The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a popular summer destination for families, couples, and travelers looking for adventure. This gorgeous natural area sits in both Tennessee and North Carolina, straddling the Great Smoky Mountains as well as the Blue Ridge Mountains. The park's main entrances are located at the popular destinations of Gatlinburg, Tennessee as well as Cherokee, North Carolina. The Great Smoky Mountain National Park welcomes over nine million visitors per year, making it the most visited national park in the country. With such amazing natural beauty and outdoor recreational at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, you will want to make time to visit this national treasure as well.
This national park sits on over 521,000 acres and features a variety of landscapes over its expansive area. You will find five types of forests here as well as mountain peaks and lower elevation valleys, making it the perfect natural habitat for a wide variety of plants and animals. Altogether, over 130 different tree species, and 4,000 plant species can be found here. If you're looking for wildlife, you won't have to look hard. Some of the area's 65 native mammal species include deer, coyote, bobcats, bears, foxes, and bats. You will also find 230 species of birds, as well as a variety of reptiles and amphibians. With such diverse plant and animal-life located in this area, nature walks and hikes are a popular activity. You can explore on your own or enjoy one of the many ranger-led walks through the trails. One of the more popular ranger-led walks is the Cataract Falls Walk which features a grist mill demonstration. You can also learn about the settler lifestyle with the Down on the Farm Walk. In the fall, the ranger-led Cades Cove Hayrides are popular.
Biking is also popular outdoor activities at the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. Bicyclists enjoy the 11-mile Cades Cove Loop Road which offers not only wildlife viewing but also sites of many 19th century settler home sites along the way. Other popular biking trails include the Greenbrier and Tremont Roads, the Gatlinburg Trail, the Oconaluftee River Trail, and the Deep Creek Trail. Visitors also enjoy horseback riding through the gorgeous natural areas here. The park boasts over 550 miles of trails are dedicated solely for horseback riding. While you're at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, make some time to kick back and relax with your fishing pole. You will find over 2,000 miles of streams that offer ideal fishing conditions almost year-round here, including remote, headwater, trout, and coolwater smallmouth bass streams.
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is an exciting place to visit for a day trip, but you can extend your time in the great outdoors by staying in the park overnight. The park offers ten developed campground locations as well as ample backcountry camping opportunities. The developed campsites offer fire grates, picnic table, and water, but no showers or electrical hook-ups. The LeConte Lodge offers more traditional lodging as well as scenic views from its perch at the top of Mt LeConte. However, to access the remote LeConte Lodge, visitors must walk along a five mile trail. Reservations for this coveted lodge are often required a year in advance.
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is an ideal summer destination, offering you ample outdoor recreation and gorgeous scenery. Make plans to explore this popular national park this summer!
