Great Smoky Mountains National Park
National Park
Why pick this one
Great Smoky Mountains National Park spans 522,427 acres, offers 10 developed campgrounds, and charges no entrance fee.
Best for
- multi-day camping trips
- hiking among waterfalls, forests, and mountain trails
- wildlife watching for elk and black bears
- scenic auto touring through Cades Cove
- exploring Appalachian and Cherokee cultural history
- visiting a highly biodiverse temperate ecosystem
Look elsewhere if
- visitors specifically needing Laurel Falls Trail during its rehabilitation closure
- visitors requiring guaranteed access to every trail or facility during changing conditions
Specialties
- hiking
- developed campground camping
- backcountry camping
- wildlife watching
- auto touring
- historic site exploration
What makes them different
- 522,427 acres divided almost evenly between Tennessee and North Carolina
- More than 22,000 documented species, including species found nowhere else on the planet
- 10 developed campgrounds plus backcountry camping
- No entrance fee; parking tags are required for parking longer than 15 minutes
- Cades Cove features an 11-mile, one-way scenic loop
Distilled from this business's own website.
Contact & Location
- Phone
- +18654361200
- Website
- http://www.nps.gov/grsm/index.htm
Services
- camping
- hiking
- biking
- picnicking
- wildlife watching
- auto touring
- visitor centers
- educational programs