What Is The Most Popular Destination In The Great Smoky Mountains National Park?

One of the most popular areas in the park, the Cades Cove valley is known for its abundant wildlife, including white-tailed deer, black bears, turkeys, raccoons and other animals. The visitor center features both indoor and outdoor exhibits detailing Southern mountain life.

Is Cades Cove the most popular destination in Great Smoky Mountains National Park?

Cades Cove is the most visited area of the national park . With wildlife and 19th Century home sites, this idyllic setting is a sample of everything the park has to offer. ... Cades Cove Loop Road is the most popular biking trail in the park and is starting point for many popular hiking trails.

What should you not miss in the Smoky Mountains?

• The Island. The Island is one of the top attractions in Pigeon Forge! ...
• Dollywood. ...
• Anakeesta. ...
• Mountain Mile & Tower Shops. ...
• Chicken Guy! ...
• Double Decker Bus Tours. ...
• Pigeon Forge Chairlift. ...
• Ober Gatlinburg.

Why is Great Smoky Mountains National Park the most visited?

The number one reason the Great Smoky Mountains are so popular is because it’s one of the only national parks in the United States that doesn’t charge an entrance fee . ... There are several programs in place, including Friends of the Smokies, a program that raises funds for the park.

What’s the most visited national park?

Coming in at the top spot with a whopping 12.1 million visits, Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the country’s most-visited national park. Crossing North Carolina and Tennessee, this park is known for its wildlife, waterfalls, and fog-covered mountains.

What is so special about Cades Cove?

Located about an hour away from downtown Gatlinburg, TN, Cades Cove is famous for its well-preserved historic buildings, lovely mountain vistas, and unrivaled wildlife viewing . All of the valley’s major landmarks are conveniently located along an 11-mile loop road, which makes the Cove ideal for auto touring.

What is the Great Smoky Mountains known for?

The area is known for its wildflowers, autumn colors, waterfalls, and black bears . ... It is also known for the blue-colored mist that hangs above mountain peaks and valleys. It looks like smoke, and gave the area its name. Today, we are exploring the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Can you swim in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park?

Within the naturally gorgeous Smoky Mountains there are several beautiful swimming holes , filled with cool, clean water perfect for plunging into on a hot day. There’s nothing quite like the pleasant shock of diving into cool and fresh water in the summertime.

What kind of animals live in the Great Smoky Mountains?

Popular wildlife in the Great Smoky Mountains include salamanders, coyotes, deer, black bears, bobcats, and elk . Here’s where to see them in the park.

Why is Gatlinburg popular?

It also came in fourth place on TripAdvisor’s list of global up-and-coming destinations. Set in the picturesque entrance to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Gatlinburg is home to a plethora of outdoor activities, a growing food scene , and eclectic attractions that make it a popular destination for travelers.

Why is Gatlinburg famous?

The quaint, resort-like village of Gatlinburg, nestled in the mountains of East Tennessee, is known for it’s beautiful scenery, great shopping , as well as its colorful history. The small resort town, commonly referred to as the “Gateway to the Smoky Mountains,” lies at the foot of Mt.

What is the prettiest National Park?

• Acadia National Park, Maine. ...
• Arches National Park, Utah. ...
• Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Ohio. ...
• Glacier National Park, Montana. ...
• Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona. ...
• Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming. ...
• Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee and North Carolina.

How popular are the Smoky Mountains?

More than nine million people visit Great Smoky Mountains National Park each year, making it the most popular national park in the United States. It even beats the Grand Canyon, which comes in second and annually attracts about five million travelers.

What are the top 5 most popular national parks?

• Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Location: Tennessee & North Carolina. ...
• Yellowstone National Park. Location: Wyoming, Montana & Idaho. ...
• Zion National Park. ...
• Rocky Mountain National Park. ...
• Grand Teton National Park. ...
• Grand Canyon National Park. ...
• Cuyahoga Valley National Park. ...
• Acadia National Park.

What is the least visited national park?

Some of them are hard to reach, like National Park of American Samoa or Alaska’s Gates of the Arctic , the least-visited national park last year, with 2,872 recreational visits. Visitors have to take a boat or seaplane to get to Dry Tortugas in the Gulf of Mexico and Isle Royale on Lake Superior.

Why are there no deer in Cades Cove?

Also, disease outbreaks in the 1960s and 1970s took a toll on the deer population in Cades Cove, Miller said. “In some outbreaks, up to 80 percent of the deer population was wiped out ,” he said. Some critics have accused the National Park Service of removing deer from Cades Cove to reduce the population.

Does anyone live in Cades Cove?

