Great Smoky Mountains National Park
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a premier destination for outdoor activities and natural beauty in the area. It is the most visited national park in the United States, and visitors will find lush green trees, abundant wildlife, and, of course, some truly breathtaking mountains.
The border between Tennessee and North Carolina runs through the center of the 522,427-acre Great Smoky Mountains National Park. From prehistoric Paleo Indians to 19th-century European settlers, the mountains have a long history of human settlement. Today, more than 10 million people visit the park each year, it's one of the few national parks in America to enjoy scenic drives to Cades Cove or along the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail and outdoor activities like hiking, biking and fishing.
The hiking trails in Great Smoky Mountains National Park are vast and numerous and even include a portion of the famous Appalachian Trail. Hikers will wind their way up mountainsides and across rivers to see some of the most beautiful scenery in the country.
Unlike most national parks, the Smokies have no entrance fee or lottery reservations system, making it an affordable way to get into the woods with a short lead time. Day hikers make the 11-mile round-trip to Gregory Bald's summit in June to see flame azaleas, flowering shrubs that range from deep orange-reds to candy pinks and yellows on the same blossom. Visitors gather in camping chairs on the Little River Trail near Elkmont Campground at night to watch the fireflies. By 10 P.M., the insects rise up from damp creek valleys and, in unison, flash seven or eight times, and then, just as uniformly, go dark.
- Tripadvisor Rating: 5.0/5
- Admission: Free
- Opening Hours: Daily
- Best Places to Stay: Under Canvas Smoky Mountains, Smoky Falls Lodge, Scenic Cabin in the Smoky Mountains
- Location: North Carolina
