Getting from FL to Newfound Gap TN

[dreamweaver21]

Hello again all!

I did two weeks on the trail last year (Springer to Gatlinburg) as a section. This year I want to pick up where I left off. I stopped in Gatlinburg because I thought it would be easy to get in an out of. Not really. Coming home to FL last year, I ended up taking a taxi to Knoxville to rent a car to come home. Does anyone know of a smarter way to get back to 441 / Newfound Gap than driving / flying to Knoxville and taking a taxi? Doing this will likely cost ~$400. I didn't realize all the Gatlinburg rental places don't do one way rentals. I can't find any buses or trains that run near.

Anyone in the area give a better idea? I am looking at going in 3 weeks.

[Slo-go'en]

There should be trolly service between Sevierville and Gatlinburg, but the schedule didn't come up when I searched for it. If you can figure that out, the Taxi ride from Knoxville won't be quite as expensive as going all the way to Gatlinburg, which cost me $100 a few years ago from the bus station in Knoxville.

[HooKooDooKu]

This was discussed a few months back... and in the end, there is no good solution.

The type of "rental" agencies around Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge are for scooters and "vehicles" that look to only be a step up from golf carts... in other words, they only have local rentals with pretty much no "real" rental agencies (think Hertz and Avis) in the area.

There is a Gatlinburg Trolley Service (http://www.gatlinburgtrolley.org/) and a Pigeon Forge Trolley Service (http://www.pigeonforgetrolley.org/), but they only go out as far a Dollywood in Pigeon Forge.

[MuddyWaters]

Any way you go about it, travelling costs money. Lots of it.
The cheapest and easiest for a couple of weeks would be to drive personal car, and shuttle to your starting point.
Unless you can find a hiking buddy, and fly into their local airport and have them pick you up, etc.

Normally one-way rentals means extra $100-150 right off the bat. Even if you can do that two ways, its never the most effective thing in my experience.

[dreamweaver21]

That is what I came up with too. I was hoping for an epiphany from the thread though.

I can't see doing a personal vehicle. Any cost savings on the way up is going to get ate up on getting back to the vehicle at the end of the trip plus I wouldn't have secure parking and my daily driver is a 3/4 ton truck so it isn't great mpgs on the highway. Looks like my best bet is to secure a shuttle from Knoxville and then figure out my way to Knoxville.

[dreamweaver21]

Actually, I kind of did think of something. I am planning on stopping in Damascus, VA. I am now thinking that my best bet would be to drive from FL to Damascus in my personal vehicle, pay for parking somewhere, then get a shuttle service from Damascus to Newfound gap. No planes, no rentals, no set schedule getting back, and only one expensive shuttle ride plus my gas getting to Damascus and back to FL. Anyone know a secure place to park and get a shuttle back to Newfound Gap?

[dreamweaver21]

Which is exactly what you said. Apparently I was struggling with reading comprehension when I posted yesterday...:)

[bigcranky]

Lone Wolf can shuttle you or suggest someone. Plenty of safe free parking in Damascus. Maybe you can borrow a car with better gas mileage :)


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