The Tourist Insider’s Guide:

THE GREATSMOKY MOUNTAINS

Great Smoky Mountains National Park o�ers various activities for you to enjoy. The most di�cult choice you will have to make is, choose which auto tour, trail, wa-terfall, overlook, or historic area to explore!

Great Smoky Mountains National Park covers 522,427 acres, divided almost evenly between the states of North Carolina and Tennessee.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park, encompass-ing some of the oldest mountains on earth includ-ing Clingmans Dome and Mount Mitchell.

The Great Smoky Mountains

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The Great Smoky Mountains National Park receives more than 9 million visitors a year, making it the most visited national park in the country. The Grand Canyon, the second most visited national park, re-ceives roughly 4.4 million visitors per year.

The wispy, smoke-like fog that hangs over the Smoky Mountains comes from rain and evaporation from trees.

The Great Smoky Mountains

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There are 16 mountains in the park that reach ele-vations higher than 6000 feet. The Empire State Building is 1250 feet.

There are 803 miles of hiking trail - third most miles after Yellowstone and Sequoia/Kings Canyon.

The Great Smoky Mountains

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Gregory Bald is famous for its spectacular flame aza-leas that bloom on its summit from mid to late June. You'll see a rainbow of colors including fire red, wine red, orange, salmon, yellow, white, pink, and even multi-colored azaleas. There's also the commanding views of Cades Cove, Fontana Lake and the eastern crest of the Smokies make this a year-round destina-tion.

GREGORY BALD

The Great Smoky Mountains

Top Trails To Hike

On a clear day the views are incredible. The best van-tage point is the stone fire tower provides hikers with 360-degree panoramic views. Look in any direction and see row upon row of smoky blue mountains.

MT. CAMMERER

The Great Smoky Mountains

Top Trails To Hike

This one is a rougher hike, but you'll see it's worth it when you reach Spence Field. The grassy meadows have a great view of the North Carolina side of the Smokies. Hike the trail in late spring when Spence Field showcases the most spectacular display of mountain laurel you'll see just about anywhere.

ROCKY TOP

The Great Smoky Mountains

Top Trails To Hike

Take the drive through Cades Cove. It's a valley the Chero-kee Indians used for as a hunting ground for Cherokee In-dians. It's an 11-mile one-way loop that circles the cove. Lining the road are numerous historic buildings, including churches, log cabins, and a working gristmill.

Take the Newfound Gap Road to Clingmans Dome, the highest point in the park (6,643 feet), for best overall views of the park and a spectacular sunset.

The Great Smoky Mountains

insider tips

If you want an easier hike for the family, the go to Laurel Falls Trail. It's a paved 2.6-mile round-trip trail. The trail starts on Little River Road near Elkmont and goes through patches of mountain laurel and rhododendron on the way to the 80-foot-high falls.

Visit the Mountain Farm Museum. It's a 19th-century farm-stead along the banks of the Oconaluftee River, which features a farmhouse, barn, apple house, hen house, springhouse and blacksmith shop. During the summer, visitors to the Mountain Farm Museum can view demon-strations and live farm animals.

The Great Smoky Mountains

insider tips

Oconaluftee Visitor Center is way more than just a visitor center, it's a full historical village and museum! Set right by the river, you can see lots of wildlife around, and if you check their calendar, you can stop by when they have a demonstration or event going on.

The Great Smoky Mountains

insider tips

Explore the Great Smoky Mountains, a wondrous diversity of life.

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