Straddling the border between Tennessee and North Carolina,
Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a dense region filled with staggering mountains and
lush forests. The park’s plentiful sights make it the most popular National Park in the area,
and there’s plenty for tourists to the do while they’re there! Join ViewCation as
we take a look at the best things to do in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Watch the Leaves Change During Autumn Due to the dense nature of the trees
around Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the location is one of the best place in the
world for visitors to watch the leaves change during autumn. There are over 100 different
tree species located within Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and the wide variety of elevations
found within the park allow for a great many vantage points to view them from. If you find
yourself in the region during the early fall, you’ll be treated with a plethora of soothing
autumn colors filling the landscape, with the peak time being late September.
View the Wildlife While Driving Through Cades Cove Besides it’s staggering variety of tree species,
Great Smoky Mountains National Park also features a staggering variety of animal species.
You’re definitely going to want to see as much of the wildlife as you can while
you’re in the area, and one of the best ways to do so is to take the scenic drive through Cades
Cove. The drive through Cades Cove is an 11-mile loop that takes you through one of the densest
natural landscapes in the regions, featuring a gorgeous valley and encroaching mountains filled
to the brim with different types of wildlife. There are said to be well over 1,000 black bears
living in the area of Great Smoky Mountains Natural Park, and your chances of spotting a
few of them while riding through Cades Cove are exceptionally high! Other animals that you’re
likely to spot along the drive include deer, turkey, bobcats, and other smaller animals.
Cades Cove is one of the most popular locations in Great Smoky Mountains National Park,
so those who don’t want to deal with crowds during the park’s most popular months may want
to try doing the Roaring Forks motor nature trail instead. This trail offers similarly lush sights,
with streams and dense forestation. If you’re lucky, you may even see an elk! Besides the two
aforementioned scenic drives, there’s also Little River Road, which offers more beautiful scenery.
Hike Along the Appalachian Trail The Appalachian Trail is one of the
most famous hikes in America, and for good reason! The trail is over 2,000 miles long,
and spans numerous states from the north to the south of the country. One of the most
gorgeous parts of the Appalachian Trail runs along Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The
section running along the park is over 70 miles long. Though most visitors to the area won’t be
too keen on the prospect of engaging in a nearly 100-mile-long hike in the midst of their vacation,
there are numerous smaller, dedicated portions of the section of the Appalachian Trail running
along Great Smoky Mountains National Park that can easily be done within the span of just a day.
Besides the 70-mile-long section of the Appalachian Trail running through the popular
park, Great Smoky Mountains National Park features over 700 more miles of hiking trails spread over
the course of it’s hundreds of thousands of acres. With all of the hiking opportunities available in
Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the location can be considered a hiker’s dream! Some of the
best hikes in the region include the ones found at Mt. Leconte, Mr. Cammerer, Charlies Bunion, and
Andrews Bald. While there are plenty of incredibly challenging hikes in the region, there are also
a bounty of hikes for more easygoing hikers that just want to take in some of the area’s scenery.
Some of the more peaceful hikes in Great Smoky Mountains National Park include the Gatlinburg
Trail, the Elkmont Nature Trail, the Little Briar Gap Trail, and the aforementioned Andrews Bald.
Climb Atop Clingmans Dome If you’re look for a fairly
steep hike while visiting Great Smoky Mountains National Park, then you should be sure to give
special attention to Clingmans Dome. The journey up Clingmans Dome is one of the most popular hikes
in the area. Though the path is nicely paved, the uphill journey can be a bit trying for some!
There’s plenty of nice scenery all along the hike, but you’ll be treated with some of the best views
in the area when you get to the top. There’s an observation tower at the top of the dome,
and the top is also the perfect place for watching the sunrise or the sunset.
As with the aforementioned Cades Cove, Clingsman Dome is one of the more popular locations in all
of Great Smoky Mountains Natural Park, despite the slight difficulty of it’s steep hike. Those
who want to experience the area with a modicum of seclusion may want to go in the morning,
or wait until the winter months if they’re good with snowshoes! While the journey up Clingsman
Dome may be challenging, it’s worth it when you get to the top and see the incredible view.
