Great Smoky Mountains National Park near Asheville is the most visited national park with 10 million visitors each year. There are 520,976 acres to explore. This International Biosphere Reserve is home to rugged mountains (many peaks in excess of 6,000 feet), historic homesteads, and 100,000 different types of plants and animals.
Since the park is so large, where do you begin? Here are our top things to do in the Great Smoky Mountains on the North Carolina side. Four entrances to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park are within 60 miles from downtown Asheville: Cataloochee Valley and Oconaluftee, Balsam Mountain and Big Creek.
Things to Do in the Great Smoky Mountains - North Carolina Side |
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Cataloochee Valley is home to the elk that were brought back to the Smokies beginning in 2001. Watch the elk from your car as you enjoy a picnic. In the beautiful Cataloochee Valley, you can tour an historic school, churches, barn, and several homes. There several great hiking trails for all skill levels. The Boogerman Trail is challenging 7-mile loop.
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The Oconaluftee Visitor Center is located at the entrance to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park on U.S. Highway 441 near Cherokee, North Carolina. The Blue Ridge Parkway ends nearby. Stop by the Oconaluftee Visitor Center for plenty of maps, guides, helpful park rangers and programs. At the center, find the Mountain Farm Museum with relocated farm buildings that create an open-air museum. Nearby is Mingus Mill.
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If you continue on U.S. 441 from Oconaluftee Visitor Center for about 16 miles, you will arrive at Newfound Gap, after climbing 3000 feet in elevation. Enjoy views there, and continue for a few miles for more scenic overlooks. Just before Newfound Gap, turn left and drive seven miles to Clingmans Dome, the highest peak in the Smokies. Hike 1/2 mile to the observation tower. The Andrews Bald Hike begins there also. A few miles beyond Newfound Gap on U.S. 441 is the Alum Cave/Mt. LeConte Hike, and a few miles farther is the fabulous Chimney Tops Hike. (Follow these links to full page guides on these locations.) |
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The hike to the summit of Mount Cammerer in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is accessible via a trail from the Big Creek area, just off Interstate 40 near the North Carolina/Tenneessee line (about 50 miles from Asheville). The Big Creek area is in the northern end of the park. There is a ranger station, campground, picnic area and restrooms here. Nearby is the Mt. Sterling Hike, along with Whitewater Rafting, Jeep Tours and Zip Line Canopy Tours.
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To take a road less traveled, drive to Balsam Mountain via the Heintooga Ridge Road that starts at the Blue Ridge Parkway at Milepost 458.2, just 11 miles from the south end of the Parkway. The road takes you into the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, that includes a picnic area and the beautiful Heintooga Overlook. The one-lane unpaved Heintooga Round Bottom Road begins there for a more adventurous drive (or what we call "car hiking") through the Park, ending in the Cherokee Indian Reservation. |
Updates
New for 2011! Follow road status updates on Twitter, new Visitors Center and more! Read the latest Great Smoky Mountains News.
Overview of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park
These ancient mountains are home to a wide variety of plant and animal life unsurpassed in the National Park Service. The Park also offers a glimpse into the lives of early Southern Appalachian farming families and community lifestyles. Seventy-seven historic structures concentrated in five historic districts include a collection of log cabins, barns, churches, grist mills and various outbuildings. The Smokies offer activities for visitors of various ages and interests. Recommended activities include camping, hiking the park's more than 800 miles of trails, picnicking, sightseeing, fishing, auto touring, horseback riding, nature viewing, and photographic opportunities abound.
In addition to its role in preserving the rich natural and historical heritage, the Park is a place for outdoor recreational pursuits. These range from a short stroll in the woods to a more extensive hike in the backcountry. Camping, fishing, picnicking, and horseback riding, or just viewing magnificent scenery are favorite pasttimes.
Every season in the Smokies can be the best time to visit: spring wildflowers, summer camping along cool mountain streams, fall foliage, and winter's crisp, blue skies are all reasons to visit. But planning is the key to a safe and enjoyable stay
Great Smoky Mountains National Park is indeed a special place. Among some of the features making it special are:
Diversity. More than 4,000 species of plants grow here. A walk from mountain base to peak compares with traveling 1,250 miles north. Several resident plants and animals live only in the Smokies.
A rich cultural history. From the Cherokee Indians, to the Scotch-Irish settlers, this land was home to a variety of cultures and people. Many historic structures remain standing. Subsistence turned to exploitation as logging concerns stripped the region of timber. Recovery is now the dominant theme.
The Park is an International Biosphere Reserve and a World Heritage Site. These international recognitions represent the Smokies' importance to the planet. Neither designation results in a loss of national sovereignty or infringement on private land use, including development. The purpose of this United Nations' program is to recognize and encourage preservation of the world's great cultural and biological areas. The United States' National Park Service is proud to steward this world renowned site.
The International Biosphere Reserve Program is a voluntary approach to help preserve and protect the world's biological resources. Each reserve has a core and buffer areas. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park, shielded from development, provides a core area. Other public lands serve as the buffer. Education is the only tool used to promote stewardship among private land owners. Other International Biosphere Reserves include Yellowstone, Yosemite, and Grand Canyon National Parks.
The World Heritage Site designation denotes the Park's inventory of Appalachian cultural items from the 19th and early 20th centuries. Combined with the Park's management to maintain cultural landscapes, such as in Cades Cove and Cataloochee, the Park stewards a unique cultural resource. Like biosphere reserves, it is a voluntary program working to preserve Earth's resources and history. Other World Heritage Sites include Yellowstone and Mammoth Cave National Parks.
Download the official Great Smoky Mountains Trip Planner (PDF).
Great Smoky Park News & Updates
What is the hemlock woolly adelgid that is killing the hemlock trees in the Smokies?
PDF Map Downloads: Great Smoky Mountains Driving Map | Great Smoky Mountains Hiking Trails
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