All Trips > Tennessee > Great Smoky Mountains Hiking and Glamping Weekend Great Smoky Mountains Hiking and Glamping Weekend Choose Your Dates AT A GLANCE Tennessee 11 Explorer Chicks Glamping Glamping, Hiking, National Park, Smoky Mountains, Weekend 4 Days 3 - Active Physical demand level for this trip Mountains and Rivers Photos Itinerary Logistics Activity Level What's Included Choose Your Dates 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. 2023: Of course, what’s a trip to Tennessee without Moonshine? You’ll spend a few hours on an exclusive, private tour with our local guide visiting a distillery, cidery, and even a winery. Go behind the scenes at a real working still house and see how everything is made start to finish. Learn the history of whiskey throughout the Prohibition era, the state’s romance with whiskey, and why these mountains were such an integral part of moonshine culture. 2024: 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 2023: Day 3 - Rainbow Falls and Moonshine Tour You wake again to a wonderful breakfast cooked by your Explorer Chick guides. Then, we are off to our second hike: Rainbow Falls. Standing at 80 feet high, Rainbow Falls has earned the honor of being the highest single-drop waterfall in the Smokies. The name for the waterfall comes from the rainbow that’s produced by mist on sunny afternoons. We will return to camp after our hike to freshen up and enjoy the afternoon. Your guides will whip up a filling dinner before we meet our local guides in Gatlinburg for our private Whiskey History and Tasting tour. The next few hours will be spent on foot visiting distilleries which make up part of the Tennessee Whiskey Trail. We’ll go on a behind the scenes tour at a real working still house and see how everything is made start to finish. But, you won’t just learn about whiskey and moonshine. You’ll enjoy two tastings from two different distilleries. Elevation Gain: 1,685’ Distance: 5.4 miles Time: 4 hours hiking Elevation: 4,285’ Meals: B-L-D 2024: 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 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 exclusive of the moonshine tour Travel Insurance Meals exclusive of itineraries Costs for additional activities Gratuity for your Explorer Chick Guide 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 🥾 "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 Load More This error message is only visible to WordPress admins Error: There is no connected account for the user 17841401383564890. In Her Words 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.Laura D. ★★★★★ Had a fantastic time on the Smoky Mountains Boots and Roots Hiking trip!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!Jeneta 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.Mel ★★★★★ I 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!Debbie P. ★★★★★ I had the most amazing trip to the Smokey Mts. Ashley and Jessica were the perfect guides and host for our group! I really feel like they helped me regain my MOJO!! The trip was very well planned, organized and encouraging for all. Great food, too 😉Dara L. ★★★★★ We had an incredible time on the Great Smoky Mountains 3 night hiking/glamping trip with Lauren and Jess! All of the thinking was done for us in the best way possible and all we had left to do was enjoy the views and the company. The food was fresh and simple. We certainly never went hungry. I would absolutely do another trip with Explore Chick! Let's Do This Starting from $1599 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 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. 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