Trip Itinerary from Washington to Nashville via Shenandoah, Blue Ridge, and Great Smoky Mountains National Parks
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A route between cities and mountains combines a visit to the fascinating cities of Washington and Nashville at its two ends with a nature trip in two famous national parks, the Smoky and Shenandoah, located on the Blue Ridge Mountains range.
Route Map: From Cities to Mountains in the East (12)
♦ Link to Google Map with the route
Destinations along the route
|
Destination |
|
Days of stay |
|
Washington |
2-4 |
|
|
Shenandoah National Park |
|
2 |
|
Blue Ridge Mountains (Roanoke) |
2 |
|
|
Great Smoky Mountains (Gatlinburg/ Pigeon Forge) |
|
3-5 |
|
Nashville |
|
2-3 |
Total: 11-16 days.
Route length: 1300 km. Driving duration total without stops: about 15 hours.
Note: In Shenandoah Park, it is recommended to travel mostly on the peaks road called Skyline Drive. At the end of this park, you reach the longer peaks road in the Blue Ridge range called Blue Ridge Parkway, where the scenery is quite similar to that in Shenandoah Park. Therefore, you can skip this winding road in the mountains and take the faster route to Gatlinburg.
Recommended destinations, accommodations, and articles for each stop on the route:
Each destination has a link to my detailed article about it with photos, attractions, and important tourist information.
Washington D.C.
Washington the capital is the center of political life in the USA. It is located between two rivers. It is a well-planned city with wide avenues rich in vegetation, large squares, magnificent buildings, many excellent museums, monuments, and parks. Most of the tourist attractions are concentrated in the Northwest quarter. Near the city are also two large amusement parks.
♥ Recommended hotels in Washington
Articles: ◄Organized tours in Washington DC ◄ Museums in the capital Washington ◄Amusement parks near the capital Washington
Booking tours and activities from GetYourGuide.com:
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Shenandoah National Park
Shenandoah National Park is located on the Blue Ridge Mountains range in the state of Virginia, reaching heights of about 1200 meters. Along the entire mountain ridge in the park, there is a road called Skyline Drive, which is about 170 km long and features impressive views of mountains and valleys on both sides. Along the road, there are many stopping points for viewing a spectacular panoramic landscape from both sides of the mountain range, as well as hiking and cycling trails.
♥ Recommended hotels in the park area in Front Royal, near Luray Caverns, Harrisonburg
Articles: ◄Trip to Shenandoah National Park in Virginia ◄Stalactite caves in the state of Virginia
Blue Ridge Mountains
The Blue Ridge Mountains in the Eastern USA are part of the Appalachian mountain range, and their total length is about 880 km. This mountain range includes two major popular national parks: Shenandoah National Park in the north and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in the south.
♥ Recommended hotels in Roanoke and Asheville
Articles: ◄Trip to the Blue Ridge Mountains in the Eastern USA
◄Trips in the city of Asheville and its surroundings ◄Trip to the Bavarian town of Helen at the southern end of the Blue Ridge range.
The city of Asheville is a small city, but it is the largest city in the vicinity of the Blue Ridge. it is located close to 8 nature reserves (National Parks and State Parks), 200 waterfalls, and four rivers, and is considered a paradise for hiking enthusiasts. It is also an ideal destination for active outdoor recreation: kayaking, cycling tours, and zip-lining in the forests.
Helen is a magical and beautiful Bavarian town with unique buildings and atmosphere, full of sweet small shops, galleries, typical German restaurants, wineries, and breweries, gardens, and flowers—all decorated and designed as if straight out of a Grimm Brothers' fairy tale.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park (Near the towns of Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge)
The Smoky Mountains Park is part of the Blue Ridge Mountains range with mountain peaks that are almost always covered with a bluish mist (resembling smoke), hence its name. This is the most visited park in all of the USA. The park has over 4000 types of plants and 230 animal species, including 65 species of mammals. The most famous, which have become the park's symbol, are the black bears. In the park are streams and rivers, waterfalls, and forests.
♥ Recommended hotels in the Smoky Mountains Park (in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge)
Articles: ◄ Trip to Great Smoky Mountains National Park ◄Trip and vacation in Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg
The towns of Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge
These towns, adjacent to the Smoky Mountains Park, are among the most popular destinations in the Eastern USA! Every year, millions of people visit them! They have a variety of cable cars, many options for nature trips and active recreation, and they are a paradise for shopping enthusiasts.
Pigeon Forge is full of many and varied family attractions, restaurants, shows, shopping, and plenty of accommodation options of all types and for any budget. In the town of Gatlinburg, the main street stretches for about 3 km in total, but it is packed with family attractions, varied restaurants, and hotels. The rest of the town's houses and vacation homes are spread over the surrounding green mountains.
♥ Recommended hotels in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge
Article: ◄Trip and vacation in Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg
Chattanooga
Near Chattanooga, on a historic mountain called Lookout Mountain, several impressive attractions are concentrated, which with proper planning can all be done in one day. The recommended time to visit the three main attractions: stalactite cave, Rock City gardens, and the incline railway with a view, is about five hours.
♥ Accommodation: There is no need to stay overnight in Chattanooga; it is visited on the way between Gatlinburg and Nashville.
Article: ◄Trip in the Chattanooga area on the way to Great Smoky Mountains Park
Nashville
Nashville, the capital of Tennessee, is nicknamed "Music City" and is considered the "Country Music Capital" of the USA. Of course, the country music there is the highlight of the visit, but the city has many other music styles, from blues and jazz to pop and hip hop to gospel music. On one street known as "Music Row," there are more than 120 recording studios.
♥ Recommended hotels in Nashville
Article: ◄Trip to Nashville, the capital of country music
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For your trip, I recommend renting a car from the website:
♦ Car rental from the reliable and convenient Booking site: Booking.com
♦ Guided tours, excursions, and activities I recommend booking from: Viator