All Trips > Tennessee > Great Smoky Mountains Hiking, Rafting and Glamping Weekend Great Smoky Mountains Hiking, Rafting and Glamping Weekend Book Your Smokies Trip AT A GLANCE Tennessee 11 Explorer Chicks Glamping Glamping, Hiking, National Park, Smoky Mountains, Weekend, White Water Rafting 4 Days 3 - Active Physical demand level for this trip Mountains and Rivers Photos Itinerary Logistics Activity Level What's Included Book Your Smokies Trip Share Mountains and Rivers 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, a private whiskey tour, 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. Photos Itinerary Expand All Days Day 1 - Welcome to the Smokies Welcome to the Beautiful Great Smoky Mountains National Park! Plan on arriving today to our Glamping campsite at 5pm to settle in before our 7pm Official Kick-off and Welcome Dinner! Tonight, we take it easy as we have a big hike up a mountain in the morning. Meals: D Day 2 - Hiking Mt. Cammerer Today is our biggest and most challenging hike! After a hearty breakfast, we’ll load up our private passenger van driving east towards the border of North Carolina. Today’s goal is the historic Mt. Cammerer Fire Tower. Not only is this tower one of only three remaining in the park, it offers stunning panoramic views of Mt. Sterling, the Pigeon River Gorge, Snowbird Mountain, and the Smokies. It was fully functional until the 1960’s and fully restored in 1995. Now it’s a great spot to chow down on a sammie and take in the views! Those views will be earned! The hike up is long and steep. You’ll gain 2,000 feet just in the first three miles. You gain some reprieve once on the Appalachian Trail where it traces a ridgeline. The final push is a rugged and rocky scramble to the tower. After our hike, we’ll return to our campsite to shower and enjoy a meal freshly prepared by your Explorer Chick guides. Elevation Gain: 3,045’ Distance: 11.1 miles Time: 7 hours hiking Elevation: 4,928’ Meals: B-L-D Day 3 - White Water Rafting and Hiking Get that home cooked brekkie in your belly and don’t be afraid of scarfing seconds. We’ll take it easy this morning, stretching our gams on a gentle hike before the feisty main event. CLASS 3 AND 4 RAPIDS! The words “Pigeon River” don’t exactly inspire an adrenaline rush but have you SEEN a pigeon throw down over a slice of pizza? This rafting adventure is fiercely frothy and full of crashing waves that we’ll work together to conquer. Once that river knows who’s boss, we’ll slip into something a little more fabulous (aka dry) at camp and belly up for some hard-earned BBQ. Stop offering to tidy up, woman. As the sun sets, we’ll hit the town in Gatlinburg for an evening of SHE-nanigans. (Code for cheesecake.) Hiking: 3-6 miles. Rafting: 6.5 miles. Class 3-4 rapids. Approximately 2 hours river time. Meals: B-L-D Day 4 - Charlies Bunion Hike It’s our saddest day as we pack up our belongings and leave camp. Of course, we’ll squeeze in one more hike together. Everyone will take their own mode of transportation to the Newfound Gap trailhead ready to hike the Appalachian Trail to Charlies Bunion. On our way up, we’ll be sure to pause to take in the outstanding views of Mount LeConte and Myrtle Point. Yet, the real show is from the outcropping at the summit. Stepping out onto the rocks, you’ll feel like the Queen of the Smokies with mountains in every direction! Afterwards, we’ll say our teary good byes, and head our separate ways. Plan to depart no earlier than 4pm EST. Elevation Gain: 1,640’ Distance: 8.1 miles Time: 5 hours hiking Elevation: 6,122’ Meals: B-L 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, availability, or other unforeseen incidents. Logistics What to Pack Check out our recommended hiking gear for all trips. You’ll 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. Activity Level 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. What's Included 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. More from the Smokies Bears, Boats, & Bold Women! 🏔️Last week in the Smokies, 10 Explorer Chicks went all in on an Appalachian adventure.🌊From sunset views of baby bears, bluebird skies over the famous Charlies Bunion, to class three rapids and waterfall lunch views, these women soaked in all everything the Smokies had to offer. 🥾We hiked 20+ miles on beautiful spring trails past fawns, wildflowers, turkeys, and laughed the entire way.🛶Paddled miles of the wild Pigeon River on our SHEnanigan powered boats, pointing out softshell turtles, herons, and local art.☀️Sipped local moonshine cocktails while listening to locally famous live music on a downtown porch at sunset.