Archives

August 24, 2021 Page

The Sinks is a scenic location on the Townsend side of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It features heavy cascades that seem to pour into a drain-like basin - thus the name...

June 16, 2021 Post

Metcalf Bottoms is one of the most enchanting parts of the Great Smoky Mountains, and it’s easy to see why. Mountain views and a babbling brook make Metcalf Bottoms a perfect pla...

June 8, 2021 Post

Part of what makes the Great Smoky Mountains National Park so magical is the unbridled access it provides to miles of untamed wilderness. This allows you to hike rugged trails, get...

May 25, 2021 Post

The lottery for the synchronous fireflies display at Elkmont has come and gone. If you missed your chance to enter or were not awarded a pass, don't be too disappointed. While the ...

May 10, 2021 Page

Weddings in the Smoky Mountains can take place in designated areas of the national park. Purchase a special use permit from the park and follow their guidelines for getting started...

May 3, 2021 Post

Mount Sterling is located on the east side of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and features a fire tower with the highest elevation of any fire tower in the eastern United S...

April 26, 2021 Page

The Townsend Wye is the area where Lamar Alexander Parkway intersects with Little River Road. It is not only an important directional marker in the Great Smoky Mountains National P...

March 26, 2021 Post

Cosby, TN is located on the northeastern border of the Smoky Mountains. Cosby is a great destination for tourists looking to get off the beaten path and away from the traffic of do...

February 1, 2021 Post

Winter hiking in the Smoky Mountains is a unique experience for a handful of reasons. Of course the landscape looks much different than it does in other seasons; you're bound to se...

November 16, 2020 Post

Trail etiquette in the Great Smoky Mountains is an important part of experiencing the national park. When you follow the rules - both the actual rules and the understood ones - you...

October 28, 2020 Post

LeConte Lodge is a small resort on top of Mount LeConte, the mountain with the tallest face east of the Mississippi river. It was established in 1925 and predates the creation of t...

October 27, 2020 Post

Bullhead Trail is one of the least trafficked of the 6 routes to LeConte Lodge. The 5.9 mile trail zigzags south of the summit of Balsam Point with an array of switchbacks around t...

October 26, 2020 Post

Trillium Gap is the longest Mt LeConte trail with Bullhead in second place. Starting at the Rainbow Falls trailhead off Cherokee Orchard Road, you can create a big loop hike up to ...

October 20, 2020 Post

Andrews Bald is double peak mountain just south of Clingmans Dome. The bald is the highest of its kind in the national park; the grassy viewpoint sits an elevation of 5,950 feet - ...

October 6, 2020 Post

Smoky Mountain legends and ghost stories are not in short supply. The region's history is thick with tales passed down from the Cherokee people, early settlers of Cades Cove, and m...

August 12, 2020 Page

Deep Creek, NC is the area about three miles north of Bryson City in one of the southernmost parts of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Deep Creek is known for its beautiful...

July 29, 2020 Page

Smoky Mountains backcountry camping is not for the faint of heart. Beginners should do their research on all the rules and regulations. Proper clothing, food, water, and equipment ...

July 29, 2020 Page

There are a handful of Smoky Mountain campgrounds inside and outside of the national park. The GSMNP maintains ten frontcountry campgrounds within its boundaries. All of the follow...

July 28, 2020 Page

Smoky Mountain wildlife is abundant in all corners of the international biosphere reserve. Remember, all animals in the Smokies should be viewed from a distance and left undisturbe...

July 23, 2020 Page

Hiking in the Smokies is a unique experience. There are more than 800 miles of hiking trails in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and hiking all of them (or becoming a 900 m...