A Whole Lotta Nothing (Part 2)

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With a big honkin’ national park in the back yard, one might be surprised to find out that Gatlinburg has city parks as well. I visited two of them, both of which had my favorite drawing card: a creek!!! Mynatt Park is one I’ve passed a million times, always thinking it was an RV park or something. No. It’s a city park, and a lovely city park at that. Heavily shaded, the park is on the way to the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail. It features picnic tables and pits, a walking path, restrooms, and a basketball court (in case you have to shoot some hoops while you’re on vacation ). One of the highlights is an arched pedestrian bridge that crosses Baskins Creek. The bridge gives a spectacular view up and down the creek. Today, because the leaves haven’t sprung forth yet, there was an unobstructed line of sight. Herbert Holt Park is, quite literally, the first thing you encounter on 441 when you come to the Gatlinburg city limits. Unfortunately, if you aren’t looking for it, you’ll miss it. A small city park just off the “main drag” as you enter town, it runs along the west fork of the Little Pigeon River, which goes through Gatlinburg. The park isn’t very big, but it has free parking, picnic tables, and handicapped-accessible access to the edge of the creek. While I was there I saw some very unusual wildlife to see in this area: a beaver! It was heading down the side of the hill toward the water when I spied it, and it was in no way interested in stopping and posing for a photo. In both cases, the park allows children under the age of 12 to fish for free. And, in both cases, the singing water provides a soothing rest. PHOTOS: TOP: Baskins Creek at Mynatt Park, complete with a lot of drops that provide a symphony of sound. BOTTOM: the clear water of the Little Pigeon River at Herbert Holt Park, taken right at the edge of the river’s bank.