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Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the most visited National Park in America, and for good reason! The Park is world-renowned for its wide diversity of plant and animal life, the beauty of its ancient mountains, and the quality of its remnants of Southern Appalachian Mountain culture. I visited this National Park with my husband for our One-Year Anniversary, and every second we spent in the Park I fell more and more in love with it!
My Favorite Points of Interest
Cades Cove
Cades Cove is a lush valley surrounded by mountains and is a must-see when visiting Great Smoky Mountains National Park! The 11-mile, one-way Cades Cove Loop Road offers some of the best wildlife viewings in the Park. Make sure you visit early in the morning or late in the evening for the best chance of seeing wildlife! Wildlife that frequent the area are white-tailed deer, black bears, coyotes, groundhogs, turkeys, raccoons, and skunks. Scattered throughout the Loop Road you will also find churches, a working grist mill, barns, log houses, and many other ancient structures from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Take a hike on one (or more!) of the numerous trails that originate in Cades Cove, including the 5-mile roundtrip trail to Abrams Falls and the Cades Cove Loop Trail. If you are in the mood for a longer hike, the Thunderhead Mountain and Rocky Top trails also begin here! The Cades Cove Loop Road was my favorite thing to do in the Park! During our drive, we spotted several large white-tailed deer, and a mother black bear and her three cubs walked across the road in front of our vehicle. We also enjoyed stopping at all the historical sites. It was interesting to see how families in the Cades Cove community lived back in the day!
Laurel Falls
Laurel Falls is a magnificent 80-foot-tall waterfall that will take your breath away! This waterfall is named after Mountain Laurel, an evergreen shrub that blooms along the trail and near the waterfall in May. The waterfall consists of an upper and lower section divided by a walkway, which crosses the stream at the base of the upper falls. The roundtrip trail to the falls is 2.6 miles in length. It will take you about two hours to hike to the waterfall and back. While there are many waterfalls in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, this one is my favorite! It creates the perfect backdrop for a stunning picture!
Clingmans Dome
At a height of 6,643 feet, Clingmans Dome is the highest point in Great Smoky Mountains National Park and in the state of Tennessee! The observation tower at the summit of Clingmans Dome offers incredible 360-degree views of the Great Smoky Mountains and beyond for those willing to take the steep half-mile climb to the top. On clear days, you can see up to one hundred miles! Besides the trail to the summit, there are other trails you can hike that begin here. The famous Appalachian Trail crosses Clingmans Dome Road, marking the highest point along its journey from Georgia to Maine. The Forney Ridge Trail leads to Andrew’s Bald, a high-elevation grassy bald. This is a stop you will not want to miss on your Great Smoky Mountains adventure. We loved the picturesque views of the mountains we found looking out from the observation tower!
Mountain Farm Museum and Mingus Mill
The Mountain Farm Museum is a collection of unique and historic farm buildings gathered from throughout Great Smoky Mountains National Park and preserved in a single area. Visitors can explore a log farmhouse, barn, applehouse, springhouse, and a working blacksmith shop to learn about how people may have lived one hundred years ago. The museum also shows historic gardening and agricultural practices. With my husband and I being in the agricultural industry ourselves, we really enjoyed learning about how agricultural practices were done in the nineteenth century! Just down the road from the Mountain Farm Museum is Mingus Mill. Built in 1886, this historic grist mill uses a water-powered turbine to power all the machinery in the building. This mill is still working to this day, and when you stop here you will find an employee of the mill demonstrating to visitors how the mill works. This is something you will not want to miss!
Other Points of Interest
Great Smoky Mountains National Park is full of exciting sites to visit! Newfound Gap Pass is the lowest drivable pass in the Park and gains its popularity from the variety of ecosystems one experiences during the drive. Bring a jacket, because the temperature will be about ten degrees cooler than other areas of the Park! Another auto tour that may interest you is the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail. This 5.5-mile-long, one-way, loop road offers running mountain streams, glances of old-growth forest, and many preserved log cabins, grist mills, and other historic buildings! Great Smoky Mountains National Park has about 2,900 miles of streams and protects one of the last wild trout habitats in the eastern United States. The Park offers a large variety of fishing opportunities from remote, headwater trout streams to large, coolwater smallmouth bass streams! One of the most popular hikes in the Park is the hike to Rainbow Falls, named after the rainbows seen in the mist that are caused by the afternoon sun. If you hike down Trillium Gap Trail, you will find Grotto Falls, a 25-foot-high waterfall surrounded by old-growth hemlock forest! A Pineapple Escapes agent can help you create an itinerary filled with the perfect activities for you!
