You’ve probably heard about our nation’s most visited national park: Great Smoky Mountains. But what makes this park so special? As well as being easily accessible to people all over the country, the park is home to some of the nation’s most spectacular wildlife and breathtaking mountain views. The park also boasts more than 800 miles of trails, making it perfect for both visitors and hikers.
Established: May 22nd, 1926
Location: Tennessee and North Carolina
Amount of annual visitors: About 11.5 million
Hiking
The trails at Great Smoky Mountains National Park draw many visitors. One of the most popular trails that hikers flock to is Laurel Falls, a 2.6-mile trek to the 80-foot-high Laurel Falls themselves. The hike also includes incredible views of the Smoky Mountains. While the hike may seem a bit on the longer side to some, the views are worth the trip- the falls are stunning!
The Alum Cave trail is another gorgeous trail for adventure seekers. Hikers will journey for 2.5 miles until they reach the bluffs of Alum Cave, where they will be met with picturesque mountain vistas among the rocks of the cave. The trail continues for another 2.5 miles until hikers will be just below the summit of Mt. Le Conte. Throughout this 5-mile hike, there will be an elevation change of 1,200 feet.
Hidden Gems
One of the less-visited yet one of the most breathtaking areas of the park is known as the Cataloochee Valley. Nestled among the mountains, the valley is surrounded by 6,000-foot peaks and is home to abundant wildlife, such as deer, elk, and turkey. While these animals call the valley home now, Cataloochee used to be inhabited by around 1,200 over a hundred years ago. While most families left after hearing that North Carolina was purchasing the land around the mountains, a few remained by 1930 and had to be bought out by the state. Why don’t more people visit this part of the park, you might ask? The reason lies with how remote this area is; to get to the valley, you must drive through winding, unpaved roads. Though only 10 miles, the drive will take around half an hour due to how treacherous the road is. Though the remoteness may dissuade most people, Cataloochee is an amazing area if you want to be by yourself in the vast expanse of the mountains.
Wildlife
Because the Smokies are the most visited National Park, you will encounter visitors from all over the country- and maybe from other countries as well. However, you may also have the chance to meet the park’s “locals”- the wildlife! Great Smoky Mountains National Park is home to a myriad of different species. One of them has become a staple that’s commonly associated with the Smokies- the Black Bear. Biologists estimate that there are about 1,900 Black Bears in the park. The most popular places to find bears in the park are Cades Cove and Newfound Gap Road. In addition to bears, other species like salamanders, elk, and fireflies call Great Smoky Mountains National Park home. Many endangered species also reside in this park, such as the northern flying squirrel and the Indiana bat.
Best sunrise/sunset
If you’re looking for the best sunrise in the park, Clingman’s Dome is the place to go. The highest point in the park, you will get an amazing view from above the clouds as sunshine slowly begins to bleed through from behind the mountains. For a great sunset, Newfound Gap has a wonderful view of a valley below, where you can see the colors of sunset illuminate the spruce trees.
The Laurel Falls trail
Sunset at Newfound Gap
The Cataloochee portion of the park.
Cades Cove, another famous park destination.
Clingman’s Dome.
Works Cited
Animals (no date) National Parks Service. Available at: https://www.nps.gov/grsm/learn/nature/animals.htm#:~:text=Endangered%20park%20animals%20include%20the,spider%2C%20and%20the%20Smoky%20madtom. (Accessed: 10 May 2023).