Cades Cove is a national treasure, a jewel of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, but Rex Caughron doesn’t bother much with going anymore. “Very seldom do I go through the Cove,” he said.

Can you swim in the waterfalls in the Smoky Mountains?

Located near the Townsend entrance of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the Townsend Wye is arguable the most popular of the Smoky Mountain swimming holes. ... There are plenty of Smoky Mountain swimming holes and waterfalls to cool you off in the summer heat.

Were there slaves in Cades Cove?

No slave ever worked the Cove , and the mountain people shared few cultural ties with the South. Still young men fought for both sides, 21 for the Union and 12 for the Confederates. Most remaining residents were pro-Union, but surrounded by hostile territory, they paid for their northern sympathies.

Why is Smoky Mountains spelled wrong?

Many people misspell Smoky as Smokey with an “e,” some simply call them the Smokies while others spell it Smokeys. ... The Great Smoky Mountains is in the southern tip of the Appalachian Mountains and creates a natural border between Tennessee and North Carolina.

Are there any hot springs in the Smoky Mountains?

After a challenging hike in the mountains, taking a soak in Hot Springs is one of the best things to do in The Great Smoky Mountains. The town of Hot Springs in North Carolina is located just 45 minutes from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

What is the closest beach to Gatlinburg TN?

The closest beach to Knoxville TN is Sullivan’s Island in South Carolina.

Are there grizzly bears in the Smoky Mountains?

While visiting Great Smoky Mountains National Park, it’s almost a sure thing that you’ll encounter wildlife. ... For comparison, in Yellowstone National Park, there are an estimated 150 grizzlies that range fully or mostly in the park that spans 3,468 square miles.

Are there wolves in the Great Smoky Mountains?

Mammals native to the area, but no longer living here include bison and gray wolves . Several efforts to reintroduce species that had been extirpated from the park have been successful. Northern river otters were reintroduced in the 1990s.

Are there rattlesnakes in the Smoky Mountains?

The timber rattler is one of two venomous snake species that live in the Great Smoky Mountains, with the other being the copperhead. Park officials say neither snake are aggressive and will usually only attack when provoked.

Why is Pigeon Forge so popular?

Voted one of the South’s favorite shopping spots by Southern Living readers, Pigeon Forge is equally famous for its more than 200 factory outlets and specialty stores . Packed with music theaters and family attractions, it is also home to the state’s top tourist attraction Dollywood.

Is the Smoky Mountains the most visited national park?

Attracts more than 10 million visitors each year.

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the most-visited national park in the United States , and it’s not hard to understand why.

Can you stay in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park?

The national park itself is a major destination for visitors, but there are limited lodging and camping options inside the Smokies’ boundary . As a result, most vacationers stay in “gateway cities” located a short drive away from national park entrances.

How popular is Gatlinburg?

(WVLT) – Gatlinburg is the top travel destination in the U.S., according to TripAdvisor. TripAdvisor announced Gatlinburg is the number one trending travel destination in the United States on its U.S. Trending Destinations list.

What is Gatlinburg famous food?

• Ogle Dog at Fannie Farkles. ...
• Donuts at the Donut Friar. ...
• Deviled Eggs at Parton’s Deli. ...
• Garlic Knots at Best Italian. ...
• Pancakes at the Pancake Pantry. ...
• Salad Bar at the Peddler Steakhouse. ...
• Taffy Logs at Ole Smoky Candy Kitchen.

What is Gatlinburg named for?

What is Tennessee known for?

Because of constant energy research, it is known as the Energy Capital of the World . Tennessee has more than 3,800 documented caves. Bristol is known as the Birthplace of Country Music. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the most visited national park in the United States.

Is Gatlinburg TN worth visiting?

It is definitely worth going to visit if you are into hiking , etc even if you don’t want a touristy area. It is possible to rent a cabin and avoid Gatlinburg altogether but plan on finding bypass roads to take and cook at your cabin. That said, Gatlinburg is a very touristy spot crammed within a couple of miles.

What 5 states have no national parks?

What is this? The list of states with no U.S. national park are: Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa , Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachuesetts, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Wisconsin.

What is the number one national park?

Where is the Great Smoky Mountains?

Great Smoky Mountains National Park is located in western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee , and covers 520,000 acres (800 square miles). The Smoky Mountains are known for the blue mist that always seems to hover around the peaks and valleys.

What is the most famous park?

• Yellowstone.
• Yosemite.
• Glacier National Park.
• Grand Canyon.
• Serengeti National Park.
• Jasper National Park.
• Zion National Park.
• Torres del Paine National Park.

What is the most famous park in the United States?

What is the most famous park in us?

Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the nation’s most popular national park.