Love is in the air in the Great Smoky Mountains. Breathtaking vistas, sprawling valleys, cascading waterfalls, colorful foliage, and awe-inspiring sunsets create a spectacular backdrop for you to start your happily ever after. Steal a kiss and exchange adoring glances surrounded by exquisite natural beauty as you explore one of the most scenic areas of the country. Make your Smoky Mountain honeymoon special with these 7 romantic adventures.
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Great Smoky Mountain Honeymoon Sunsets
The long, stretching ridges and powerful peaks of the Great Smoky Mountains take on an ethereal splendor at sunset. Immerse yourself in the dreamy romance of brilliant colors painting bold streaks across the sky before they fade softly into a starry night. Whether you’ve got a direct view of the sky, or you’re watching the rays fade against a mountain’s slopes, sunsets can be enjoyed from any vantage point in the Smokies.
From the lookout at the top of Chimney Rock, feast your eyes on 75 miles worth of sunset views over wood-lined trails, waterfalls, and distant mountain peaks. Watch the colors explode from Cliff Top at Mt LeConte, or explore Newfound Gap, midway between Gatlinburg and Cherokee, which is better known for its sunrises, but you’ll still see spectacular colors draping themselves over the mountains.
Head to Cataloochee to watch the wild elk herd graze in the warm evening glow of the sunset, or visit Clingman’s Dome, the highest peak in the Great Smoky Mountains at 6,643 feet, for a memorable sight drenched in orange-colored hues. Whether you’re watching the sun fade away from the top of a peak or unwinding in the comfort of your honeymoon cabin, you won’t be disappointed with a Smoky Mountain sunset view.
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Wine Tasting
Wine, like love, passionately encompasses all the senses, pulling you into its mysteries with an allure that lingers long after you’ve finished the glass. We may never fully comprehend the intricacies of either one, but it sure is fun to try.
Celebrate your Smoky Mountain honeymoon with a silky red or an intoxicating white wine at a charming mountain winery. Open 365 days a year, the Biltmore Winery, located on the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC, is the most visited winery in the country. Or the Gatlinburg Wine Cellar holds free tastings of delicious local wines every day on the Tennessee side of the Smokies.
But if you’re just as passionate about wine as you are about each other, you can fill your afternoon with an entire tour, lingering at each winery and basking in the glow of each other’s company. Visit a series of three wineries in the Catawba Valley that serve up wines, boasting distinct flavors due to the natural qualities found only in this area’s rich soils. Or follow the Rocky Top Wine Trail in Pigeon Forge and choose from 75 different wines at five local wineries.
No matter which winery you visit, though, you’ll want to finish off your tasting with a romantic stroll through the vines. And be sure to purchase an extra bottle to take home with you so you can remember the magic of your Smoky Mountain honeymoon when you open it later.
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Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Outdoor lovers find love outdoors in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It may be the most visited park in the entire country, but there are plenty of spots within its 522,427 acres to steal away and feel like the place was made for just the two of you.
Hike the numerous trails throughout the park, aimlessly wandering hand in hand and discovering unexpected sights around each bend, like a waterfall spilling over a rock wall, a deer drinking from a babbling creek, or a wide open valley filled with wildflowers. Spread out a blanket for a romantic picnic at sunset, or climb to the top of a peak, where you’ll be rewarded with breathtaking views that rival the awe you feel when you gaze into each other’s eyes.
Book a secluded campsite, where the intimacy and serenity of a nature retreat is an experience like no other. Roast s’mores over the glow of a crackling campfire, then watch the night skies come to life in all their glory as you get unprecedented access to the kind of stargazing that is made for romance.
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Romantic Hikes
A hike through the mountains is filled with fortuitous moments that you’d never be able to plan. An elk grazing in the distance, a multi-hued sunset viewed from a rock ledge, reaching the peak of a mountain on a cloudless day, it’s easy to find romance on the trail. And with more than 850 miles of hiking trails in the Great Smoky Mountains, honeymoon fantasies do come true.
Varying in difficulty the winding nature trails range from easy strolls along tranquil streams to rigorous climbs up craggy peaks. No matter your level of hiking experience, you’ll find an opportunity for Instagram-worthy photos. And because of the remote locations of many of the trails, you’re likely to find that you have the surrounding beauty of nature all to yourself.
Head to Grotto Falls, located just outside Gatlinburg, for a truly unique experience where you can splash in the water, then sneak behind the falls. Albright Grove passes through serene valleys and sprawling meadows and ends in a grove boasting a 7-story tulip tree. Or head to Andrews Bald, where a hike through spruce-firs takes you along the Appalachian Trail and up to the highest meadow in Great Smoky Mountains National Park that’s covered with brightly colored azalea and rhododendrons during the summer.
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Scenic Drives
Slip into your car, roll the windows down, and feel the wind in your hair as you leisurely cruise the winding mountain roads, discovering stunning vistas around every bend. Get glimpses of mountains, forests, and valleys. With no particular place to be, you can take your time and savor the views, stopping to snap photos, have a picnic, or go on a short hike.
The 11-mile Cades Cove Loop Road is one of the most popular routes for visitors, with breathtaking views along the way. And the Blue Ridge Parkway is considered by many to be the most scenic drive in North Carolina. Its 469 miles of gorgeous mountain scenery begins in Shenandoah National Park in Virginia and winds all the way through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park to Cherokee, North Carolina.
For motorcyclists, the world-famous Tail of the Dragon is a must-drive. Bordered by the Great Smoky Mountains and Cherokee National Forest, its 11 miles are filled with 318 curves and tight turns with no intersecting roads or highways to slow you down.
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Cozy Cabins
However you spend the days of your Great Smoky Mountain honeymoon, you’ll eventually want to end up in the comfort of a cozy honeymoon cabin. It is the perfect romantic getaway for adventurous newlyweds. Enjoy a hidden sanctuary, where you can listen to the birds, breathe in fresh mountain air, and watch a sunset in the evening. Then marvel at the mystical fog that the area is named after as it rolls softly over the peaks while you sip your morning coffee.
Snuggle up in luxurious bedding, soak in a hot tub, cozy up beside the fireplace, or enjoy a deck with a view. Many cabins have full kitchens so you don’t even have to leave your romantic haven if you don’t want to.
Whether you’re escaping to the woods and completely unplugging, or you want to be close to the outdoors and local attractions, there are plenty of Smoky Mountain cabin rentals to choose from.
