Great Smoky Mountains National Park In Tennessee And North Carolina

Great Smoky Mountains National Park has the distinction of being the most visited national park in the United States and the only park that doesn't charge an entrance fee.

With over 9 millions visitors a year, this park is quite busy especially during the summer! Fortunately, at over 500,000 acres, Great Smoky park has lots of areas where you can get away from the crowds.

There are 384 miles of roads and over 800 miles of hiking trails for you to enjoy. Most park visitors stay in their cars and few hike the trails. View a map of Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park has been designated an international biosphere reserve.

The park is a wonderful place to view the eastern deciduous forests and the wide diversity of plants and animals. Look for the beautiful rhododendron and mountain laurel.

Due to the dense brush and trees, the water and hydrocarbons produced as by products of the leaves produce the "smoke" that gives the Smoky Mountains their name. Unfortunately, air pollution has added particles to the haze reducing visibility about 60 percent over the past 50 years. The pollution has been blamed on affecting stands of red spruce, while insects are attacking the Fraser fir at high elevations.

In addition to the native vegetation and wildlife, Great Smoky Mountains Naitonal Park also protects the cabins, farmhouses, and barns of the people that settled in the area in the late 1700s.

How To Get To Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Knoxville, Tennessee is located about 25 miles away. From Knoxville, take I-40 to Tennessee 66, then U.S. 41 to Gatlinburg, TN the northern entrance to the park. From Asheville, North Carolina, about 40 miles from the park, take I-40 west to U.S. 19, then U.S. 441, to the southern entrance near Cherokee, N.C.

If you want to take a slower, more scenic route, you can drive the 470 mile Blue Ridge Parkway that connects Shenandoah National Park with Great Smoky Moutains National Park.

There are large airports located at both Knoxville and Ashville. From the airports, you can rent a car to drive through Great Smoky Mountains park.

When To Visit Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Like most national parks, Great Smoky Mountains is open all year round, but there are times when the park is especially popular. When the deciduous leaves turn color during the autumn months, the beatiful fall foliage attracts large crowds. During the spring, wildflowers are in bloom and if you can time your trip to arrive during the middle of the week, you will avoid the big crowds.

When You Visit Great Smoky Mountains National Park

If you only have 1-day to visit the park, you should drive the Newfound Gap Road to Clingmans Dome, the highest viewpoint in the park. If you have another day to visit, drive the Cades Cove loop road to view the history of the pioneers that settled the area. Be sure to take some time to walk the nature trails and self-guided tours to explore more of the park and to get away from some of the crowds.