Smoky Mountains Make A Great Outdoor Vacation

Hiking, Fly Fishing, Camping, and Wildflowers in The Smokies

Mar 19, 2009

The Great Smoky Mountain National Park, on the border between North Carolina and Tennessee, is a year-round vacation destination for hiking, fishing, camping and wildlife

At one time more than 5000 people lived in what is now Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and that is what distinguishes it from the 360-odd other units of the National Park Service. It is often called “the people’s park” because of communities like Cade’s Cove, Greenbrier and Cataloochee where so many families lived for generations

The People’s Park is so called because, although Congress created the legislation, it was people who lived in the region who recognized that the unique beauty and lifestyle of the Appalachians was slowly being extinguished and needed protection. Members of the East Tennessee AAA Club were among those instrumental in raising funds and encouraging Congress to act. Children organized “pennies for the park” campaigns, and during the Great Depression, hundreds of individuals sacrificed to give what they could.

Free Admission to Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Today, the People’s Park remains the only national park that is free to enter. It is also a place where 40 or more families have lifetime leases, allowing that they and their ancestors have rights to be buried in one of the 160-plus cemeteries within the park. A tour of those cemeteries, many of them located near the churches and schools of the Cade’s Cove area, provide a thoughtful insight into the people who first called southern Appalachia home.

Amazingly, almost 95 percent of the park’s nine million annual visitors never explore more than a quarter of a mile away from their automobiles. That’s why the Park Service and volunteers have created “quiet walkways,” places designated for people to park their cars and get out into the park on relatively smooth, walkable terrain to see the beauty that is Great Smoky Mountains.

Hiking/Camping in the Smokies

The Cade’s Cove area on the east side of the park, while providing a valuable link to the history of the people, is also the most visited and often congested with auto traffic. With 270 miles of road and 800 miles of hiking trails, there are plenty of opportunities to get away from people and automobiles to enjoy what the people have worked to preserve.

Those familiar with the park suggest hiking and camping on the northeast side of the park near Davenport Gap and Cosby Knob. Some of the best back country trout fishing in the country may be found along Eagle, Hazel and Forney Creeks.

There are no overnight accommodations within the park, but numerous lodging options abound in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge.

The copyright of the article Smoky Mountains Make A Great Outdoor Vacation in Tennessee Travel is owned by Diana Lambdin Meyer. Permission to republish Smoky Mountains Make A Great Outdoor Vacation in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.