Women's Smoky Mountain Boots and Roots Hiking Trip

AT A GLANCE

Tennessee

11 Explorer Chicks

Glamping

Glamping, Hiking, National Park, Smoky Mountains, Weekend

4 Days

2 - Moderately Active

Boots and Roots

Are you into endless views? Old-growth forests? Mist bouncing off a 100-foot waterfall hitting your face? Then 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).

Channel your inner goat girl as you stroll through iconic scenery and listen to stories of the women who helped shape the Smokies. Take a brief break from the trail living out your pottery fantasies throwing clay on the wheel and sculpting your very own mug. Then kick back like a queen with nightly glamping near Gatlinburg, TN.

Boots = Hiking.

Get your blues and greens in on three stunning hikes that don’t even look real. The views from Charlies Bunion and Ramsay Cascades are complete madness. Wind your way through pine trees and over classic creek crossings that make you momentarily consider a coonskin hat. (But not really, because animals ♥️)

Roots = HERstory

Did you know a woman was the first settler to move to the Smoky Mountains? You didn’t? That’s because Martha Jane Huskey Ogle’s husband called dibs on the fame. Learn about the deliciously woman-heavy history of a wilderness that man tried real hard to claim as his own. Your Explorer Chick guide will drop all the juicy gossip, connecting you to the goosebumpy sisterhood who walked before you.

Deep dive into Appalachian crafts straddling a wheel and molding a coffee mug with your very own hands. Local artists will guide you through the entire pottery process and only help when needed. After 10 weeks of drying, firing, and glazing, your mug will show up at your doorstep. Surprise! Relive the SHE-nanigans of your Smokies trip.

Put your feet up in total Insta-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.

Photos

Itinerary

Expand All Days

Day 1 - Welcome to the Smokies

Just when we think Great Smoky Mountains National Park can’t get any more gorgeous, YOU WALTZ IN. Plan on arriving at our Glamping campsite by 5pm to settle in before our 7pm Official Kick-off and Welcome Dinner. Tonight, we take it easy to rest/carb up for our hike in the morning. Hello, pass the potatoes, and goodnight!

Meals: D

Day 2 - Hike the AT to Charlies Bunion

The phrase “bald summit” sounds like a slur for your ex, but it’s actually a fantastic 360 degree viewpoint from the top of Charlies Bunion. After a hearty breakfast, we head to the Newfound Gap trailhead ready to hike the Appalachian Trail. On our way up, we’ll be sure to pause to take in the outstanding views of Mount LeConte and Myrtle Point. The real smokeshow 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! Practice your delicate waves in the mirror now.

Elevation Gain: 1,640’
Distance: 8.1 miles
Time: 5 hours hiking

Meals: B-L-D

Day 3 - Slinging Pottery and Historical Hike

We get handsy and gossipy today as we sling clay on the pottery wheel and talk about all the famous female influence in the Smokies.

First, learn wheel throwing 101 and some history of Appalachian crafts by a local artisan. You’ll enjoy a private class and we’ll will 100% play Unchained Melody so we can all reenact Ghost. What are we sculpting? CUSTOM EXPLORER CHICK MUGS! (Which can also be used for moonshine.) Using your own hands, you’ll sculpt and mold your mug from a ball of clay into a fully-functional, dishwasher-safe, glazed beaut that’ll arrive directly to your home about 10 weeks later.

After, we’ll take an easy-to-moderate surprise hike with historical juiciness, leaving plenty of time in the evening to stroll the streets of Gatlinburg. Enjoy your last full night with your new besties!

Hiking: 3-6 miles. Easy-Moderate.

Meals: B-L-D

Day 4 - Hiking Ramsay Cascades

We’ve got one last adrenaline rush up our bra straps as we walk the insanely gorgeous hike into Ramsay Cascades. These stunning summits are located in the Greenbrier area of the Smokies aka where Dolly Parton’s family once lived before the National Park was formed. It’s also home to everything you could possibly want in a hike: old growth forests, creek crossings, foot bridges, the tallest waterfall in the Smokies, and lush rhododendron and mountain laurel.

Afterwards, we’ll say our teary goodbyes, and head our separate ways. NO, YOU HANG UP FIRST. Plan to depart no earlier than 4pm EST.

Elevation Gain: 2,190’
Distance: 8.0 miles
Time: 5 hours hiking

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 2 – MODERATE ACTIVE

This trip is rated a 2 – Moderately Active because of the length and frequency of hiking for all 3 days as detailed below.

Day 2: Charlie’s Bunion: 8.1 miles. 1,640′ gain. Moderate to Strenuous
Day 3: Historical Hike: 3-6 miles. Easy to Moderate
Day 4: Ramsey Cascades: 8 miles. 2,185′ gain. Moderate

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

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

Pottery class including the shipping of your finished mug that will arrive approximately 10 weeks later.
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 Guides

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.