Tips for Visiting The Great Smoky Mountains National Park
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Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the most visited National Park in the United States. It is part of the Blue Ridge Mountains which is a division of the larger Appalachian Mountains. The borders of Tennessee and North Carolina run through this National Park as well as the Appalachian trail. While visiting this National Park we learned some valuable tips, some the hard way! If you plan to visit this beautiful park, keep these things in mind:
1. If you plan to fish, buy your license before entering the park. Licenses can be bought online for Tennesee or North Carolina or in Gatlinburg but not at the visitor centers. Internet service is very limited and if you try to buy a license online in the park, you may have trouble.
3. Know the fishing regulations. You cannot use live bait in the park to fish. Trout have a slot size. Fishing regulations are not handed out in the park.
4. Alcohol can only be consumed in a campsite.
5. Don’t rely on gps or MapQuest to enter park. Because Smoky Mountains is a free National Park there is no formal entrance with a gate. GPS might take you on the most direct route. For us going to Elkmont campground from the west, we were guided up a long, winding steep road with our 28 foot 5th wheel to a bridge in which campers and trailers were not allowed to pass. Lets just say we will never forget that experience!
6. If visiting with an RV, camper or trailer, know that there are steep grades with hairpin turns. Be sure you are comfortable driving. We were surprised that we saw very few large campers driving though the park. The grade is steep, posted,. 9% grade for 20 miles. At one point our brakes were really smoking!
7. When exiting the park from the East, do not turn onto the Blue Ridge Parkway with a camper or trailer, unless you do your research. There are tunnels with minimum height requirements, and no places to turn around. Find tunnel info Here.
8. Visit Clingmans dome. This is the highest point in the park, and in Tennessee in fact! The weather can change quickly and it is cooler her so bring an umbrella and a sweatshirt so you don’t end up having to buy one in the small gift shop at the base. The paved trail is steep but has benches along the way to rest.
9. Plan to hike. There are so many trails in this park. There are trails that are crowded and ones that are not, called Quiet Walkways. Most parking areas for these only have room for 2 or 3 vehicles to ensure a walk in solitude.
10. Be Adventurous ! We only had one day to explore this park but could have spent a week there! There are so many other areas we did not discover such as Cades Cove and Balsam Mountain. We explored during the summer but I can only imagine how beautiful the park would be with the leaves changing colors in the fall.
We are thankful for this beautiful land. Happy Travels!
Jennifer
