Photo of a solar eclpise
July 11, 2017

If you are planning a vacation to the Great Smoky Mountains in late August, you might just be lucky enough to be in town during the 2017 Total Solar Eclipse! Although this incredible phenomenon can be seen throughout certain areas of North America, there is no better place to view the event than from near our cabins in the Smokies! Here is everything you need to know about watching the 2017 total eclipse in Tennessee near our cabins in Gatlinburg TN:

What is a Solar Eclipse?

A solar eclipse takes place when the moon passes between the Earth and the sun, blocking at least a portion of the sun as viewed from certain areas of the earth. During a total solar eclipse, the sun is completely obscured by the sun so that only the sun’s corona is only visible for a brief moment in time!

Date of the Solar Eclipse

On Monday, August 21, 2017, parts of the Smoky Mountain region will be treated to a total solar eclipse where the sun will completely disappear behind the moon! This incredible event will turn daylight into twilight, cause the temperature to drop rapidly and reveal massive streams of light streaking through the sky around the silhouette of the moon. The shadow will impact the United States for just over 90 minutes, darkening the sky along a stretch of 70 miles wide all the way from Oregon to South Carolina. The awesome news is that the entire western half of Great Smoky Mountains National Park will be under the total eclipse, just minutes from our cabins!

Golden sunlight covers the fields in Cades CoveThe Best Viewing Locations

While staying at our cabins in Gatlinburg TN, you are extremely close to many ideal viewing locations for the Total Solar Eclipse! While tickets to view this event at Clingmans Dome are sold out, Great Smoky Mountains National Park is currently planning several public viewing areas in the park. There will be informal staff-guided eclipse viewing sites at Cable Mill in Cades Cove and Oconaluftee Visitor Center. Visitors may view the eclipse from other areas of the park on their own. Be sure to check with the National Park Service staff and park rangers at the visitors centers to get the most updated information about viewing the eclipse from Great Smoky Mountains National Park!

Check out all of our cabins in Gatlinburg today to stay near the total eclipse in Tennessee. We look forward to seeing you soon at Parkside Cabin Rentals!

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