Great Smoky Mountains

From LoveToKnow Travel

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the most visited of all the United States national parks, and with good reason. The Great Smoky Mountains are breathtakingly beautiful and, with so many nearby attractions, there is guaranteed to be something fun for everyone to do. In addition, the Great Smoky Mountains are centrally located, making them within a days drive from pretty much anywhere within the continental United States.

View of Smoky Mountains from Roaring Fork in Gatlinburg, TN.

Locating the Great Smoky Mountains

The Great Smoky Mountains are located right along the border of Tennessee and North Carolina, with each state sharing equal portions of the mountain chain. A portion of the famous Applachian Mountains makes up part of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. In fact, the Appalachian Trail passes right through the center of the park. In all, the park contains 814 square miles of land, which makes it one of the largest protected areas in the eastern half of the United States.

Attractions

The Great Smoky Mountains has a variety of attractions to be enjoyed by families. Many natural and spectacular attractions can be found within the park. Nearby towns also offer a wide variety of attractions, including unique museums, fine dining, fantastic shopping, and fun family entertainment.

Clingmans Dome.

Clingmans Dome

One of the most impressive natural attractions receiving a little human help in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is Clingmans Dome. This structure is built at the parks highest point, which is 6,643 feet high. Visitors who climb Clingmans Dome are treated to a 360 degree panoramic view of the surrounding mountains.

Wildlife in the Great Smoky Mountains

The Great Smoky Mountains is home to a multitude of plants and animals. The park contains a wide variety of elevations and an abundance of rainfall. These factors combined make it possible for the park to support so many different habitats that it is home to 10,000 different species of plants and animals. Some scientists believe there may be an additional 90,000 species that are left to be documented. Among the animals living in the park are black bears, with a population of at least 1,800.

Historical Attractions

Historic schoolhouse located at a rest area off Hwy 73.

Cades Cove is a major historical and natural attraction within the park. This 11 mile paved loop contains several trail heads leading to historical attractions from early mountain settlers, such as homes, churches, and barns. Some of these can be accessed by simply pulling off to the side of the road. Wildlife is also commonly spotted along Cades Cove, including black bears, dear, raccoons, and rabbits. The entrance to Cades Cove is found in Townsend, TN.

There are many other areas of the park offering views of historic buildings, including rest areas along Hwy 73, which is a major thoroughfare within the park, and Roaring Fork, which is located in Gatlinburg, TN. In addition to the historic buildings and structures, these areas also offer unsurpassed natural beauty and a variety of trail heads to explore.

Small waterfall on the side of Hwy 73.

Waterfalls

The Great Smoky Mountains is well known for its many waterfalls. Several can be spotted along the sides of roads while driving past. The park also includes many pull off areas, making it easy to get out of the car and exlpore these areas further. Many trailheads leading to waterfalls are also along the roadways. One popular trail that is easy for families to explore is that of Laurel Falls, which is on Hwy 73. The trail for this waterfall is paved and leads to a spectacular 80 foot waterfall.

Non-Natural Attractions

Crazy mirrors at Ripley's Museum.

The popular tourist towns of Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge are located near entrances to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Both towns offer a multitude of shopping and dining opportunities, but Pigeon Forge is more of a shopper’s paradise than Gatlinburg. Gatlinburg, on the other hand, offers a variety of unique museums, including the Ripley’s Believe It or Not Museum and the Guiness World Record Museum. The kids will be in awe as they explore the strange and the unusual in these museums. Gatlinburg is also home to the amazing Ripley's Aquarium, which is sure to be a hit with the entire family. Both towns also offere unique mini-golf opportunities and family arcades. In addition, families can rent tubes within these nearby towns and use them to take a lazy ride down the river.