Self-Launched Best of the Smokies & Asheville
5 days · Great Smoky Mountains & Asheville, North Carolina, USA
Wildland Trekking charges £1,950
No-markup version: ~£420 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A 5-day self-launched hiking trip matching Wildland Trekking's "Best of Smokies and Asheville" itinerary: two days in Great Smoky Mountains National Park (Charlies Bunion, Clingman's Dome, Cades Cove, Grotto Falls, Big Creek), then Linville Gorge and the Blue Ridge Parkway, finishing with Looking Glass Rock. Instead of a guided group, you base yourself in budget motels/hostels in Asheville and Townsend and self-drive a rental car — the most practical way to reach these trailheads, which have no public transport. All hikes are on well-marked park trails (bring the AllTrails app or NPS trail maps); picnic lunches replace guide-cooked meals. Costs are rough backpacker-budget estimates in GBP per person.
Day-by-day
Asheville to the Smokies: Oconaluftee, Newfound Gap & Charlies Bunion
Asheville / Great Smoky Mountains NP
Pick up a rental car in Asheville early (book in advance — £25-35/day, or split between 2+ travellers). Drive ~1 hr to the Oconaluftee entrance and stop at the Mountain Farm Museum (free) to see the pioneer log buildings and Cherokee history exhibits. Continue up to Newfound Gap and hike the Appalachian Trail out to Charlies Bunion (8.1 miles, ~500m gain) — one of the park's signature ridge walks. Drive up to Clingman's Dome (6,643 ft) for the half-mile paved summit trail and sweeping views. Buy picnic supplies at a supermarket in Cherokee or Gatlinburg (~£6) rather than relying on park concessions. Overnight in Townsend or Gatlinburg, the quieter/cheaper 'peaceful side' of the park.
🚌Rental car from Asheville, ~1 hr drive to Oconaluftee; park roads to Newfound Gap and Clingman's Dome
🛏Budget motel or cabin in Townsend/Gatlinburg (~£45-60/night double, ~£25-30pp)
- →Mountain Farm Museum & Oconaluftee Visitor Center (free)
- →Appalachian Trail hike Newfound Gap to Charlies Bunion (8.1 mi)
- →Clingman's Dome summit walk
- →Supermarket picnic supplies
Cades Cove Loop & Middle Prong of Little River to Indian Flats Falls
Cades Cove / Tremont, Great Smoky Mountains NP
Get up early and drive the 11-mile one-way Cades Cove Loop Road — the historic settlement district (log cabins, churches, gristmill) plus the park's best black bear and white-tailed deer sightings before the crowds arrive (free, but timed entry may apply in peak season). Then drive to Tremont and hike the Middle Prong of Little River trail past Lynn Camp Prong Cascades to Indian Flats Falls (8.3 miles, ~350m gain). Eat dinner in Townsend at a family diner (~£12).
🚌Rental car: Cades Cove Loop Road, then ~30 min to Tremont trailhead
🛏Budget motel or cabin in Townsend/Gatlinburg (~£45-60/night double)
- →Cades Cove Loop Road self-drive & historic district
- →Wildlife spotting in Cades Cove
- →Middle Prong of Little River to Indian Flats Falls (8.3 mi)
Grotto Falls, Roaring Fork Motor Trail & Big Creek → back to Asheville
Roaring Fork / Big Creek / Asheville
Breakfast at a local diner in Gatlinburg, then drive the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail (one-way loop, free) with stops at the historic pioneer cabins — the trailhead for Grotto Falls (3 mi round trip, you can add the Trillium Gap extension to reach ~7 mi for the day). Continue over to the Big Creek area on the park's northeast side and hike to Midnight Hole and Mouse Creek Falls (4.2 mi round trip) — the swimming hole is a highlight in summer. Picnic lunch along Little Pigeon River. Drive back to Asheville (~1.5 hr) and check into accommodation there; dinner at a casual downtown spot (~£15).
🚌Rental car: Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail, Big Creek (40 min), then Asheville (~1.5 hr)
🛏Hostel or budget motel in Asheville (~£30-40pp; e.g. hostel dorms ~£28, private rooms from ~£55)
- →Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail & historic cabins (free)
- →Grotto Falls hike
- →Midnight Hole & Mouse Creek Falls hike
- →Big Creek swimming hole
Linville Gorge, Linville Falls & Table Rock Mountain
Linville Gorge / Blue Ridge Parkway / Asheville
Drive ~1 hr 15 from Asheville to Linville Falls Visitor Center and walk the Erwin's View Trail to three viewpoints of the gorge's waterfalls (1.6 mi). Then hike Table Rock Mountain (via the Table Rock Trail, ~5 mi round trip, ~350m gain) for panoramic views over the Linville Gorge Wilderness — combine to roughly 7 mi and 1,400 ft for the day. Simple picnic lunch at the summit (pick up supplies in Marion or Spruce Pine). Return via the Blue Ridge Parkway with photo stops at the Linn Cove Viaduct and Rough Ridge overlook; note the parkway can close in winter/ice. Back in Asheville for dinner (~£18).
🚌Rental car: Asheville–Linville Falls (~1 hr 15), Table Rock, return via Blue Ridge Parkway
🛏Hostel or budget motel in Asheville (~£30-40pp)
- →Linville Falls viewpoints (Erwin's View Trail)
- →Table Rock Mountain hike
- →Blue Ridge Parkway scenic drive & Linn Cove Viaduct
- →Optional Crabtree Meadows waterfall
Looking Glass Rock, Looking Glass Falls & Blue Ridge Parkway
Pisgah National Forest → Asheville
Drive 45 min to the Looking Glass Rock trailhead on Forest Heritage Scenic Byway and hike to the summit (6.4 mi round trip, ~500m gain) — the granite dome viewpoint is superb. Stop at Looking Glass Falls roadside cascade on the way back (free, no hike needed). Picnic lunch on the summit. Finish with a Blue Ridge Parkway drive and photo stops before returning the rental car in Asheville by late afternoon. Optional final-night hostel stay if you're flying out next day.
🚌Rental car: Asheville–Looking Glass Rock (~45 min), Blue Ridge Parkway return, drop car in Asheville
🛏Optional final night hostel/budget motel in Asheville (~£30-40pp) or onward travel
- →Looking Glass Rock summit hike
- →Looking Glass Falls (roadside)
- →Blue Ridge Parkway photo stops
Self-launched vs. Wildland Trekking
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Wildland Trekking | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£420 | £1,950 |
| Duration | 5 days | 5 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £1,530 per person (78%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Wildland Trekking-style trips? Check them out here.~£420
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Self-Launched Best of the Smokies & Asheville cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £420 per person for 5 days in Great Smoky Mountains & Asheville, North Carolina, USA. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with Wildland Trekking?+
Yes — Wildland Trekking charges around £1,950 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £420 — a saving of roughly £1,530 (78%) per person.
How long is the Great Smoky Mountains & Asheville, North Carolina, USA trip?+
This itinerary runs 5 days, covering 5 day-by-day stops through Great Smoky Mountains & Asheville, North Carolina, USA.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a hiking, adventure, budget trip through Great Smoky Mountains & Asheville, North Carolina, USA, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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