Campgrounds | Recommend
Cades Cove Campground
This is the first campground my husband and I camped at during our time in Great Smoky Mountains National Park! This campground is open year-round and combines the feel of primitive camping with the modern conveniences of flush toilets and cold running water. May through October the campground’s visitor center is open, providing visitors with basic necessities, gifts and even bike rentals. Events like interpretive programs in the amphitheater and “bicycle only” days on the Cades Cove Loop Road provide visitors with a truly unique and fun experience! Keep in mind that reservations are required year-round. I loved this campground because of its seclusion and beauty. While hiking the 1-mile scenic loop trail near our campsite, we came across a full-grown black bear, which was something we had never seen before!
Elkmont Campground
This was the second campground my husband and I camped at, and it was by far our favorite! It is located eight miles from Gatlinburg, Tennessee and is the largest and most popular campground in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Visitors have returned to camp here year after year because of the soothing sound of the river, the tranquility of the forest and the campground’s convenient location to a variety of recreational activities in the Park. Little River and Jake’s Creek run through the campground, offering easy access for fishing or taking a dip in the cool water. If you are up for some hiking, the trailheads for Little River Trail, Jake’s Creek Trail and Elkmont Nature Trail are located adjacent to the campground. Reservations are required, and since this is such a popular campground, you will want to make sure you book early. I loved this campground because it was so peaceful! Our campsite was located along the Little River, so we decided to purchase a couple inner tubes and do a 1-mile float trip. It was an impromptu decision that led to one of my favorite memories from our trip!
Smokemont Campground
This was the third and final campground that my husband and I camped at! Smokemont Campground offers the perfect outdoor experience with the added conveniences of flush toilets, drinking water, and sinks. There is also a flat area of grass in the campground that offers a great place to play volleyball, football, or simply bask in the sun. Whether blanketed in spring wildflowers or pretty fall colors, the scenery here will not disappoint! Near our campsite, we drove past a large herd of elk grazing in an open field. This area of the Park offers the best opportunity to see elk!
Other Campground and Lodging
Great Smoky Mountains National Park has nine amazing campgrounds, so at least one of them will be perfect for you! Other campgrounds that may interest you include Abrams Creek Campground, Balsam Mountain Campground, Big Creek Campground, Cataloochee Campground, Cosby Campground and Deep Creek Campground. There is only one lodging accommodation inside the Park, Le Conte Lodge. The lodge sits atop Mount Le Conte and is only accessible by foot. Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg Tennessee are two of the most popular surrounding towns, so you will also find lodging accommodations there for your visit to the Park!
Towns Outside of the Park
Pigeon Forge
For sixty years, Pigeon Forge visitors have come from all over the world to stay in this vibrant mountain town in the foothills of the Smokies! This town is full of exciting activities for those of all ages. From thrilling attractions and award-winning shows to numerous dining, shopping, and lodging options, it’s easy to see why so many visitors choose Pigeon Forge as the basecamp for their Great Smoky Mountains National Park trip! During our time in Pigeon Forge, we ate lunch at the Old Mill Restaurant, which served fabulous “southern home cooking” dishes. We also ate at Sunliner Diner, which had an old-fashioned dining atmosphere. Pigeon Forge is home to Dolly Parton’s Dollywood Theme Park and Dollywood’s Splash Country waterpark, which I would highly recommend to anyone visiting this incredible town!
Gatlinburg
Gatlinburg offers its visitors outdoor adventures, kid-friendly attractions, fun gift shops, a wide variety of dining options and scenic charms that will make you fall in love with this little town! If you decide to stay in Gatlinburg during your visit to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, you will have the largest selection of lodging accommodations than any other mountain destination in America. My husband and I stayed in the Appy Lodge during our visit to Gatlinburg, and we loved it. It has a modern mountain vibe and is perfect for families and couples alike! We also had a nice dinner at Blake Shelton’s restaurant, Ol’ Red and stopped for ice cream at a darling homemade ice cream shop. Gatlinburg is the perfect basecamp for your Great Smoky Mountains adventure!
Why We Love It
Great Smoky Mountains National Park is easily one of the most beautiful places in America. It is filled with an incredible diversity of life, from the colorful wildflowers nearly year-round and the vibrant colors of the trees in the fall, to the abundance of plants and wildlife, it’s no wonder visitors from all over the world come back year after year! If you are ready to experience the full beauty of this National Park, an agent with Pineapple Escapes can make it happen for you!
Video About Great Smoky Mountain National Park
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=poyWuEA6HT0
Contact your favorite Pineapple Escapes’ agent today, or email us at info@pineappleescapes.com for a free quote to the Great Smoky Mountains. Our agents help make your vacation seamless with our expertise, customized itineraries, and extra pixie dust!
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