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Great Smoky Mountains National Park |
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Gatlinburg
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Cades Cove
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Roaring Fork
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Newfound Gap
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Clingmans Dome
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Oconaluftee
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Cataloochee
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Great Smoky Mountains is located in the boundary of Tennessee and North Carolina.
The park area is huge and it offers something for everybody to enjoy.
It is so huge that visitors need to spend days to explore.
The park has ranges of high mountains and dense forests with streams running through the valley.
Magnificent view of layers of mountains
is just breath taking. During fall the colorful foliage is also spectacular.
However, the scenic mountain view is not the only reason which makes Great Smoky Mountains special.
The abundant wildlife, especially the reintroduction of elks from 2001, has made the mountain alive.
The national park has also preserved a lot of historic buildings from the early settlers dated from
early 19 century. Park visitors have opportunity to see these buildings in order to feel and imagine
the lives of people who came earlier.
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| Location: Tennessee, North Carolina, USA East |
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 : City  : National Park  : National Monument / Miscellaneous
Click icons on the map to see details. |
| | Park Summary | | | Park Rating | | | | | | |  | | Overall | | Rating : 3.75 (4 votes) | | Convenience | | Rating : 4.75 (4 votes) | | Physical Demand | | Rating : 3 (4 votes) | | Family Activity | | Rating : 4.75 (4 votes) | | | What does the rating mean ? | | I want to rate for this park |
| | | Park Geography | | | | | | Nearby City | (Definition of Driving Distance and Time) | | | | City, State | Distance | Drive Time | | | Atlanta, GA | 196 miles | 4:20 | | Nashville, TN | 214 miles | 3:50 | | Columbia, SC | 233 miles | 4:30 | | Washington, DC | 488 miles | 7:25 | | Cleveland, OH | 550 miles | 8:38 | | Detroit, MI | 552 miles | 8:44 | | Little Rock, AR | 568 miles | 8:28 | | Chicago, IL | 580 miles | 9:15 | | New York, NY | 726 miles | 12:03 | | Dallas, TX | 884 miles | 12:50 | | Miami, FL | 893 miles | 14:25 | | Minneapolis, MN | 1053 miles | 15:40 |
| | | Nearby National Park | (Definition of Driving Distance and Time) | | | | | | | | | | National Park Service Website | | | http://www.nps.gov/grsm | | | Weather Forecast | | | | | | | Monthly Average | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | | Temperature (ºF) | 34.7 | 37.7 | 46.8 | 54.5 | 62.5 | 69.5 | 72.7 | 71.9 | 66.3 | 55.3 | 46.6 | 38.6 | | High Temperature (ºF) | 46.5 | 50.5 | 60.7 | 69.3 | 76.3 | 82.4 | 84.7 | 83.9 | 78.6 | 69.4 | 60.3 | 50.6 | | Low Temperature (ºF) | 22.9 | 24.8 | 32.7 | 39.7 | 48.5 | 56.7 | 60.7 | 60 | 53.9 | 41.2 | 32.9 | 26.5 | | Precipitation (inches) | 4.3 | 4.4 | 5.2 | 4.3 | 5.1 | 5.1 | 6.4 | 5 | 4.3 | 3.2 | 4.1 | 4.3 |
| | | Activity Suggestion | | |
Motor Tour: There are a lot of scenic roads inside or around the national park offer very nice views.
Most major roads have pullouts for visitors to stop and enjoy the view. However, the road conditions may
vary and some might be driving skill challenging. Cades Cove is the most popular auto tour with beautiful
valley view and display of historical buildings. It takes 4 to 8 hours for this tour.
Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail is nearby Gatlinburg downtown. The total distance is not long yet the road
condition is not good. It has been described as "small scale Smoky Mountains". It will take 1 to 2 hours for
this tour.
Hiking: There are hundreds of miles of hiking trails in the park. Some lead to waterfalls or deep in the forest
while others may lead to mountain top with spectacular overlooking views. Basic rule of thumb is that
the more challenging the trail, the higher the reward is. However, due to limited time, we did not spend too much
time in hiking.
You should plan at least 3 to 7 days stay in order to truly appreciate what this national park has to offer.
My favorite lodging location is Gatlinburg in Tennessee. It is right beside the entrance of national park,
has lots of lodging options and the downtown has a lot of entertainment opportunities, day and night,
for people young or old. Asheville in North Carolina is another great place I love. It is
nearby the other attractions such as Biltmore Estate, Blue Ridge Parkway or Chimney Rock State Park on
west of North Carolina. However, it is somewhat too far away from Great Smoky Mountains.
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| | | Discussion Area - Smoky Mountain |
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Continue to Gatlinburg
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