GATLINBURG Trout Fishing, Oconoluftee, & Clingman's Dome (Day 1 - GSMNP)

Day 1 of my 4 day trip to Great Smoky Mountains National Park for trout fishing and hiking. Driving 8+ hours from South Central Pennsylvania, we started off this trip right by heading to Haywood's Smokehouse in Waynesville North Carolina for some excellent BBQ. Next, we headed to the Oconoluftee Visitors Center on the North Carolina side of Great Smoky Mountains National Park to hit the Oconoluftee River Trail with my dog and to spot for Elk (we didn't see any unfortunately). Next, we drove through the heart of the park to Clingman's Dome with the intention of hiking to the observation tower. With swelling crowds and limited parked, we only managed to quickly get a few views from the summit. Finally, we made it to our final destination of Gatlinburg, checked into an hotel and then began Trout Fishing a nearby river (specifically the West Prong of the Little Pigeon River). Fishing with single barbless hook trout spinners for an hour or so, we managed to catch 1 Wild Rainbow and 2 Stocked Rainbows (swam up from outside of the National Park). The next 3 days just kept getting better and better.