The 580-mile road trip from Chicago to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park takes 8 hours and 50 minutes. The quickest route from Chicago to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is 580 miles and takes 8 hours and 50 minutes without accounting for any pit stops or detours you might want to make on your way. If you're lucky you will see a truck unloading potatoes. A Smoky Mountain road trip is the perfect summer family vacation getaway in America's Appalachian Mountains. Theres also six underground zip lines that make up the worlds only fully underground zip line course. One thing you can count on is construction on almost all interstates. Key stops are Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Louisville, Lexington, Knoxville, Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg as well as Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Both known for German heritage. If just stopping for the night with no plans to sightsee, the same advice would apply: stay near an interchange. The hotel puts you right in the heart of the action. Theres few better ways to enjoy a hot summer day than to be on the water. They have a very, very small air museum that I've only driven by. Select an option below to see step-by-step directions and to compare ticket prices and travel times in Rome2rio's travel planner. Chicago to Great Smoky Mountains National Park |Road trip Is it compulsory to practice social distancing in Smoky Mountains? From Chicago, you will drive along the shores of Lake Michigan on Interstate 90 E until you reach Exit 17 and merge onto Interstate 65 S to Indianapolis. We had planned to stop in Kentucky so we continuously drove till mid night to get to the hotel. 6 Best Road Trips Chicago to Nashville and Great Smoky Mountains Road Trip Stop at a shiny bean, an underground corridor, a racetrack and a music mecca on your way to the national park. At 160 miles, this extension to the trip should take a little under 4 hours and 30 minutes, but there will be countless opportunities to stop and admire the stunning mountain vistas and the many fantastic places you will pass along the way. Churchill Downs officially opened in 1875, but the sport of horse racing can be traced back to 1789 in Kentucky. Prepare yourself for the best Smokies vacation possible with your favorite people by knowing what to pack when going to the mountains! We drove initial 50 miles very slowly as we tried to cross our way through Chicago downtown and skyway. It's also about as good as anywhere to spend the night. Get inspired with tips about where to go and what to see on your national park vacation, delivered right to your inbox. The cheapest way to get from Chicago to Smoky Mountains costs only $212, and the quickest way takes just 6 hours. Road trip loop from Chicago to the Carolinas - Fodor's This blogging bear loves sharing the Smoky Mountains with everyone. Then use your smartphone to view the Nashville artists sharing tree stories. I will post pictures when I come home for you to see! Road Trip Stops in the Great Smoky Mountains and Blue Ridge Parkway Smoky Mountain National Park. Want to receive up to date information on cabin specials and events in the Smokies? Hello my husband and I will be traveling with our 11month old from Chicago to Hilton Head Island on Saturday, May 14th and trekking back on Saturday, May 21st. Check out our best short vacation ideas for Gatlinburg to get started! Situated almost halfway into this fabulous road trip, 719 miles from Chicago, the place to stay is undoubtedly the Westin Peachtree Plaza. Simply provide a contact name and email so that we can reach you. Once you get to Indy you really have two options: I-65S through Louisville or I-74E through/around Cinci and then south. You can also remove a property from your favorites list by clicking the minus sign to the right of the property name under the favorites tab. Then head to the citys celebrated Millennium Park downtown. They serve a unique Greek-style chili on spaghetti noodles and heaping portions of cheddar cheese you don't want to miss! Don't know if using I 40 or I 24 but thought I would mention that. The docents are super entertaining and informative. Day 1 - The Drive and the Cottage. I-65S from Indy: Columbus, IN is known for their architecture. Sun Valley is a resort city in Blaine County in central Idaho, in the western United States. The ride was smooth and once at the top, plenty of panoramic views were on offer. Further east is Batesville, IN, and within miles a smaller city/town called Oldenburg. Why Smoky? A popular area in the northern part of the forest is Red River George and Natural Bridge SP, in the southern end, Cumberland Falls SP. If you plan to check out the city, the Hyatt Centric Downtown is a fabulous place to stay. Founded in 1995, it has collections in skiing, mining Sun Valley, sheep, and Hemingway. Alternatively, you can take a bus from Chicago to Smoky Mountains via St Louis, Denver, Twin Falls, and Ketchum, ID in around 46h 9m. It turns out you dont have to head to Athens, Greece, to see the Parthenon, which was completed in 432 B.C. My family will be leaving soon on a two week road trip to the east coast. A showcase of whos who in architecture, this interactive park is an adult playground. Please share your thoughts on this post or your own Smoky Mountain Trip ideas in the comments section. Places to Visit on a Smoky Mountains Road Trip | Marriott TRAVELER The road trip from Chicago to the Great Smoky Mountains will be memorable whichever time of year you decide to go, which is all dependent