💗And walked away with new friendships, inside jokes, and plans for our next adventure together.🗓️2025 dates for Smoky Mountains Hiking, Rafting And Glamping Weekend drop on July 2nd!#ExplorerChickSmokies #SmokyMountains #hikingtrip #solofemaletravel Open 🥾 "I just did the Smokey Mountains hiking and glamping adventure. It far exceeded my expectations on every level... 🤩 Our amazing guides, Anna and Jayme, were outstanding! Every detail was so well thought out and planned. 🤤 It was so nice to have beautiful spreads for breakfast, packed lunches to enjoy with mountain views, awesome dinners when we arrived back at camp, and of course many delicious snacks and drinks along the way. 🥃 The moonshine tour was so much fun and a nice change of scenery during the trip! After only 3 days, I felt like I really bonded with the other women and formed a sisterhood along the trails. 🤗💪This experience was both mentally and physically challenging in the best way possible! I not only got to share it with an incredible group of women, I got to know myself better and am forever changed. 💕 My cup has been “filled back up” and I’m ready for whatever comes next! Thank you, thank you, thank you, to Explorer Chick for making these adventures accessible for women and for allowing us the space to learn and grow. Huge shoutout once again to JAYME and ANNA for being the best guides and incredible humans! I am so grateful!!! 🤩 This was my first trip with Explorer Chick and it definitely will not be my last! I am so excited for the 2024 schedule to come out so I can start planning!"-EC Debbie 🗓 Get notified of our 2024 trip drop! 🔗Link in bio to get our 2024 dates sent to you 💌#explorerchick #ExplorerChickAdventureCo #womenwhotravel #womentravelingtogether #easydoesntchangeyou #weareexplorerchick #adventuretravel #SheIsNotLost #WomenSupportingWomen #wildernessskills #outdoorskills #womenstravel #summitsisters #AmongTheWild #Glamping #GreatSmokyMountainNationalPark #FindYourPark #NPS #FireTower #SmokeyMountains #Glampinglife #explorerchicksmokies #creatememories #summercamp #goplayoutside #likeamountaingirl #inclusivehiking #mounntainlover Open Happy International Women`s Day! 💃 And what better way to celebrate than by honoring one of the fiercest trailblazers in history - Anne Davis.From housewife to 👉 political powerhouse, Anne went to Congress and fought tooth and nail to create and protect the Smoky Mountains National Park. In just FOUR years after women got the vote, she became the third woman in Tennessee elected to Congress and kicked some serious man-booty to secure the first protected lands in the Smokies. 🥊"Why should all the parks be left for the west?" Anne asked after visiting Yellowstone in 1923. And now, the Smokies is the most visited park in the US - thanks to this badass environmentalist! 🙌Come join us in the Smokies and be part of the legacy of strong women like Anne! 🥾🤑 Save 20% OFF Smokies trips through June!⚡️FLASH SALE CODE: Smokies20🔗Link in bio to book now!🚨Sale Ends Sunday, 3/12#explorerchick #ExplorerChickAdventureCo #womenwhotravel #womentravelingtogether #easydoesntchangeyou #weareexplorerchick #adventuretravel #SheIsNotLost #WomenSupportingWomen #wildernessskills #outdoorskills #womenstravel #summitsisters #AmongTheWild #Glamping #GreatSmokyMountainNationalPark #FindYourPark #NPS #FireTower #SmokeyMountains #Glampinglife #flashsale #creatememories #summercamp #goplayoutside #likeamountaingirl #inclusivehiking #explorerchicksmokies Open 🎵 Cue: You`reee as smooooth as Tennessee... moonshine? 😜"Eight Explorer Chicks enjoyed some time in the Smoky Mountains this weekend! This group of fun and adventurous ladies summited Mt. Leconte, chased waterfalls, tasted some real Tennessee moonshine, and took in the awesome views high atop Charlie’s Bunion. The laughs and stories were frequent and the support and encouragement were constant. Friendships were made and future trips were planned!" - Explorer Chick Guide ErinGREAT JOB LADIES! 👏 This trip is always a BLAST!⛰️ Did you know that the Smokey Mountains are in both Tennessee AND North Carolina?