First off, don’t let some precipitation ruin your vacation in these beautiful Smoky Mountain homes.  Rain can actually enhance the Smoky Mountains experience.  How can rain enhance the trip? Read on, and explore the magic of rain in the Smokies.  What many people fail to realize, is that parts of the southern Appalachians (including the Smokies) are a temperate rain forest. The highest peaks average over 85″ of rain per year.  Wet years can produce over 8 feet of rain annually. Yes I said 8 feet! When you combine serious changes in elevation mixed with copious quantities of rain, you get the crucial ingredients for waterfalls.  If you go online, you can pull up maps to the prominent waterfalls within the Park. However, if your vacation is timed with some of our local monsoons, there are still options for you that allow you to stay dry.

Before we explore some of these rainy day adventures, some caution should be noted.  Any serious rain event (like remnants from a Gulf Coast hurricane or something similar) can put you in peril if you go driving around these mountains recklessly.  Mountain roads are difficult to build and therefore are often more narrow, steep, and hazardous than lowland highways.  These mountain road ways were many times built on the flattest topography of the area.  These frequently follow the creeks and rivers of the mountains.  Valleys or hollows become the low point where a heavy rain can turn a scenic waterway into a raging flood. So exercise caution, because even the steep inclines of mountain roads get greasy with water, mud, and leaves. 

Longtime residents of the Smokies find rainy days to be delightful. Traffic is frequently lighter because many are cocooning in their homes.  The rain in the mountains is so much more 3-dimensional. Clouds and wisps of mist hang on the mountains.  It is easy to see why native Americans called this “land of a thousand smokes”.  As the water makes its way down the mountains, “wet weather” waterways spring to life and dormant waterfalls come alive on the rock ledges of the area.  If you look carefully, you can see Meigs Falls from your car.  It lies on Little River Road, 13 miles from the Visitors Center (west) and 7 miles east of Townsend.  It is easily missed.  You can also see “Place of a Thousand Drips” which is amplified in wet weather from your car.  It lies off Roaring Fork Motor Trail at stop light # 15.

When you combine vehicle sight seeing under reasonable rainy conditions, it becomes a fun, family adventure that even handicapped family members can share.  Remember to consult our previous blogs on fun events and area shopping.  You will learn what our residents already know, there is never a bad day in the East Tennessee Smokies.

If you really want the full experience, consider purchasing a property of your own in the Smokies.  Begin on our website, and set your own personal search criteria.  Our team of experienced professionals is ready to help you “seal the deal”. Start now and find your place in the Smokies.

Here are a Few of My Latest and Current Listings:

Active Location for Office/Residential! Great, busy location ideal for commercial office site. Has a separate entrance for lower level so could be used for two businesses or in-law quarters if used for residential. Type: Office Location: Sevierville,TN Price: $399,900 Get more information >

Exceptional View and Location! Exceptional cabin with exceptional views, amenities, and location. Fully furnished. Type: Single Family Home Location: Gatlinburg ,Tennessee Price: $279,900 Get more information >

Mt LeConte View w/Large Open Floor Plan 5 bedrooms all with in suite baths for privacy. Huge great room for those family gatherings and could walk to trolley to take to town or to Nat’l Park. Type: Single Family Home Location: Gatlinburg ,Tennessee Price: $350,000 Get more information >