Why do almost ten million people a year come to visit the Great Smoky Mountains of eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina? Those who love the outdoors come to hike Clingmans Dome, the highest peak in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Those who love history tour the authentic log homes in that pristine secluded valley known as Cades Cove. Families come to enjoy the area's favorite attractions - Pigeon Forge's Dollywood, Gatlinburg's Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies - while others hunt for bargains at Sevierville's popular Tanger Five Oaks Outlet Mall.
Visitors come to the Great Smoky Mountains to relax and to have fun. But it's so easy to take for granted one of America's most popular vacation destinations. What if there wasn't a Great Smoky Mountains National Park? What if the lumber companies had stripped the mountains bare to meet America's surging industrial demands of the early 1900's?
Although much of the area had been logged, the beauty of the Great Smoky Mountains was restored and preserved by the efforts of thousands of people to purchase the land from farmers and the lumber companies. Birthed during the Great Depression, the U.S. Congress officially established the Great Smoky Mountains National Park on June 15, 1934. It was an amazing achievement that ensured that we all get to enjoy these mountains.
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park proudly celebrates its 75th Anniversary during 2009. For more information about anniversary activities, please view their special website: www.greatsmokies75th.org.
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the most visited national park in the U.S. with almost ten million visitors per year. The second most visited is the Grand Canyon National Park, which receives only half as many visitors. There are two factors that favor the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. First, it is within a day’s drive of half the population of the United States; and second, the park itself is easily accessible to visitors.
The towns surrounding the National Park have many attractions to lure the vacationer: outlet malls, games, and arts and crafts. Yet everything is dwarfed by the looming skyline of the Great Smoky Mountains, which beckon all to come explore and learn their mysteries.
Begin at the Sugarlands Visitor Center on Route 441 at the Gatlinburg entrance to the park. There are nature exhibits and park rangers who give lectures and guided strolls and answer questions. The Visitor Center now has an expanded bookstore and a state-of-the-art theater featuring a brand new, 18-minute film of the Smokies. You can also pick up your camping, hiking or fishing permits here.
The most popular drive through the park is Newfound Gap Road which is 26 miles long and crosses the park to the southeast. It begins at Sugarlands at an elevation of 1,436 feet, then rises to more than 5,000 feet above sea level at Newfound Gap. The road descends to 3,000 feet to the Oconaluftee Visitor Center at the main entrance to the park from North Carolina. The Center is a treasure-trove of information, and the adjacent Mountain Farm Museum will introduce the visitor to the rural heritage of the early settlers.
Newfound Gap Road is a gradually unfolding botanical journey that spans the five vegetation zones a traveler would encounter if traveling all the way to Maine. There are scenic overlooks along the way, roadside exhibits and trailheads for the hikers. At Newfound Gap, visitors can see for miles. The Appalachian Trail crosses the road here, and there is also the memorial where Franklin D. Roosevelt stood to dedicate the national park in 1940.
The most spectacular stop is Clingman’s Dome, accessible by a 7-mile side road. At 6,643 feet above sea level, Clingman’s Dome is the highest point in the Smokies and the third highest mountain east of the Mississippi. Visitors can drive almost all the way to the top and then hike the last half-mile to the lookout tower. Be sure to take it slow, because the high altitude means the air is thinner, but the fantastic panoramic view is worth the effort.
Other motor trails exist for the “armchair” visitor. The most famous is the Cades Cove Loop. Northeast of Gatlinburg, off Rte. 321, is the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail Loop, which takes you up the western flank of Mt. LeConte. This paved, winding jewel of a road fords streams and cuts across a deep gorge. It is closed during the winter and at all times to buses, trailers and RVs. At the visitor centers, find out how to get to the various dirt roads that will take you farther back into the mountains and off the beaten path.
To get to know the park more intimately, you need to get out of your car and walk. There are about 150 trails covering over 900 miles, which will match anyone’s stamina, interest and level of expertise.
Twelve self-guiding nature trails, ranging in length from 1/4 mile to a mile round-trip, were selected and developed by park naturalists for their interesting natural history, beauty and accessibility. The new All-Access Nature Trail, 1/2 mile south of Sugarlands on Newfound Gap Road, was specially designed for the handicapped, parents with young children and older couples.
Backcountry hikers staying overnight need to get a hiking permit first. Whether your planned hike is short or long, it is always a good idea to wear dependable hiking boots, multiple layers and carry rain gear. The temperatures are cooler in the trees, especially higher up. The higher elevations also see more precipitation than the lower ones. Bring along plenty of drinking water, as the streams are not drinkable, and be sure to carry out all that you bring in, particularly your trash.
All four seasons have their own magical beauty. In the spring, the delicate wildflowers decorate the mountains. In the summer, all is a lush, cool, vibrant green. In the fall, the colors red and gold splash themselves across the mountainsides. In the winter, the air is crisp and clear and often sparkling with snow and ice.
Learn more about the Great Smoky Mountains by attending Pigeon Forge’s popular “Wilderness Wildlife Week” in early January. There are guided hikes, photography workshops and lectures on many topics. All walks and lectures are free to the public. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is an endless source of discovery and inspiration. |
