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Why We Built SmokiesApp

SmokiesApp is a real-time companion for your trip to the Smoky Mountains. Instead of jumping between websites, social media pages, event calendars, and travel guides, SmokiesApp brings everything together in one place. Our goal is simple: Help visitors discover more, miss less, and make the most of their time in the Smokies.

Jared Anders, Co-Founder3 min read
sun breaking through clouds over the Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Why We Built SmokiesApp

SmokiesApp is a real-time guide to the Smoky Mountains that helps visitors discover events, restaurants, attractions, hiking trails, deals, and local experiences while they're happening.

The idea started with a problem we've experienced countless times.

We'd come home from a trip and someone would ask:

"Did you go to the concert downtown?"

Nope.

"Did you eat at that little sandwich shop everyone loves?"

Never heard of it.

"Did you catch the live music at that local brewery?"

What live music?

It seemed like every vacation ended the same way.

We'd discover the best things after it was already too late.

Not because they weren't happening.

Not because they weren't worth doing.

Because we simply never knew about them.

The information was out there somewhere.

  • Buried in Facebook Events
  • Posted on Instagram Stories
  • Hidden on a business website
  • Mentioned in a local Facebook group
  • Lost on page three of Google

We realized the problem wasn't a lack of things to do.

The problem was finding them while they were actually happening.


Great Experiences Shouldn't Be This Hard To Find

When you're on vacation, you shouldn't need ten different apps and twenty browser tabs open just to figure out what's happening around you.

You shouldn't discover the best restaurant on your last day.

You shouldn't find out about the festival after you've already gone home.

You shouldn't miss an amazing local business simply because it doesn't rank well on Google.

Yet that's exactly what happens every day.

Not just in the Smokies.

Everywhere.


Why We Started With The Smokies

When we decided to build a solution, there was only one place we wanted to start.

Home.

The Smoky Mountains welcome millions of visitors every year.

People come here looking for unforgettable experiences.

  • Great food
  • Great hikes
  • Great attractions
  • Great memories

But many of the best experiences never make it into traditional travel guides.

Some are happening right now.

Some are hidden gems locals have known about for years.

Some are small businesses that deserve far more attention than they receive.

We wanted to build something that helped visitors discover more of what makes this place special.


What Is SmokiesApp?

SmokiesApp is a real-time companion for your trip to the Smoky Mountains.

Instead of jumping between websites, social media pages, event calendars, and travel guides, SmokiesApp brings everything together in one place.

Our goal is simple:

Help visitors discover more, miss less, and make the most of their time in the Smokies.


Everything Happening Around Your Vacation. In One Place.

SmokiesApp helps you discover:

  • Events happening today
  • Live music nearby
  • Local restaurants
  • Attractions and activities
  • Hiking trails
  • Deals and discounts
  • Hidden gems
  • Recommendations from locals and visitors

Everything happening in and around your vacation.

Right in the palm of your hand.


Save. Explore. Play.

Those three words drive every decision we make.

Save

Save money with local deals, offers, and discounts.

Explore

Discover places you may never have found otherwise.

Play

Spend less time searching and more time making memories.

Because that's what vacations should be about.


What Happens Next?

We're building SmokiesApp because we believe visitors deserve a better way to experience the Smokies.

One that helps them discover more, save more, and miss less.

One that makes it easier to find what's happening right now instead of hearing about it tomorrow.

Just like the weather in these parts, the Smokies are always changing.

Your guide should, too.


Join The SmokiesApp Waitlist

Be among the first to experience SmokiesApp when it launches.

Join the waitlist to get updates, early access opportunities, and launch announcements as we get closer to release.

We can't wait to show you what we've been building.

Plan your Smokies trip with SmokiesApp

Deals, events, trails, and local tips in one app. Join the waitlist for first access.

For a launch-day text. We'll never share it.

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