Labor day weekend ideas? Thinking smokey mountains..

http://www.in.gov/dnr/parklake/2964.htm in Indiana is really nice and way closer to you. Smokies are nice but super crowded at the best of times and that's a long drive.

I've been to the Smokies, but I wouldn't do it this way. There are a LOT of great places to go and get away within a much more reasonable drive from Champaign. Wherever you go, though, you will face crowds, so keep that in mind. Turkey Run is good. So is http://www.in.gov/dnr/parklake/2988.htm, also Indiana (nickname: "The Little Smokies"). You could also go west, and hit the Mississippi Palisades, anything from http://www.nps.gov/efmo/index.htm, the http://dnr.state.il.us/lands/landmgt/PARKS/R1/Palisade.htm, the (again, crowded and a little touristy) historic city of Galena. Illinois has http://dnr.state.il.us/lands/landmgt/parks/region.htm. Really, poke around more locally and you will likely find an overlooked gem, if just "getting away from it all" is what you really need and don't have any more specifics. South of where you are, Illinois gets significantly more rural and woods-y, Illitucky as they say, and especially down near Carbondale and so forth. Use your getaway time wisely, is all I'm saying. Don't wear yourself out getting there.

I love the Smoky Mountains. Gatlinburg is ideal! When you arrive, just walk up and down the main street. Lots to see and do. Dollywood is expensive, but it's pretty great, either the amusement park or the water park. We rented a cabana for the day at the water park and it was AMAZING! I recommend that you go into the Smoky Mountain park and check out http://www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/cadescove.htm. Gas up before you go, it's about an hour off the main road through the park, but it's pretty cool once you get there. We usually stay at the http://www.ihg.com/holidayinnclubvacations/hotels/us/en/gatlinburg/glbcv/hoteldetail. We get a two bedroom and cook in the room. It saves money. There are a bajillion hotels though or cabins or motels, etc. There are a number of touristy things to do, if they sound good, do 'em. Cherokee is directly through the Smoky Mountain park, they have a museum (sad), a casino (sad) and a pageant, http://www.cherokeesmokies.com/unto_these_hills.html. Check out the websites and see what appeals. Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge can be beautiful or tacky, or both! nthing Holiday weekend will be packed!

The Smokey Mountains are nice. They will be packed on labor day weekend. If you are interested in something other than hiking and camping, the TN side is a bit dreary; the NC side is nicer, but is more than 8 hours away. 2.5 days is enough to do some good hikes. I would head out before the sun is up to beat crowds, but that's me. For something closer, Red River Gorge in eastern Kentucky is quite nice.

Another option closer to you is Shawnee National Forest.

It is not as majestic as the Smokey Mountains, but the Shawnee National Forest in southern Illinois is much more accessible from east central Illinois (it's about 3.5 hours to Giant City) and has nice hiking, interesting rock formations, and offers a very different landscape compared to C-U.

Have you looked at tickets out of Indy, Peoria, or Bloomington-Normal? Flights out of Champaign are only expensive because you have to fly to a major hub (Chi or Dallas, IIRC) first before going anywhere else. I see a bunch of flights from Indy to Knoxville that http://www.kayak.com/flights#/IND-TYS,nearby/2013-08-31/2013-09-02. Flying out of Peoria http://www.kayak.com/flights#/PIA-TYS,nearby/2013-08-31/2013-09-02 and would save you an hour or so. Maybe play with the start and end airports a bit and see what you can find? Alternately, you could try Kickapoo. I hike there all the time and had a great time canoeing there recently. They also have kayaking and tubing. The campgrounds are pretty nice as far as car camping goes. I think they have some more backwoodsy campsites but I haven't been to those. Turkey Run is prettier but less woodsy- there are paved trails and established stairs. I've also heard good things about Raccoon State Park but can't vouch for it personally.

Comments about holiday weekend crowds are on the mark. (Just returned from stay in Pigeon Forge this past weekend. Got to Gatlinburg around 1pm on Saturday and could have walked through the town about as fast as we drove.) Yes, there is lots and lots of stuff to do. And there will be lots and lots of people doing it alongside you. So, it sort of depends on what you like in a holiday weekend. I would think you would barely get unwound from the 8 hour drive before it's time to hit the road again. Can't think of many places worth 16 hours on the road for barely 2-1/2 days' stay. Alternatives suggested by others sound more like something worth considering.

I live in the Smokies, in the country south of Maryville, TN and north of the NC border. The touristy parts of the Park and its "gateway towns" of Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg and Cherokee will be godawful on a holiday weekend, but there are LOTS of ways to enjoy the mountains without getting stuck in hell. Basically, stay out of the Park. If you hike, have a look at the hundreds (thousands?) of miles of trails in the Wilderness areas nearby: http://www.wilderness.net/NWPS/wildView?WID=280, http://www.wilderness.net/NWPS/wildView?WID=123 and http://www.wilderness.net/NWPS/wildView?WID=26. The Wilderness areas have very permissive land use rules, including allowing off-leash dogs. Hunting is permitted in the Wildernesses but AFAIK it's not anything but small game season right now so you're unlikely to encounter hunters. Be aware that Wilderness trails are not nearly as well maintained as Park trails; the treadways can be narrow, steep and overgrown and they are haphazardly blazed. For easier hiking (with lake access!), explore the http://tellicowater.org/documents/Complete%20ELT%20Map.pdf system along Tellico Lake. The trails are wide, well-marked and on TVA land, so off-leash dogs are OK here too. (Can you tell that I hike with my dogs a lot?) A little north of here is the beautiful (and less crowded than GSM NP) http://www.nps.gov/biso/index.htm, which has hiking trails, river access and horse stables. If you're interested in paddle sports, consider the http://www.nps.gov/obed/index.htm, which has some of the most challenging whitewater in the southeast. Please feel free to PM me with questions - I'm a hiking/trail running/swimming/bicycling fool and I LOVE where I live. I'm sure there will be some bluegrass/roots music happenings that weekend too but since I'll be out of town I hadn't really paid attention.