Here's to hoping I am posting this in the right place...

I'm a Montana girl at heart, at least that's where I usually go when I run away from home. However, I decided to head east and south this upcoming week. Not so far from home..

I'm thinking West Virginia, North Carolina, Tennesee...

This will be my first road trip in the new jeep..

Where should I go?

I'm looking for scenic type stuff, good places to hike etc. I've been checking out some places online and I bought a couple books but I'm thinking that the best places are those pointed out by people who know.


Suggestions?? I'm giving myself 4-5 days..

The Appalachian Mountains are no Rockies.... but they are beautiful in their own right.

check out Cheat Lake, WV.. http://www.coopersrockstateforest.com/

10-4 on the Appalachian Mountains!! I'm looking at cabin rentals around that area.. Hopefully the weather holds up!

Thanks for the link Vector. I'm checking it out now!!

Cherokee National Forest is gorgeous. Anywhere near the Ocoee River. I would say you cant go wrong with anything along the TN/NC border. The App. Trail runs through the area. If you are taking bikes, check out the Virginia Creeper Trail. I say that area is the most beautiful place east of the Mississippi. This is where you will find Tellico.

COME TO MAINE...and come hike mt katahdin, its so beautiful and also the white mountains, and if you are lookin at stuff check out what is called knifes edge pretty awesome as long as it isnt windy

I grew up in Western Maryland.......Id definatly get into West Virgina.....beauituful gorgeous state......North Georgia is nice....North West Arkansas is very nice

I have ta see mountains or I get grouchy

If you bring the jeep to N. Georgia, send me a note and I will show you a couple of places to wheel.

As far as being able to hike and four wheel, check out George Washington National Forest. It's on the border between WVa and Va and has many scenic hiking and offroad trails.

http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/gwj/

tellico, uwharrie....both in NC

If you want to wheel your jeep in Tellico, you will have to wait until after April 1st.

Amicalola Falls is a great place to visit and hike. It is the tallest cascading waterfall east of the Mississippi. You can hike from the bottom up, or do some shorter hikes.

There are some pretty wheeling trails in the area too. Not difficult, but a nice journey.

http://www.gastateparks.org/info/amicalola/

Jase - awesome suggestion..if someone wants to wheel up there, please tag me. I understand there are some trails around there.

Thanks

You would love Tellico if you wait for it to open. My favorite. I'd like to hit it again this summer before the Black Mountain trip in August. Our local club has a work weekend at Uwharrie in May, my first time there. Should be fun.

Chris -
I will be in Tellico the first weekend in April..you going?

I wish. Mostly playing the the woods around here for the next couple months. Uwharrie in May. Maybe in June, but we'll see. Damn gas prices are going to really limit my travel this year if things don't get better.

TN is BEAUTIFUL. by far my favorite place to go.

hikerchick, if you go to the Appalachen Mtns - will you let me know where you stayed. My SO & I are looking for someplace out east too. Thanks

Don't bother coming to New York. We're looking to go west.

Well, I sort of went there via Gatlinburg and the Smoky Mountain National Park.. You can get there from there..

If you ever wanted to stay in the Gatlinburg / Pigeon Forge area I would research your lodging, of course that depends on your taste..

I recommend www.gatlinburgcabinsonline.com

I stayed in the "Twilight Hideaway" chalet which is actually in Pigeon Forge. Me being the kind of person who doesn't appreciate large crowds, I was thankful that this place was about 6 miles from town and literally on the side of a mountain. It was isolated enough that you could walk around naked if you wanted to and no one would see you. *lol*

I paid $100-$135 a night depending on what night it was, weekend rates were higher. It was a 3 level 2 bedroom chalet with pool table, hot tub, jacuzzi tub, 3 bathrooms etc. Heck of a deal, especially since I was all by my lonesome. And it was haunted.

No really.



All I can say about the area is that, wow, there was a lot of people there.

Gatlinburg, is a cool place........a few memories from there........ Good choice, glad you had fun.

I am glad yougot to enjoy Gatlinburg. Not really my way to go (too touristy), but can be fun if you want the crouds. Another good tourist town is Cherokee, NC. Beind part cherokee and actually studying their language made being there on the Res very cool.

Yeah that was my thought on Gatlinburg. Too many people. When asked by others what it was like around Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, I described it as "The Wisconsin Dells on crack"
I drove up to Cherokee and then turned around and came back..

I'm used to western Montana where you can go and not see anyone for days. Or at least the only other vehicle is a park ranger. That's what the place out west is like where I go..

I spend a lot of time around the Hungry Horse area. THAT is a really great place to go if you don't want to deal with others yet you need to stay somewhat close to civilization. The country is really pretty..

gatlinburg is nice, but theres plenty of isolated areas in the smokey's, you've just gotta know how to get there which is hard to do when your from the other side of the country. not to mention, gatlinburg/pigeon forge is a big tourist area so alot of the people may have been doing the same as you, getting away from home, and its spring break for a lot of schools, so that could of added to the crowds. but other than the number of people, how'd you like it?