Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Visited: Sept 2017

Nearby cities: Knoxville, TN; Asheville, NC

Nearby towns: Gatlinburg, TN (north entrance); Cherokee, NC (south entrance)

Once two strangers climbed ol' Rocky Top

Lookin' for a moonshine still

Strangers ain't come down from Rocky Top

Reckon they never will

Corn don't grow at all on Rocky Top

Dirt's too rocky by far

That's why all the folks on Rocky Top

Get their corn from a jar

Rocky Top, you'll always be

Home sweet home to me

Good ol' Rocky Top

Rocky Top, Tennessee

Rocky Top, Tennessee

-Rocky Top, Boudleaux and Felice Bryant

Hardscrabble farming, whiskey and moonshine, southern hospitality, bluegrass, banjos, and the Blue Ridge Mountains...The Great Smokies encapsulate the unique and endearing culture of southern Appalachia.

With an average of over 11.3 million visitors a year, Great Smoky Mountains National Park is by far the most visited National Park in the entire country. In second place is Grand Canyon with 6 million visitors annually. The Great Smokies and the surrounding areas are a very popular and relatively inexpensive tourist destination, and is the largest protected area in the United States east of the Mississippi River.

The history of this region is full of tragedy. This part of the South was the ancestral homeland of the Cherokees. As European settlers encroached upon their land and disputes broke out, President Andrew Jackson signed the Indian Removal Act in 1830. This act initiated the forced removal of Cherokee, and all other Indian tribes east of the Mississippi River, to present-day Oklahoma. This forced march is now usually referred to as the "Trail of Tears." Nearly all of the Cherokees left the region. However, a renegade warrior, Tsali, led a small group of Cherokees to hide out in the mountains of what is now Great Smoky National Park to escape the forced removal. The descendants of Tsali's band still live just south of the park in the town of Cherokee and the Qualla Boundary.

Early European settlers in the area began to build small mountain communities. These were impoverished settlements that relied primarily on subsistence agriculture and farming. You wouldn't find the large cotton or tobacco plantations here that were prevalent throughout the rest of the South. Because of this, slavery was virtually non-existent in the area. At the outbreak of the Civil War, this region of Eastern Tennessee and Western North Carolina was largely anti-slavery, pro-Union and voted against secession even though the rest of their respective states overwhelmingly voted to secede. The farmers here viewed secession and the subsequent conflict as a "war for the rich, fought by the poor." There was even a movement among settlers in Eastern Tennessee and Northeastern Alabama to secede from the Confederacy and form a new pro-Union state known as "Nickajack." Although their efforts proved unsuccessful, many resisted the Confederate draft and joined the Union Army. For nearly one hundred years following the Civil War, this area was essentially the only region in the entire South that supported the Republican Party.

At the turn of the 20th century, the economic prospects of the region improved as the lumber industry grew. A railroad to transport lumber caused more economic growth. As the trees fell, concerns about the preservation of this beautiful landscape grew. Many locals banded with wealthy philanthropists like John D. Rockefeller and the federal government to create a National Park in the east. Great Smoky Mountains National Park was created on June 15, 1934. One of the conditions Rockefeller placed on his donation of the land to the government was that access to the Park would always be free. Therefore, Great Smoky Mountains National Park is one of the few parks that has no entrance fee.

The touristy towns of Gatlinburg (made to replicate a pleasure town in the Bavarian Alps) and Pigeon Forge (essentially a shrine to Dolly Parton) are excellent home bases to explore the Park. The Park is huge and you're going to want to devote a number of days to it. Our first stop was Cades Cove. Cades Cove might be the most popular destination in the park. It contains a scenic one-way road that travels through a beautiful valley nestled in the Smokies. There are a number of trails, historic farms, churches, and wildlife viewing. We went for a short horse carriage ride.

We then took the scenic drive through Cades Coves. Just sit back and relax. Take your time, and make sure to stop along the way and soak up the scenery.

About halfway along the Cades Cove scenic drive is the trailhead for Abram's Falls. This is a pleasant 5 mile roundtrip hike. This is a good family hike. Although its long, it's not too strenuous.

Further along the scenic drive are some historic farms, a mill, and some houses. Be sure to make a stop here to learn about early subsistence agriculture in this area.

The Becky Cable House was built in 1879

The next day we drove along the Newfound Gap Road (US Highway 441) this is the main thoroughfare of the Park that connects the North and South Entrance. Along this road is the trailhead for the Chimney Tops Trail. This is a popular trail, but the last portion of the trail has been closed since the 2016 fire. You can still go on the trail, but you won't be able to get to the top of the mountain. Another popular trail across the street from the Chimney Tops is the Alum Bluffs Trail. We took this trail instead. It's a little over 2 miles to the Alum Bluffs. The trail follows a beautiful river and then after a mile or so you get to Arch Rock.

After Arch Rock, the trail starts to climb up Mt. Le Conte. You'll get a break in the trees, and the majesty of the Smokies burst into view. The "smoke" of the Smokies comes from the natural fog that almost perpetually hangs over the range. Eventually you get to the Alum Bluffs, also called the Alum Cave. Epsom salts and saltpeter, used to make gunpowder, were mined from this area. This is a great spot to stop and enjoy the views. If you wish, you can continue on the trail to the top of Mt. Le Conte.

We continued along the Newfound Gap Road. Make sure to stop at the Newfound Gap, at 5,046 ft, is the highest point along the road. The Appalachian Trail passes right along here. Also take the offshoot road here to go up to Clingmans Dome. This is the highest point in the state of Tennessee and offers great views.

At the south end of Newfound Gap Road, stop at the Oconaluftee Visitor Center and the Mountain Farm Museum.

Another great hike to take is Laurel Falls. It's only 2.6 miles roundtrip and leads to a wonderful 80 foot falls.

Another great stop in the Park is the one-way scenic drive, Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail. The drive is closed during the winter months. Here is where you find the trailheads to Rainbow Falls and Grotto Falls.

The town of Gatlinburg has many tourist attractions and the only downhill ski resort in Tennessee. Take the tram in town to head up to Ober Gatlinburg, an amusement park with rides, ski mountain coaster, alpine slides, indoor skating rink, chair lifts, restaurants, and a small zoo. The town of Pigeon Forge also has lots of tourist attractions for families. There's tons of go-kart tracks, mini-golf, kitschy Southern and Christmas shops, and lots of dinner shows. The most famous one being Dolly Parton's Dixie Stampede. You eat all the food with your hands, and there's lots of music and expert horse riding, etc. It was a lot of fun. There is also of course Dollywood (The South's answer to Disneyland). These towns are definitely a vacation destination in itself, but make sure to spend lots of time in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park while you're there. It's a beautiful park that we enjoyed immensely. More info here: https://www.nps.gov/grsm/index.htm