North Carolina - Great Smoky Mountains National Park
The most visited national park in the country is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site
Learn about the park's history and wildlife, discover scenic hiking trails and beautiful campgrounds.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a United States National Park that straddles the ridgeline of the Great Smoky Mountains, part of the Blue Ridge Mountains, which are a division of the larger Appalachian Mountain chain. The border between Tennessee and North Carolina runs northeast to southwest through the centerline of the park. It is the most visited national park in the United States.[2] On its route from Maine to Georgia, the Appalachian Trail also passes through the center of the park. The park was chartered by the United States Congress in 1934 and officially dedicated by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1940.[3] It encompasses 814 square miles (2,108 km²), making it one of the largest protected areas in the eastern United States. The main park entrances are located along U.S. Highway 441 (Newfound Gap Road) at the towns of Gatlinburg, Tennessee, and Cherokee, North Carolina.
Places To Go
places to go includes:
Visitor Centers
Cades Cove
Cataloochee
Deep Creek
Clingmans Dome
Fontana Dam
Mountain Farm Museum and Mingus Mill
Newfound Gap
Roaring Fork
Off the Beaten Path
The park offers a wide array of destinations to explore both the natural and the cultural history of the park.
Want to learn about the people who once called these mountains home? Then you may enjoy visiting the Mountain Farm Museum, Cades Cove, Cataloochee, or the Roaring Fork area to tour homes, farms, churches, and other structures built by early settlers.
For a chance to view wildlife including black bear, white-tailed deer, and turkeys, head to open areas such as Cades Cove or Cataloochee.
For sweeping vistas head to the top of the mountains at Clingmans Dome or Newfound Gap.
If you wish to beat a retreat to a cool and shady spot in the forest, then a visit to Deep Creek or Roaring Fork may be what you're looking for.
Visit Great Smoky Mountains National Park's official online store for books, maps, and guides to the park. Operated by the nonprofit Great Smoky Mountains Association, proceeds generated by purchases at the store are donated to educational, scientific, and historical projects in the park.
