as we careen through wild class 3-4 waves. Just Mother Nature’s way of saying hey girl. The Pigeon River slices through the Appalachian Mountains, so it’s the most scenic way to get absolutely drenched.

Each night, put your feet up in total Pinterest-worthy digs at our adorable glamping site minutes from Gatlinburg. You will sleep in a tent that has been tastefully decorated and luxuriously appointed with WiFi and temperature control – with meals freshly prepared at camp by your Explorer Chick guides. You only have one task after hiking: RELAX.

It’s a wonderfully wild weekend with a small group of women hiking the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Over the course of the long weekend, you’ll quickly grow close with your posse of Explorer Chicks as you hike the trails and share memories of summits.

What to Pack

• We’ve done ALL the thinking for you in this free packing list! 
• You’ll also receive a complete packing list in your Travel Guide upon booking; note that trips may require additional specialized items.

Arrival

• Airport City: Knoxville, TN (TYS). Approximately 1 hour drive to Gatlinburg.
• Meeting Location: Glamping Site. Gatlinburg, TN
• Meeting Time: 5pm on Day 1

Departure

• Airport City: Knoxville, TN (TYS). Approximately 1 hour drive to Gatlinburg.
• Depart Location: Self drive to Newfound Gap parking lot for final hike.
• Return Time: Plan to depart by 4pm on Day 4.

You will receive a Travel Guide with all the campground, packing, and additional information you’ll need to prepare for your epic trip.

We require a minimum of 5 Explorer Chicks for this trip. Please confirm your trip is guaranteed before booking airfare.

Rated 3 – ACTIVE

This trip is rated Active because of the daily hiking in particular the Day 2 hike to Mt. Cammerer is strenuous.

Daily Hiking:

• Day 2: Mt. Cammerer. 11.1 miles. 3.045′ gain. Strenuous.
• Day 3: Hiking 3-5 miles. Rafting: 6.5 miles. Class 3-4 rapids.
• Day 4: Charlie’s Bunion. 8.1 miles. 1,640′ gain.

Please consider your ability to meet the physical demands very seriously. It is for the safety of both you and our group. All Explorer Chicks will be required to sign an Acknowledgement of Physical Demands as part of their waiver upon booking.

Read more about our Activity Levels.

Lodging

• 3 Nights Glamping in canvas, platform tents. Shared 2-3 per tent.  Temperature controlled with a heater and air conditioner. Beds will be a mix of Queens and Bunk Beds and assigned randomly. Shower house and restrooms a short walk away. Please note: This is not a remote backcountry experience. Instead, we are enjoying the amenities of a luxury glamping site equipped with free Wifi, easy access to our trailheads and downtown, a heated pool, a pavilion with backyard games, and top notch glamping.

Activities

• Entrance and commercial permit fees to all National Parks and public lands
• All activities as outlined in the itinerary
• Gratuities for all excursions

Meals

• All meals as indicated in itinerary: B-3, L-3, D-3
• Gratuities for included meals

Practical

• Professional leadership team with 2 Explorer Chick Guides
• A detailed Travel Guide with everything you need to know for your trip
• The freedom to enjoy your vacation and mindlessly wander!

Not Included

• Airfare
• Airport transportation
• Alcoholic beverages
• Travel insurance
• Meals exclusive of itineraries
• Costs for additional activities
• Gratuity for your Explorer Chick Guide (read our tipping guidelines here)

Explorer Chick reserves the option to modify trip itineraries at the discretion of your tour director as necessary due to weather, conditions, illness, injury, group dynamics, or other unforeseen incidents.