In the Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Greenbrier is just one of the many areas to explore in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Located just minutes from downtown Gatlinburg, it’s a great way to easily explore the mountains. After arriving in Greenbrier, we found that it had options for fun and adventures for all members of the family! Here are 3 things to do in the Greenbrier area:

The Greenbrier Swimming Hole

The swimming hole was the initial reason we decided to visit Greenbrier. In all of my years of living in East TN, I have never been to a swimming hole. I honestly didn’t even know what to expect. It was amazing! Cold, but incredibly beautiful! The Greenbrier swimming hole is a large deep area of the Little Pigeon River. The water is so clean and completely clear and it’s surrounded by stunning scenery. I highly recommend you bring anything you would bring to the pool-floaties, sunscreen, etc. But I also recommend some sort of water shoes. Although this area is more pool like, there are still small rocks along the bottom of the river.

**To access the swimming hole, proceed to the second parking lot on the right, about 1/2 mile from the main road. The swimming hole is directly across the street.

Picnic

The picnic area in Greenbrier is very nice! There are several picnic tables and charcoal grills. TJ got a kick out of reading the instructions for the bear-proof trashcans! There are also bathrooms in the picnic area and access to the river. The area of the river beside the picnic area is shallow and very rocky. It is a great place to let the kids climb and wade if you are not prepared to let them swim in the swimming hole.

**The picnic area is 3 miles from the main road. The road turns into gravel at about the 1 mile mark and the road is rough and narrow from there. It is a slow 3 mile drive, but the view make it very worth it!

Hiking Trail Heads in Greenbrier

There are two popluar trailheads in the Greenbrier area. The first is the Ramsey Cascades hike. This moderate 8 mile round-trip hike leads to one of the most impressive waterfalls in the Smokies. The second hike is the Porter’s Creek Trail. It is known for being one of the best hikes for Spring wildflowers. The first mile is wide and gravel, making it great for families or groups. After the first mile the trail becomes more narrow and continues another 2.7 miles to the end of the trail. There are also other longer trails that start in the Greenbrier area. You can read more about them here.

The Greenbrier area of the Great Smoky Mountains is a must explore area when you visit Gatlinburg. It’s a really easy way to experience the beauty of the moutains and it has some great options for all of the members of your family to explore all the mountains have to offer! I hope you find time to visit on your next trip to the mountains!!

I would love for you to come over to Instagram and say hello! Let me know if you get to visit Greenbrier!