Great Smoky Montains National Park

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

10 million visitors per year – 800 square miles – Largest national park east of the Rockies – 107 Park Headquarters Rd, Gatlinburg, TN.

A world unto itself, Great Smoky Mountains National Park has over 1,500 species of flowering plants, 10 percent of which are considered rare, and over 125 species of trees – more than in all of Europe. In addition, there are 200 species of birds, about 50 species of fish, and 60 species of mammals, including wild hogs and black bears.A hike or divre from mountain base to peak is equivalent to the entire length of the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine in terms of the number of species of trees and plants – every 250 feet of elevation is roughly equivalent to 1,000 miles of distance on the trail. A quarter of the park is virgin forest, the largest concentration east of the Mississippi. Some of the trees are up to 8 feet in diameter.

In addition to its natural attributes, Great Smoky Mountains is one of the most interesting national parks in the United States historically, with farms, churches, cabins, and working grist mills left by the mountain people who moved away when the park was established in 1934. The park has been designated a United Nations International Biosphere Reserve as well as a World Historical Site.

Peak season tips

 During the summer, in the lower elevations, expect haze, humidity, and afternoon temperatures in the 90s – and terrible traffic jams. Cades Cove, the less spectacular but more historically interesting section of the park, is generally less crowded in the summer.

Old and abandoned farms abound here. Photo by Elena.

Camping

Reservations are required May 15 through October 31 for Elkmont, Smokemont, and Cades Cove campgrounds. Contact Mistix Sites at other campgrounds are on a first-come, first-served basis. Stay of up to 7 days are allowed from mid-May through October, and up to 14 days the rest of year. Rarely filled are the Look Rock and Cosby campgrounds, which are in more remote parts of the park. Also of note is the LeConte Lodge, located on the park's third-highest peak (elevation, 6,593 feet), a six-hour hike from the main road. Accommodations are sometimes in cabins with no electricity or running water, but no include beds and hot meals. The lodge is open from late March through mid-November.

Best one-day trip

Entering the park from Gatlinburg, continue on US 441, and stop at the Newfoundland Gap, where there are spectacular views of the mountains. From there, turn onto Clingmans Dome Road (closed in the winter), which ends at a parking lot where there is a strenuous half-mile hike to a lookout tower atop 6,643-foot Clingmans Dome – the highest peak in the park. Back on US 441, continue to the Smokemont Campground where the easy, two-mile Chasten Creek Falls Trail meanders along a stream through a hardwood forest ending at one of the park's many waterfalls.

Best experience

The Great Smokies is one of the premier places in the East to enjoy magnificent fall foliage. The season lasts from September through October. Peak time: October 15 to October 31.