🎹 What`s a song that you can`t get out of your head that shouts out a place you`ve explored? #exploremore #optoutside #getoutside #nationalpark #TennesseeWhiskey #hikingadventures #wildernessculture #keepitwild #getoutdoors #womenwhotravel #easydoesntchangeyou #AmongTheWild #IdHikeThat #ForceOfNature #HerWanderfulLife #WomenSupportingWomen #SmokeyMountainNationalPark #adventuretravel #explorerchick #travelgirl #womenstravelgroup #womenshikinggroup #SheIsNotLost #WeAreTravelGirls #FemmeTravel #GirlsAbroad #womentravelingtogether #beautifulexplorers #womenwhohike #explorerchicksmokies Open You know what made this Smokey Mountains trip truly GREAT? (Ayoooo- See what we did there? GREAT Smokey Mountains NP 😂)"This is my second excursion with Explorer Chick, and wow, it was even better than my first trip! The itinerary for the Smokies was spot on balancing fun and rest. Erin and Kelsey were absolutely fabulous leaders. They believed in me when I didn`t think I could do day 3 and I am so glad I completed all of the hikes. I left this experience with lifelong memories, unforgettable views and 6 new friendships. I can`t wait for my next trip." -EC BrittanyDrop a 💪 if you`ve pushed your limits on one of our trips. #EasyDoesntChangeYouWas it a steep hike to the summit? Canyoneering for the first time? Trying a new and wild food?We want to hear about it! #ExplorerChick #WomenWhoTravel #HikingCulture #AmongTheWild #IdHikeThat #WanderWomen #AdventureTravel #OutdoorWomen #WomenWhoHike #WomenTravelingTogether #WeAreExplorerChick #GroupTravel #MountainGirls #Glamping #WeLiveToExplore #ChooseMountains #ForceOfNature #HerWanderfullife #FindYourPark #SmokeyMountainNationalPark #explorerchicksmokies Open ☔️Not even rainy weather could keep these chick`s spirits down! 11 Explorer Chicks just returned from an adventure-packed weekend in Smoky Mountain, and here`s what guide Christina (@Christina.Bruno.cb) had to say about this trip:"You would have never guessed by the constant giggles, belly laughs, and heartfelt story sharing that there were frequent downpours, tornado warnings, and overall constant wetness on this fabulous Smokies hiking and glamping trip! The weather did not stop this amazing bunch of women from becoming sisters for life! These badass women put in many muddy miles in the Smokies to scale Mt. Cammerer, Rainbow Falls, and more! Evenings were filled with moonshine, charcuterie, and endless SHE-nanigans! This trip was extra special because we celebrated birthdays and mother`s day with facemasks, champagne, and treasured time together. Despite the sheer volume of water that fell from the sky, the blisters, the sore legs, these ladies are already planning their next adventure together!"Have you been to the Smokies? What was your favorite part? 👇#explorerchick #ExplorerChickAdventureCo #womenwhotravel #womentravelingtogether #easydoesntchangeyou #weareexplorerchick #adventuretravel #hikingadventures #hikingculture #hikinglife #hikingtheglobe #hikingtrip #hikinggirl #hikinglovers #hikingtherapy #hikingchick #smokymountains #explorerchicksmokies Open "One of the most awesome things I`ve done, being able to enjoy this with my daughter."😭Someone grab me a kleenex because that video just hit me in my feels!Making memories together while traveling and challenging ourselves as adults is special to share as a mama and daughter. When we`re off living our lives, time moves SO quickly. This is why savoring the time between mom and daughter is THAT MUCH more important. 💖✈️Looking for your next mother-daughter adventure? Well, look no further! We`ve got a whole blog post just for you. DM us, and we`ll get it right over to ya!If you travel with your mom, share your FAVORITE destinations for a mother-daughter vacay?👇#explorerchickadventureco #explorerchick #womenwhotravel #weareexplorerchick #outdoorenthusiast #outdoorlover #smokies #getoutdoors #motherdaughtertrip #motherdaughterbonding #motherdaughterhiking #mothersday #optoutside #explorerchicksmokies Open This error message is only visible to WordPress admins HTTP Error. Unable to connect to the Instagram API. Feed will not update. Let's Do This Starting from $1,799 Book Now Save $200 with our Early Bird Discounts! Just book at least 6 Months in Advance! Discount is automatically applied. Non-Refundable Deposit: $200 due at booking to secure your spot Questions About The Trip? Name(Required) First Name Last Name Email(Required) Enter Email Confirm Email Send us your Smokies questions!(Required)EmailThis field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. In Her Words suzanne C.Explorer Chick is an AMAZING group!! I just completed my first Explorer Chick excursion Great Smokey Mountains, Hiking, Rafting and Glamping. Our guides Lauren and Kara were Awesome! I got to meet some new friends from all over the US. The hikes were so fulfilling, Rafting was fun, the food was great. If your up for an adventure I would highly recommend Explorer Chick! I can't wait to book my next trip.Holly A.I did the Smokey Mountains trip in Sept and I was nervous about meeting new people but it was amazing! I can’t stop browsing the website for my next trip! The women were great and so fun! Anna and Jess were awesome guides, great cooks, super considerate and really quite funny. I would do an EC trip again without hesitation.Anna R.Just got back from a trip (in the Smokey Mountains) with Anna and Jess - the trip was outstanding!!! They were both so knowledgeable of our hikes, extremely helpful, and so fun! The glamping site was lovely! And the food was fabulous! Highly recommend Anna and Jess - they made the trip very memorable!Jen I.Anna & Kara-Great guides and hosts! Went to Smoky Mountains trip. Amazing experience. Thank you for everything you did for our group! 