Tennessee: Smoky Mountain Sojourn -

Highlights

Visit America's most visited National Park and explore ridge after ridge of lush greenery and endless trails. Conquer severl of the parks hikes including Rainbow Falls and Alum Cave.

Black History and Anti Racism Education 

Engage in Black-taught learning experiences covering topics such as diversity, black history, and antiracism. We'll facilitate nightly discussions on complex issues and support each other as we become more confident to have these conversations with our communities at home. 

Rafting Upper Pigeon River

Cover 5 miles of roaring river rapids surrounded by Cherokee National Forest and the Great Smoky Mountains.

Kingsport Greenbelt Trail

Traverse the 8 mile trail along the Holston River and Reedy Creek through the city of Kingsport, passing Civil War sites, historic homes, and city landmarks. 

Hiking with Llamas

Spend the day in nature with a new furry friend. Learn about these gentle creatures and the surrounding area as our expert guide leads us through charming forest trails. 

Overview

Activities

• Explore:  Great Smoky Mountains National Park
• Whitewater Raft: Upper Pigeon River
• Bike: Kingsport Greenbelt Trail
• Hike: Alum Cave, Chimney Tops Trail, Rainbow Falls
• Learn: Black History, Antiracism, Social Justice

Completing Grades

8 - 12

Duration

10 Days

Tuition 

$3,250

Tuition includes all activities and food while on the trip, along with a basic travel protection package. The Road Less Traveled has purchased the Group Protection plan post-departure benefits on behalf of all participants. If interested in the optional Cancel for Any Reason benefits please contact the RLT office for rates and information. 

Accommodations

Lodging is a combination of a private home and tent camping. Bedrooms in the private home will be divided by gender and participants will sleep slumber party style – in sleeping bags, rotating available beds nightly. Showers are available; however, we shower every three to four days to conserve resources and support sustainability. 

Arrive/Depart

Nashville, TN (BNA)

Social Media

Coming Soon

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COVID-19 Risk Mitigation

Last summer we successfully ran our Colorado Wolf Refuge program allowing students to get outside, socialize with their peers, and volunteer their time. After months of quarantine and increased exposure to technology, time in the outdoors has proven to be exactly what students needed. With an abundance of caution and well defined protocols, we were able to keep students safe, healthy, and happy. We are confident that we are able to continue offering life changing experiences in the outdoors, mitigating risk to keep students safe. We encourage you to learn more here about our policies related to COVID-19. 

Itinerary

Arrival (Day 1):

All arrive in Nashville, TN. Depart for home base in Gatlinburg.

Cherohala Skyway and Intro to Black History Education (Day 2):

We begin our adventure by crossing the 43 mile scenic highway that connects Tennessee and North Carolina, taking in the sweeing mountain views and stopping for photos along the way. We'll break into small groups as we begin our Black History lessons and learn more about one another. 

Hike to Alum Cave (Day 3):

This 4.5 mile round trip hike will introduce us to the Tennessee wilderness. We'll see blooming rosebay rhododendro, arched rock formations, and the views of Inspiration Point until we reach Alum Cave. In the evening we will continue our group lessons and discussions on Black History and Antiracism. 

Kingsport Greenbelt Biking (Day 4):

We'll hop on our bikes and hit the Kingsport Greenbelt Trail as we cross over 8 miles of serene wilderness and historic landmarks. 

Hike to Rainbow Falls (Day 5):

This steady climb hike crosses boulder fields, and cascading creeks as we make our way to Rainbow Falls. Aptly named for it's distinction as the highest single-drop waterfall in the Smokies. If the weather is nice, we'll be lucky enough to see why it's given the name Rainbow Falls as the mist interacting with the filtered sunlight provides a colorful display. 

Shopping and Laundry (Day 6):

We'll take a rest from adventure as we stock up on groceries and have a half way point laundry session. In the evening we'll continue our lessons and group discussions on Diversity and Social Justice. 

Whitewater Rafting (Day 7):

Cover 5 miles of roaring river rapids surrounded by Cherokee National Forest and the Great Smoky Mountains. 

Chimney Tops Trail Hike (Day 8):

This hiking trail is short but mighty. Though the trail is only 3 miles round trip, we'll experience an elevation gain of 960 feet in the last mile. This rate of elevation is only rivaled by the Colorado Fourtneers. Our reward when we reach the peak will be stunning panoramic views.

The Wandering Llamas Hike and final Banquet (Day 9):

What better way to conclude a program than hike with some fluffy new friends! Enjoy a beautiful hike through forests and mountain vistas, accompanied by a pack of llamas. In the evening we will celebrate all we have learned and accomplished together with a final banquet. 

Homeward Bound (Day 10):

Head back to Nashville and say our final goodbyes before boarding our flights home. 

Please note that, given the unprecedented nature of travel currently, this itinerary is subject to change. 

Need To Know!

Traveler’s Health

The Road Less Traveled requires an up-to-date tetanus shot or booster (within the last nine years). In addition, we require an RLT Physician's Form to be signed by the partcipant's physician, affirming they are healthy to travel on an RLT trip. 

COVID-19 Risk Mitigation

We will use a combination of quarantining prior to arrival, receiving negative test results, distancing from other groups, utilizing outdoor spaces, masking when distancing and outdoor spacing isn't possible, and sanitizing regularly to create our isolated bubble. We have mitigation plans should a participant or staff present with symptoms of COVID-19, and have extensively researched testing sites and medical facilities in the areas we travel. We are in constant communiation with top experts in the field to stay educated so we're able to make the best decisions for RLT, our participants, and our staff. We have had to completely rethink our itineraries to create COVID-19-safe programming while still maintaining the integrity of the RLT experience. 

Day-To-Day Calendar

If you’d like to receive an emailed copy of this program’s day-to-day calendar, please give our office a call anytime between 9am and 5pm CST at 773-342-5200, and we’ll happily send you one!

General Travel Info

It is imperative that no one make any travel arrangements until RLT provides instructions for specific arrival and departure time windows. Those details are typically released in mid-spring.

Families are individually responsible for booking their own airfare to get their student from home to the starting destination on the first day of the trip, and from the ending destination back home on the last day of the trip.

Hold your spot now. Click here to sign up