South of the Blue Ridge Parkway, Great Smoky Mountains National Park sprawls with high elevations, world-class species numbers and much more.
By Dean Pennala | stock.adobe.com
The year-round lure of the Great Smokies is evident in this view of an autumn sunrise from Clingman’s Dome, the highest point in the park.
Every year since 1944, the Great Smoky Mountains have been the number-one destination in the entire National Park system. Within a day’s drive for half the country’s population, the park welcomed over 12 million visitors, who came in spite of (or because of) the challenges of the year that was 2020. They came to see, hike, camp, fish, swim, photograph, drive amongst and explore some of the oldest mountains on the planet. Along with its rich human history, a trip to our most environmentally diverse park is simultaneously interesting and awe-inspiring—a balm for the mind and spirit.
Everyone experiences the park in their own way. Yet we all leave with something in common—a desire to return.
The Classics
Cades Cove. Circumnavigate this large and stunning valley via a one-way, 11-mile paved loop road that offers a wide variety of mountain views, woodlands, trail accesses and history. Pioneer homes, churches, barns and a working grist mill at the halfway point are all worthy stops. To cross the valley, turn onto Sparks and Hyatt Lanes (narrow, two-way, gravel), and watch for white-tailed deer, fox, turkeys and black bear. For an immersion experience, join a horseback ride; or to avoid the vehicles, visit during pedestrian-and-bicycle-only-Wednesdays. The Loop Road closes daily at sunset. The popularity of “The Cove” draws large crowds. But, there’s no better place to be ‘stuck in traffic!’
The Cable Grist Mill along the Cades Cove Loop Road dates to 1870.
Sugarlands Visitor Center. Make this your first stop in the park to watch a short film, visit the natural history museum, pick up maps and literature at the bookstore, get a backcountry permit and ask a ranger any questions about your visit. Stretch your legs on the relatively flat 1.4-mile Fighting Creek Nature Trail loop to see a sample of wooded forests, wildflowers and creeks found throughout the park—the perfect family hike. For a flat, paved surface and a surprise appearance of the Little Pigeon River, walk the Sugarlands Valley Nature Trail (mobility- and stroller-friendly). This visitor center has reliably nice and accessible facilities, drink and snack machines, plenty of parking and it’s open year-round (except Christmas Day).
At 80 feet, Rainbow Falls is the tallest single-drop falls in the park.
Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail. Travel a short distance from town to this winding mountain (one-way) road along the swift streamside with old-growth forests. Near the entrance, tour the Ogle farmstead and grab a map of roadway highlights. With multiple places to stop, enjoy a picnic or hike to the 80-foot high tallest single-drop waterfall in the park—Rainbow Falls. Or enjoy the easier hike on Trillium Gap Trail (where you might see llamas!) to Grotto Falls, and stand behind the cascading water. For a third waterfall, the Place of a Thousand Drips is unique in its intricacy with rivulets gently spilling from rocks and a small cave above. Easily accessed from the Parkway (U.S. 441) at traffic light #8 in downtown Gatlinburg.
Newfound Gap. Journey along the 33-mile (U.S. 441) route which peaks at this lowest passable point through the mountains—5,046 feet in elevation! In 1940, Franklin Roosevelt officially dedicated the park at this very location. The air is 10°+ or more cooler and snowfalls approach six feet per year. Forest ecosystems along the ascent are representative of the entire eastern continent from cove hardwood to evergreen spruce-fir. The Appalachian Trail crosses here, where you can stand in Tennessee and North Carolina at the same time. For unmatched panoramas, put on the hiking boots, pack a lunch and take the moderate 4-mile trail to Charlies Bunion—a stone outcropped, treeless summit of 6,222 feet. Once back on the road, watch for “quiet walkways” signs found along the way to escape the crowds.
Charlies Bunion is an Appalachian Trail destination day hike of about 8 miles out and back.
Less Traveled
Clingmans Dome. GSM’s highest peak at 6,643 feet is a classic location during the day for the stunning vistas and a less-traveled secret at night for galactic views. A blanket of stars, meteor showers and the center of the Milky Way are “just overhead.” Park in the lot (flashlights or headlamps at the ready) and walk the half-mile paved trail to the observation tower. While steep, the trail offers ample spots to stop, rest and look up from wooden benches. Since the crowds are elsewhere, go quietly and listen for wildlife also. Summers, and new moons specifically, offer the best sparkling nighttime skies.
Clingman’s Dome is the highest point in the park, at 6,643 feet.
Elkmont. At the southern tip of the park’s most popular campground is a ghost town! With evidence of human inhabitants dating back 8,000 years, this locale has been a pioneer settlement, logging community, CCC camp and resort town over the past 200 years—and now it’s abandoned. In pre-park-protection times the area was logged, and folks rode into and out of the mountains on the company’s Little River Railroad. The “Elkmont Special” train opened the area to tourists, who were there for the early days of the GSMNP. Now the small “town” has restored historic buildings, self-guided tours and a distinct atmosphere of its bygone eras.
The Elkmont Troll bridge is down a side trail off the main Little River Trail.