🙏🏼🌸debbie T.This was my first trip with Explorer Chick and it definitely will not be my last! I am so excited for the 2024 schedule to come out so I can start planning!I just did the Smokey Mountains hiking and glamping adventure. It far exceeded my expectations on every level. Our amazing guides, Anna and Jayme, were outstanding! Every detail was so well thought out and planned. It was so nice to have beautiful spreads for breakfast, packed lunches to enjoy with Mountain View’s, awesome dinners when we arrived back at camp, and of course many delicious snacks and drinks along the way. The moonshine tour was so much fun and a nice change of scenery during the trip! After only 3 days, I felt like I really bonded with the other women and formed a sisterhood along the trails. This experience was both mentally and physically challenging in the best way possible! I not only got to share it with an incredible group of women, I got to know myself better and am forever changed. My cup has been “filled back up” and I’m ready for whatever comes next! Thank you, thank you, thank you, to Explorer Chick for making these adventures accessible for women and for allowing us the space to learn and grow. Huge shoutout once again to JAYME and ANNA for being the best guides and incredible humans! I am so grateful!!! See you all again soon!!!Susan W.Had an amazing experience on my first Explorer Chick trip! Spent 4 days in the Smoky Mountains seeing some awesome scenery, challenging myself, meeting new friends, and being led by and taken care of by our fantastic guides Jayme and Anna! Definitely recommend!Sheri W.Just completed my first EC trip in the Smoky Mountains, it was sensational! Anna and Ashley took phenomenal care of the group, thought of every detail and provide guidance every step of the way (literally and figuratively). Such a memorable experience. Time to start considering which trip will be #2.Brooke J.I just returned from the 4 day trip to Great Smokey Mountain NP and all I can say is WOW! The trip was incredible. Anna and Lindsey were so knowledge and fun! They made delicious meals for us from Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, and snacks! I can't say enough how much I appreciate them- they really made the trip! Our hikes were fun and we had perfect mountain views with incredible fall foliage. The whiskey tour was more than I expected- great variety and a helpful tour guide. I would give this 10 starts if I can and look forward to signing up for another trip next year 🙂Lorri B.Glamped over Labor Day weekend in the Smoky Mountains and cannot overstate what a fantastic time we had. The weather was somewhat cooperative but we did get wet and cold on our first hike. Everyone kept good spirits and we all made it to the summit for the best pita/hummus/vegetable I ever ate. Day 2 was a shorter hike in better weather and a walkabout Gatlinburg for our distillery tour. Day 3 ended our weekend too soon with an overcast sunrise hike. Anna and Ashley were fantastic guides - super supportive and encouraging. The food was wonderful and filling and gave us plenty of fuel for our adventures. I can't wait to see the list for 2023 and plan another trip.MelI went on the Smokey Mountain 4-day trip and absolutely loved it. Our Guides, Ashley and Jessica were amazing. They were Super knowledgeable about hiking, backpacking, and all things nature related. I would highly recommend and have recommended to friends that they tryout one of the amazing trips that Explorer Chick offers! My friends and I are already looking to plan our next trip with them! Book with Confidence Your wanderlust doesn’t have to wait. Our payment plans make booking your dream trip easier than ever. The best part? Zero additional fees. Payment Plans We want nothing more than for you join us. However, we understand emergencies do occur that may cause you to cancel your reservation. Cancellation Policy To protect your travel investment and your hide, we recommend purchasing travel insurance. Receive a no-hassle, online quote in less than 2 minutes. Trip Insurance Endless Wanderlust 4 Spots Left! 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