Great Smoky Mountains

Straddling the border between Tennessee and North Carolina, the Great Smoky Mountain Park  is the most visited and the most bio-diverse National Park in the USA.  It is easy to explore the 800 square miles of park as there are over 300 miles of road, but of course the best way is to park your car and walk or rent a bike. Accommodation is on the edge of the park either in Pigeon Forge or Gatlinburg.

Pigeon Forge has just 6,000 residents, but has enough attractions and activities to draw 10-million visitors a year. You can stay overnight in a hotel, condos, cabin or campsite. It is also home to Tennessee’s most visited ticketed attraction, the Dollywood theme park, where you get a big dose of the music, food and crafts of the Appalachian Mountains – plus some totally thrilling rides. Dolly Parton’s hometown is also a must-visit; Sevierville is rich in Appalachian heritage, country music and Southern hospitality.

The little town of Gatlinburg, situated at the entrance of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, attracts more than 11 million visitors a year and offers a taste of Appalachian hospitality at its best. Gatlinburg is one of America’s great mountain destinations, with accommodations of every kind, dozens of local restaurants and attractions galore – all settled in the foothills and surrounded by the natural beauty of the Smokies. Gatlinburg prides itself on its walkability amidst mountain heritage and the arts, crafts and shops that reflect that tradition.

In the park itself, Cades Cove is one of the most visited areas and this beautiful spot has plenty of wildlife including black bears and white-tailed deer. Rent a bike for a gentle ride around the loop road.

You can also drive to within half a mile of the observation post on top of Clingman’s Dome, at 6,643 feet, the highest in the Park.