A Smoky Mountain Send-Off: One Last Camping Weekend Before College

Last weekend was bittersweet—my last camping trip with my teenager before he moves into his college dorm. We packed our sense of adventure (and a cooler full of snacks) and headed for Smokemont in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Day 1 – BBQ, Elk, and a Perfect Campfire

We left Raleigh around noon Friday, stopping first at Lexington BBQ for chopped BBQ plates. As always, the food was fantastic. Our only tiny wish? A few more sauce choices—but that’s not really a NC BBQ thing. Adding coleslaw to the chop hit the spot just fine. My son asked our server if they had sweet tea, and we all had a good laugh.

For entertainment, we queued up the podcast Passenger List and bonded over our shared annoyance with the main character. She’s pushy and entitled—don’t get me started—but the mystery was fun, and it made the miles fly by.

A Sheetz stop for fuel also resulted in peanut butter cup milkshakes, which ranked as one of my son’s two favorite moments of the day. (The other was BBQ—this is a food-motivated child.)

Near Oconaluftee Visitor Center, we spotted the largest group of elk I’ve ever seen there—no traffic, no crowds, just elk. Sadly, we skipped photos because we were racing a non-existent rainstorm to set up camp. Luckily, our friends caught elk on film the next morning.

At Smokemont, I pitched my tent while my son wandered around looking for cell service (the perfect way to get a teenager to explore). Friends arrived, we finished setting up, and the night ended around a crackling campfire—the ideal ending to a great day.

Day 2 – Whitewater Wobbling and a “Gentle” Hike Gone Rogue

We slept in thanks to a quiet campground, waking around 8:30. My son’s breakfast was a banana muffin and a banana—balanced enough until a crow flew off with the muffin wrapper.

Our morning activity was with Smoky Mountain River Adventures, where our group of four rented two double kayaks for a whitewater trip. My son and I had never paddled together before, so our route resembled the path of a drunken water bug. Still, we stayed upright the whole time and had a blast.

The outfitter really impressed me: friendly staff, spotless facilities, free popsicles and popcorn afterward, and even great hiking advice. I’d book with them again in a heartbeat.

After a picnic lunch at camp, three of us set out for a gentle 4.5-mile hike to Chasteen Creek Cascade. But when we reached the falls, we noticed we could make it a loop. We decided to go for it—bad idea. It turned into an 8-mile trek with 1,800 feet of elevation gain. Six sore knees later, we stumbled back to camp for dinner, aloe on my son’s sunburned ankles, and another perfect campfire evening.

Day 3 – Legendary Biscuits and the Ride Home

Sunday morning was pack-up day. On the way home, we detoured to Krankies Coffee in Winston-Salem to try their “legendary” biscuits. My son was skeptical (overuse of the word “legendary” and all) but became a believer after his Golden Delicious—a fried chicken biscuit with sage apple butter, bacon, and gouda. I stuck with a classic bacon, egg, and cheese and an unsweet iced green tea. Everything was amazing, but next time, I’m ordering the smoked blueberry chai.

We wrapped up Passenger List on the drive—perfectly timed for a Raleigh-to-Cherokee road trip. The story was engaging enough, but the real joy was in laughing with my son at the main character’s questionable decisions.

Final Thoughts

This weekend was the perfect mix of adventure, good food, and quality time before the big move to college. If you ever have the chance to sneak away to the mountains with someone you love—do it. The memories will be worth every mile.