The Sinks & Meigs Creek Trail. Hiding in plain sight is one of the most dramatic waterfalls in the park. The entire flow of the Little River plunges tumultuously into a gorge under the bridged road of the same name. Said chasm is the result of blasting a log jam in the late 1800s, which permanently altered the former horseshoe bend of the river’s path (the pre-railroad route for getting timber to market). Park in the small lot to see the cascades (roaring and powerful especially after spring rains), and then explore the quiet forests, ridges, wetland bogs and 18 creek crossings on the all-but-unknown hilly, challenging woodland trail.
The Sinks are just off the Little River Road and are the result of the blasting of a log jam in the 1800s.
Down the Mountainsides
Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Discover a diversity of fun at this small-town (pop. 4,100+) destination that draws throngs of visitors. A stroll in and around the pedestrian-friendly Parkway (U.S. 441) is a delight for the senses. Watch master confectioners create sweet magic; tour and taste the history of moonshine; visit silversmiths, weavers, painters and a host of other artisans at work; get the shivers at haunted adventures, moving theaters and oddity museums; and touch or (for the brave) swim with a stingray. Experience the Smokies on horseback with a guided tour. See life from above on an open-air chairlift, aerial tramway, helicopter, hot air balloon, the Anakeesta’s tree canopy walk and the iconic Space Needle’s 400-foot observation deck. (gatlinburg.com)
Gatlinburg offers a vast array of shopping, dining, accommodations and activities in a compact space at the foot of the mountains.
Sevierville/Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Whatever your definition of vacation, you’ll find it here. Indoor/outdoor, contemplative/entertaining, or bucket list/good ‘ole standards… this county has it all. Search antique shops, buy handcrafted gifts or snag discounts at the many outlet malls. Reserve a table for “dinner and a show”—comedies, feuds, stampedes, hit parades, pirates and more family fun performances. Specialty museums abound with themes of crime, Hollywood in wax, gospel, country music, exotic cars, the Titanic and even salt and pepper shakers (20,000 of them). Explore underground at Forbidden Caverns or take to the sky in an open-cockpit biplane ride. Golf, catch trophy smallmouth bass, come for the autumn leaves or sit by a crackling fire in a cabin. And, there’s Dollywood! (visitsevierville.com) (mypigeonforge.com)
Pigeon Forge’s Old Mill is one of the oldest operating gristmills in the nation.
Cherokee/Bryson City, North Carolina. Experience the depth and breadth of First Nation culture in Cherokee. Your first stop should be the welcome center for finer details about the experiences available here. The museum is impressive; the village is a living history immersion; and the arts and crafts mutual is the oldest Native American co-op in the country. Get tickets (in season) for “Unto These Hills” outdoor drama to see and hear the Cherokee story. Fish for trout in 30 miles of pristine waters; hike to the 200-foot Mingo Falls; relax at Oconaluftee Islands Park; and, try your luck at the casino. Then, travel 20 minutes (U.S. 19 south) to hop on the Great Smoky Mountain Railroad. While in the quaint town of Bryson City, grab a bite at local eateries, visit the train museum, and cool off with a leisurely tube ride down Deep Creek. Be sure to find The Road to Nowhere! (visitcherokeenc.com) (greatsmokies.com)
Nantahala Outdoor Center, southwest of Bryson City, offers great paddling.
The double falls of Soco Falls are a short drive from the town of Maggie Valley.
Maggie Valley, North Carolina. Stay at one of the many mom-and-pop accommodations in this small resort town with a distinctly old-fashioned atmosphere. Listen to world-class bluegrass performances, try your hand (or rather feet) at clogging, attend festivals, shop for local crafts and visit an impressive car and motorcycle museum. At nearby Cataloochee Ski Area, snowfalls and snowmaking create great snowboarding, tubing and skiing on 18 slopes (with one 1,000-foot-drop expert run named “Omigosh!”). Watch for the small signs pointing to Soco Falls, a rare double waterfall, with an observation platform for viewing. Plan a sunrise and sunset jaunt just to look at the views from two mountain-top balds (Purchase and Waterrock). Travel the winding, narrow gravel road to the remote Cataloochee Valley to hike, fish and camp—but mainly to see elk! (Hint: early mornings and late afternoons). (maggievalley.org)
Smokies Fun and Facts
- Open year-round, 24 hours per day
- No entrance fees
- 800 square miles in size
- 384 miles of roads
- 850 miles of trails
- 2,000+ miles of streams and tributaries
- 100 waterfalls and cascades
- 97 preserved Appalachian heritage structures
- 150 documented cemeteries
- 5 forest types
- 4,000 plant species (130 native tree, 100 shrub and 1,600 flowering plant species)
- 65 mammal species (1,500 black bears)
- 240 bird species
- 67 fish species
- 84 reptile and amphibian species (salamander capital of the world at 31 species)
- 1,000 new species (never before seen anywhere else in the world) identified over the last 20 years
- International Biosphere Reserve and UNESCO World Heritage Site “of exceptional natural beauty.”
The story above first appeared in our May/June 2021 issue. To get more like it, subscribe today or log in with your active BRC+ Membership. Thank you for your support!