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Go Out in the Water on Fontana Lake If you’re looking to get wet while
visiting Great Smoky Mountains National Park, one of the best ways to do so is by visiting Fontana
Lake and going out on a paddle board. A dam along the Little River forms the notably skinny lake,
which spans well over 200 miles. Besides paddle boarding, visitors to the lake can also go out
on the water with kayaks and canoes, or even fish if they’d like! Paddle boards,
kayaks, and canoes can all be rented easily within the area.
On the subject of water, the entire region of Great Smoky Mountains National Park is
positively brimming with waterfalls thanks to it’s surplus of water and it’s variety of elevations.
You’ll find numerous staggering waterfalls while you’re visiting the area, even when you’re not
looking for them! Some of the most impressive waterfalls in the region include Abrams Falls,
Laurel Falls, and Rainbow Falls, all of which can be found along their own beautiful hikes.
Gaze Upon the Area’s Impressive Plant Life Not only does Great Smoky Mountains National
Park have an impressive bounty of waterfalls, but it also has a staggering variety of
flowers. There are said to be well over 1,000 different types of plant flowering within
Great Smoky Mountains National Park, with some of the most beautiful types of flowering plants that
can be found within the region including such favorites as orchids, trillium, and geranium.
As one might expect, the absolute best time to view the stunning variety of blooming
flowers that can be found within Great Smoky Mountains National Park is during the spring
months, as well as the earliest months of the summer. Going to the area in April or early
May will yield the most lucrative flower-watching results for prospective tourists, but you’ll still
be able to see plenty of stunning colorful arrays of flowers up until later during the summer. Of
course, you can’t see the blossoming flowers of the Great Smoky Mountains and the autumn leaves
changing colors during the same timeframe, so you’ll have to plan your trip accordingly!
Experience the Life of a Pioneer Long before the land of Great
Smoky Mountains National Park was designated as a National Park,
it was simply land that was being used by the settlers of the region to go about their daily
lives. As soon as the land was declared a National Park, preservation efforts were
put into effect in order to try and keep as many of the buildings from this time period standing
as possible in order to preserve the pioneer history of the region. Because of this,
Great Smoky Mountains National Park is now home to a great many historical buildings
that can give visitors a look back through history and a taste of what it was like to be a pioneer.
There are said to be nearly 100 historical buildings existing with the boundaries of
Great Smoky Mountains National Park, with a great many of these buildings being found
along the aforementioned Cades Cove. While driving along Cades Cove, you’re liable to
see plenty of old churches from the region’s pioneer days, but that’s only the tip of the
iceberg when it comes to the greater amount of historical buildings in the region. Other
hotspots for historical buildings that can be found within Great Smoky Mountains National Park
include Oconaluftee and Cataloochee.
At Oconaluftee, you’ll find the Mountain Farm Museum. This stunning museum consists
of a variety of old structures leftover from the region’s pioneer days, with an emphasis
on farming technology. Down the road, you can find the equally notable Mingus Mill.
In Cataloochee, you can see a preserved school from the pioneer time period,
as well as more churches and several houses.
Stay in a Cabin While you won’t be able to stay
in any of the aforementioned historical buildings, you can do the next best thing! For those who are
looking to experience a multi-day trip to Great Smoky Mountains National Park like a pioneer,
staying the night in one of the area’s many rustic cabins may provide the perfect opportunity. There
are many different types of cabins to rent in the area, with some being fairly luxurious.
With all of the amazing opportunities for visitors, it’s no wonder that Great
Smoky Mountains remains one of the South’s preeminent outdoors destinations. Now it’s time
to hear from you: did you know that there are around 1,500 black bears
existing within the boundaries of Great Smoky Mountains National Park,
and that the region also features a surplus of stunning waterfalls? As always, like this video
to show your support, and subscribe and hit the notification bell if you’d
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