I remember my first visit to the Smoky Mountains. I was 14 years old and my family lived in St. Louis at the time. My cousin was getting married at The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina. So, we were driving through Tennessee on our way and naturally drove through the Smoky Mountains.
They were so beautiful, and some of the best driving roads in America. On this page, I’m hoping to give you a little bit of an overview of the Smoky Mountains, and see if I can show you some of the best things to do and places to see.
If you’re interested in doing some hiking while you visit, check out a wonderful web site dedicated to the great hikes available. Check out hikinginthesmokys.com and plan your hike!
Some basic facts about the Smoky Mountains:
- More people visit The Great Smokey Mountains than any other National Park in America.
- In Tennessee and North Carolina.
- Entrance to the Great Smokey Mountains National Park is free.
- Popular activities include touring the park by automobile, bicycling, camping, fishing, hiking, horseback riding, picnicking, and viewing historic buildings.
- There are tons of wildflowers, which is why this park is also known as the “wildflower national park.”
- Every river and stream has waterfalls (well, pretty much) which make for great photos… bring your camera!
- Wildlife are abundant: elk, deer, and black bear are common sightings.
- One more point about the automobile touring: It sounds simple, but there are a lot of quiet backroads that are unpaved and are a great way to escape the crowds and see the park.
- Rainbow Falls trail, Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a personal favorite!
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