on your preferences for the weather and the season. Lexington is a nice town. Take in the great outdoors and stretch your legs with a trail walk, or visit the Wild Bear Falls Water Park. Advance booking of Smoky Mountain cabin rentalswas the best decision in this trip, as we got a beautiful rental property on the hill overlooking mountains and the valleys. I've never really stopped anywhere along the way, though I've done some research on the areas and might visit them in the future. This is about 9 hours and 17 minutes of driving non-stop. Its not every day that you see horses frolicking from your front-yard. The forested Smoky Mountains were named for their propensity to summer forest fires. This post has already been read 2799 times! Chicago to Miami RV Road Trip Guide (+ RV Rental) | RVshare Alternatively, you may use, Great Smoky Mountains National Park Travel Forum, Great Smoky Mountains National Park Tourism, Great Smoky Mountains National Park Hotels, Great Smoky Mountains National Park Vacation Rentals, Great Smoky Mountains National Park Vacation Packages, Flights to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Restaurants near Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Things to Do in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Great Smoky Mountains National Park Photos, Great Smoky Mountains National Park Travel Guide. Additionally, you clear your favorites list by clicking "remove all" on the favorites bar. :). You can easily avoid the smaller roads that go through the Smoky Mountains From Nashville.head toward Chattanooga then Atlanta. The 31 Most Awesome Road Trips From Chicago: Day Trips, Weekend We did the following in a 4 day trip: rafting at Lower Pigeon River; hiking at Laurel Falls; visiting Cades Cove, Gatlinburg downtown including Skylift and The Little River Scenic Drive. Bad part Every one of them was brimming with people. Situated right in the heart of downtown, you'll be within walking distance to the Bridgestone Arena, Ryman Auditorium, and much more. Filled with useful and timely travel information, the guides answer all the hard questions - such as 'How do I buy a ticket? We are travelling from Canada to (ta && ta.queueForLoad ? Help with route Chicago to Smoky Mountains - Road Trips - Tripadvisor Road trip loop from Chicago to the Carolinas. 180 miles into your journey, this vibrant city is a car enthusiast's dream. Lexington is a great town. We went back to our cottage to recharge the batteries and then went for Skylift again, to take advantage of the night views. Rise and shine - We left sharp at 6 AM in our Durango R/T to kick-start our first summer road trip of 2021. Covering 21,000 route miles (34,000km) Amtrak operates more than 300 trains daily. Indiana area. LazyTrips is a trading name of Uncle Bob Media Ltd. We have two 13 year olds that will be traveling . The best way to get from Chicago to Chicago O'Hare Airport is to subway which takes 43 min and costs $1-$5. One could go south to Blowing Green, then take I-66E and catch I-75 south down to Pigeon Forge. After a quick pit-stop at Louisville, KY to feed our V8 engine hauling us; we had lunch at Taco Bell in Lexington city. Trip Length: It's a 20-hour drive, but this is without making stops along the way. Atlanta is a world-class city with a rich cultural history. We dont mind passing by mountains in the view on interstate but correct we want to avoid smaller roads through mountains. You can choose to stay in one or more of the many fascinating cities along the route or take a more secluded getaway in one of the national parks. The cheapest way to get from Chicago to Great Smoky Mountains costs only $133, and the quickest way takes just 4 hours. Streams, rivers and waterfalls appear along hiking routes that include a segment of the Appalachian Trail. chicago to smoky mountains road trip stops The One Subscription to Fuel All Your Adventures. Enjoy classic scenic drives along Newfound Gap Road in Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee or along the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina. There are a few war museums, a western/American Indian museum, and a general state museum. There are many places to stop between Chicago and the Great Smoky Mountains and you'll pass many cities and be spoilt for choice with accommodation options. Passing many fantastic towns and cities, discover the home of country music, gorgeous national parks, and the homes of some famous US icons. . The trip starts in Chicago and ends in Santa Monica. The Best Road Trip from Chicago to Myrtle Beach | GetJerry.com From here, head south and join Interstate 75 where you will arrive at Lexington, where our main route continues. Clingmans Dom - highest point at Smoky with stunning views. The I-40 corridor between Asheville to TN is steep and in Knoxville, you get on I-75 which will also have a steep incline until you get to KY . The road trip from Chicago to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park has so much to offer and we advise taking at least three days to make the trip, but even then, it will still be impossible to explore everything on this route. If you are looking for a place to relax and enjoy unwind after a truly memorable road trip, the RiverStone Resort & Spa will definitely deliver, located in Pigeon Forge at the base of the Smoky Mountains. Chicago may be the best city in America to take road trips from, so there are endless possibilities for car vacations. 40 Best Stops Between the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Chicago
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