When I woke up, my knee felt a lot better but my ankle still hurt to walk on. Fortunately the park has several “driving” sights/tours so decided to go light on the walking/hiking and started my day at Cades Cove.

There are a number of trailheads up there and decided to try out the poles on a short hike. I did about a mile on the Abrams Falls trail. The hiking poles really seemed to help.

After that I continued the Cades Cove driving loop and decided to see the Oconaluftee Visitor Center on the other side of the park. I do suggest spending some time there. They have a lot more to do and see than the Sugarland Visitor Center on the Gatlinburg side.

From there I drove up to Clingmans Dome. I was told it’s nearly impossible to get parking unless you get there REALLY early but I got lucky. This area is designed for the casual tourist with a paved path up to lookout tower and it’s very crowded. But there is a short loop trail that takes you away from the crowds with a short stretch on the AT.