The breathtaking Smoky Mountains beckon you to spend time outdoors. Stay in a cabin with a fire pit, and you’ll have terrific reasons to linger outside night and day, getting close to nature –and closer to your family. Enjoy unforgettable campfire moments like these.
1. Watching for Wildlife
Is that sound the rustling of a bear cub climbing a tree? The soft steps of a deer? Or is it just the fire crackling? Here in the Smokies, you never know when you’ll spot wildlife, so keep your eyes and ears open. Your fire pit makes an ideal place to wait for animals to flit, fly, stalk or stroll past you. Look for iconic black bears, white-tailed deer, elusive coyotes, colorful salamanders, and more than 240 species of birds.
2. Exploring the Stars
Turn away from the fire’s bright light, look up, and gaze at the stars. How many constellations can you spy overhead? Learn how to tell whether you’re seeing a star or a planet. Try an app that identifies what you see in the night sky. Let the kids make up their own constellation names and spin tales about the stories behind them!
3. Making Sweet Treats
S’mores are the classic campfire dessert, transporting you back in time to scout camps or childhood trips. But why not try some tasty new ways to satisfy everyone’s sweet tooth? Make campfire banana splits with just bananas, chocolate chips and marshmallows. Bake individual brown sugar apple crisp desserts in foil packets.
4. Telling Ghost Stories
Darkness at your back. A bright and comforting fire in front of you. This is the perfect time to raise goosebumps with ghost stories. Can’t recall any supernatural tales? Check out these ghostly stories when no one’s looking–we won’t tell on you! You can find scary stories for teens and adults, and silly ones for younger kids, at the linked sites.
5. Playing Games
Create new memories with the folks you love. Sit around the fire and play old-fashioned games, no equipment required. Twenty questions, charades, and “never have I ever” will get everyone engaged and laughing. Remember “gossip”? Maybe you knew it as “telephone.” Send a whispered phrase around the fire circle and see if the last person’s version matches the original.
Reserve a Smoky Mountains cabin with a fire pit and start stocking up on marshmallows and ghost stories.
