Smoky Mountain Jeep run Details

Book anytime before June 3rd 2011.

Who would enjoy this event? :
This is not a serious 4x4 excursion. You will not need four wheel
drive during any part of this trip. All roads are paved except Parsons Primitive road. However, a vehicle with some ground clearance is necessary to forge the creeks on Parsons Primitive road. We wanted to gear this event
toward folks who would like to tour the Great Smoky Mountains
National park and the outdoors from their Jeep in a group setting. Non– jeepers are welcome too.
Simple as that!


Whats it gonna cost?:
 The package is $336.63 with Tax. This will cover 2 adults and children under 12 years of age. The package includes: 2 nights accommodations at the Sidney James Mountain Lodge, 2 event T-shirts, Registration, a welcome reception meet and greet with light appitizers and refreshments on Friday night. The Jeep run on Saturday day and the after party with heavy appitizers, refreshments and a live band on Saturday night! Rooms available in the package will be 2 full beds with a private balcony over the creek or a single king with a private balcony over the creek.

If you live close and will not be needing accomodations you can still attend the Run and afterparty for only $75.00.  This will cover 2 adults and children under 12 years of age.

Additional adults will be $15 extra.
What to expect:
On the day of your arrival “Friday” we will have a meet and
greet in the Sidney James Hospitality room around 7:00 pm. We will talk a little about where we will be going “route etc” and
what wildlife we might see on the way. Then we will have light
appetizers and refreshments.
The next day “Saturday” spend the first half of your day however
you wish, check out down town Gatlinburg or maybe just lounge
around the pool. Then 2pm we will head out on our
trip. Hopefully the sun will be out and we can take the tops off!!
For those of you who would like to take off your doors we will
provide space to stow them. We should return to the Sidney
James around 5pm.
That evening 7pm we will converge into the Hospitality room
once again where we will have heavy appetizers,
refreshments, and live band.


Where will we be going? :
We will leave the Sidney James Mountain Lodge and after a few
short blocks enter into the main entrance to the Great Smoky
Mountains National Park. From there we will take a left at the
Welcome center and continue on Little road towards Cades
Cove. Once in Cades cove we will drive all the way to the back of the loop. We may make a quick stop at the Cable Grist mill and
visitor’s center to utilize the restrooms. From there we will
Proceed to Parsons Primitive rd. This is where the fun begins! This road will take us on a one way 8 mile mountain road through some rough driving and old growth forest. There’s ruts and bumps,
inclining and declining altitudes. We will forge the creek a few times along the way. The water does get up to a foot deep and runs very fast. If by chance the water is up we will shouldnthave any problems as long as your vehicle has enough clearance. 
 At the end of the 8 mile Primitive rd we will hang a right on the last half of the treacherous “Tail of the Dragon”. The 11-mile stretch of the Dragon is said to have 318 curves but we will only see about a third of them. Along the way all the curves will give way to some beautiful vistas overlooking the Tennessee River. When we reach the bottom we will pass by a small portion on the mighty Tennessee river then turn right on the Foothills Parkway. The Foothills Pkwy will offer great views over the Smoky Mountains. From there we will drive through Townsend and then be back tracking on a small portion for Little River Rd into Gatlinburg. The total round trip will be approximately 100 miles.


Are they any exceptions to the route? :
Yes. Roads like Parsons primitive road in the Great Smoky Mountains National park are subject to close at any given time. Closures are usually due to damage such as wash outs or fallen trees during bad storms. If this should occur an alternate route will be established





Please book before June 3rd, 2011!


If you have read everything and still have questions call me at the Sidney James Mountain Lodge 1-800-876-6888 and ask for Heather in group sales.

To visit the Sidney James Mountain Lodge Web Site Click on this link : http://www.sidneyjames.com/

If you are ready to book click on the "book now" below and use promo code:SMJR2011
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Great Smoky Mountain Jeep Run

This is so exciting for myself and  the staff at Sidney James Mountain Lodge! For the first time ever we are hosting and sponsoring our very own series of events!
      To begin the series we are kicking it off with the Great Smoky Mountain Jeep Run! June 17th and 18th, 2011.  This will not be one of those serious off roading, rock crawling get in the mud kind of Jeep runs. We are trying to gear this event towards families and folks who would simply like to tour the Great Smoky Mountains in a group setting from their vehicle. You will not need a 4x4 but a vehicle with a some clearance is needed. I would not even consider a sedan or a sports car at all! The route will be through  half of Cades cove then we will take Parsons primitive trail, the Tail Of the Dragon and then Foothills parkway. All the roads are paved except Parsons Primitive trail. Its a one way "some what" gravel road. On it we will forge the creek multiple times. Although the forges are concrete the water can be up to a foot deep at times.
     The event will start on Friday night at 7pm with a reception held in the hospitality room at the Sidney James Mountain Lodge. The reception will be a meet and greet with light appetizers and refreshments. This will give us all a chance to get to know each other a little and talk  "jeep". We will also go over the route and what to expect, answer questions etc. On Saturday we will meet once again in the hospitality room around 1pm to get lined up and hopefully get on the road before 2pm. We should return around 5:30, no later than 6 pm, to the Sidney James Mountain Lodge. At 7pm we will have another reception, this time with heavy appetizers beer and wine and Live music.
   I'm looking forward to this event so much because the route we are taking is really the best "in my opinion" of all the driving tours that the Great Smoky Mountains has to offer. AND we get to have a great time doing it!

Heather
Group sales
Sidney James Moutnain Lodge

This is a picture of my jeep on Parsons primitive trail getting ready to cross one of the forges. The water was down and there was just the tiniest bit of water trickling over it.

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