This is a must see! June is the month where the rhododenrons all bloom and wow are they beautiful. We went twice in two weeks and didn't catch the peak which was late this year but by seeing how many trees and buds there were you can expect a sea of flowers when they are in bloom. The Gardens have some nice walkways most have tree cover so it keeps cool. The humidity there is usually high so it will be cool and slightly damp most of the time. There is a short but moderately difficult hike to a skywalk lookout point where the view is extraordinary.

We stayed for two nights in a cabin at Roan Mountain State Park, expecting to do a lot of hiking in the park. We soon discovered that the park is only 8 miles from the Appalachian Trail. You drive up the mountain to Carvers Gap (where it can be difficult to find a parking space, depending on the time of day) and then hike the A.T. to Round Bald and Jane Bald. Just past Jane Bald, you can veer off on another trail and go on to Grassy Ridge Bald. It's about 5.5 miles from Carvers Gap to Grassy Ridge Bald and back. The next day, we drove on past Carvers Gap, paid a $3 admission fee, and then hiked to the rhododendron gardens and Roan High Bluff (highly recommended!). As for Roan Mountain State Park, a couple of notes: 1. If you're staying at the cabins, you check in at the Park Headquarters (not the Visitors Center). The GPS address they give you is quite a distance away from the Park Headquarters. 2. The Tennessee State Parks website says that the Miller Farmstead is open Wednesday through Sunday, but it was closed when we visited on Wednesday, July 21. 3. Our cabin had a power outage from around 3 a.m. to 8 a.m. one of the days we stayed there. The emergency light over the staircase came on.

We have a group of friends that meet up each year in the area and this year we stayed at the cabins in the State Park instead of renting an 'outside' place to stay. The cabins are a 'no-frills' type...kitchen has necessary utensils for quick meals, microwave, coffee maker, fridge. Nice common area with wood stove (also has electric heat). Our cabin had a bedroom (queen bed) downstairs and two twins in the loft, one bathroom. The trails to the cabins are not level so there is a 'hike' to some of them. They furnish carts to get your supplies to your cabin. The staff was friendly. Check in at the Ranger Station. We also visited the Miller Farmstead with Marco who was a fantastic tour guide. Check with the office for times of tours. Craver's Gap is just a few miles away where you can hike the Appalachian Trail to a few 'Balds' if you're wanting that type of hiking. Also, there are several trails right there in the Park too. Be prepared for some sore legs....Forest Road Trail is tough coming from Moonshiners Trail up.... :) All in all, a good place to enjoy the outdoors regardless of time of year.