photo of Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Horses grazing in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, North Carolina. (Photographer's Choice/James Randklev)

What to do in Great Smoky Mountains National Park

by Evelyn Spence

The Great Smoky Mountains have a list of superlatives all their own: It’s one of the oldest ranges in the world (Ice Age glaciers stopped just short of grinding them up). Its 520,000 acres are home to more than 17,000 species; are crisscrossed with 800 miles of trails; and feature thigh-torching hills, swimming holes, and churches, cabins, and barns from the 1800s. And the whole place is often draped in the Smokies’ namesake wispy fog, caused by evaporation from trees. It’s the most visited national park in the nation, perhaps because most of the eastern third of the U.S. can drive there in one shot. On busy weekends, the roads can be choked with 60,000 cars per day. And neighboring towns such as Pigeon Forge will test your tolerance for tackiness and gridlock. Thankfully, it’s easy to get away from the windshield tourists: Park and walk.

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