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Great Smoky Mountains: Historic River Town Tour
5.0
44 Ratings
Gatlinburg
Explore the historic river town in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Discover artifacts from the early 1900s and learn from passionate guides. Book now!
Explore the historic river town in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Discover artifacts from the early 1900s and learn from passionate guides. Book now!
Duration:
3 hours, 30 minutes
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Great Smoky Mountains National Park - Enjoy a gentle stroll in a quiet part of the Park. You’ll walk along a beautiful river, see several small cascades, and explore a remain of a town that used to sit in this area. Perfect for families, seniors and large groups as well as couples looking for an easy introduction to the Smokies
- Great Smoky Mountains National Park - Enjoy a gentle stroll in a quiet part of the Park. You’ll walk along a beautiful river, see several small cascades, and explore a remain of a town that used to sit in this area. Perfect for families, seniors and large groups as well as couples looking for an easy introduction to the Smokies
What's Included
- Snack selection including peanut-based options: peanut butter crackers, trail mix, and fruit snacks
- Guided tour with a professional guide
- Snack selection including peanut-based options: peanut butter crackers, trail mix, and fruit snacks
- Guided tour with a professional guide
What's Not Included
- Gratuities are appreciated for good service.
- Lunch
- Drinks are not provided. Bring plenty of water.
- Transportation to/from attractions
- Parking Tag not included. Contact us or purchase here: www.recreation.gov/activitypass/AP2510
- Gratuities are appreciated for good service.
- Lunch
- Drinks are not provided. Bring plenty of water.
- Transportation to/from attractions
- Parking Tag not included. Contact us or purchase here: www.recreation.gov/activitypass/AP2510
Additional Information
This tour begins at the Sugarlands Visitors Center. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park boasts the largest collection of human artifacts of any park in the nation. Step back in time as the tour explores remnants of an early 1900s town along the beautiful, albeit misnamed, Little River. The tour is led by a highly trained and skilled professional…
This tour begins at the Sugarlands Visitors Center. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park boasts the largest collection of human artifacts of any park in the nation. Step back in time as the tour explores remnants of an early 1900s town along the beautiful, albeit misnamed, Little River. The tour is led by a highly trained and skilled professional naturalist guide who is both passionate and knowledgeable about the Smokies. For safety and reassurance, the guides are certified as Wilderness First Responders and in non-lethal bear aversion techniques. All vehicles will require a ‘Park it Forward’ Parking Pass
- Rating: the difficulty of this tour is easy
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Gratuity of 10 to 20% recommended for good service
- Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
- Please note that, while we do our best to follow the itinerary listed, we may need to pivot due to road closures or events outside of our control. We require a minimum of 2 people to operate this tour. We operate rain or shine.
Location
Sugarlands Visitor Center
Fighting Creek Gap Road
We meet clients under the flagpole. Here, you can purchase your parking tag at one of the convenient kiosks.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
5.0
(44 Ratings)
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Karan
Oct 18, 2025
Amazing visit in the Smokies out of Pidgeon Forge. - Our guide, Miss Debbie, is a retired park ranger. She was incredibly knowledgeable about the area and it's history. The scenery was outstanding and it well worth the visit.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kimberly_m
Aug 16, 2025
China is an excellent... - China is an excellent guide. She showed us several of the cabins in Daisy town. She pounted out several different plants along the trail.
Review provided by Viator
Comunikat
Aug 5, 2025
Best experience we've had in the Smoky Mountains! - We can't say enough good about Miss Debbie and the Historic River Town Ramble. While we have nothing against the sparkle and chaos of the middle-Tennessee tourist towns, this was an experience on an almost ethereal level. There is something mesmerizing about the way the silence of the forest harmonizes with the rumble of the streams ... and as Miss Debbie tells the stories of people who once lived in these very places, one can almost see their ghosts, standing among the ruins!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Meg
Apr 25, 2025
Fantastic Informative Hike - Our experience was excellent. We learned a lot about the Elkmont area and its history. We did a trail walk as well that was very informative. Learned about different plants and animals. Deb and Randy are fantastic guides. Deb is a wealth of knowledge and loves sharing it. Highly recommend this tour!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
J54v
Apr 3, 2025
Beautiful! - Absolutely beautiful and peaceful. I could stay there all day and night! Just hearing the rippling of the river is such a relaxing sound.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Hllandais
Sep 29, 2024
Fantastic tour with knowledgeable guide - Really fantastic tour. Our tour guide, Sam, was really knowledgeable about the area, its history, the wildlife and the plants and trees. She was really keen to answer questions and adapt to anything we might notice. Really enjoyed going on a walk with her for a few hours!
Review provided by Viator
I7140wxkimm
Sep 2, 2024
Great hike and educational! - Great adventure!! The guide, China, was the BEST! She shared the history of the Cherokee life, Appalachian people, learned about the plant and animals living there…and showed us so many plants we would have otherwise breezed by if she had not pointed them out and introduced us to them. Great day!!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Branden_f
Aug 2, 2024
Into the Woods - We went to see a small waterfall which happened to have a gathering or butterfly’s. We took pictures, caught one, and learned all about the history of the trail. Our Trail Guide Luci was great, a a good experience!
Review provided by Viator
Stacy_w
Jul 29, 2024
A lovely walk along the river and a surprise sighting! - Ken was such a wonderful guide! He shared lots of history of the area and we loved hearing so much about the bears. What he shared actually happened on our walk! A mama bear and her cub were on our path and mama acted exactly as Ken said she would-getting her cub up a tree. It was a wonderful experience and Ken is the perfect guide!
Review provided by Viator
Deon_s
Jun 30, 2024
Friday Ramble at the Smoky's - Samantha was truly a breath of fresh air. She was very attentive to our needs and beautifully answered all of our questions. We started our tour on time and every aspect of the tour was educational. I loved the opportunities to stop and learn more about the history of the park and wild life. Possible future 2 day backpacking experience to consider with A Walk in the Woods Tour after this historic ramble. My advice for future enthusiasts is to make sure you are wearing the appropiate shoes, stay hydrated with electrolytes, and use sunscreen. It truly was inspiring to have conversations along the trail with men and women at least 65 and over who completed the round trip to the trails fall.
Let not your age stop you from achieving your life goals.
Review provided by Viator
