Great Smokey Mountains National Park

Great Smokey Mountains National Park is located on the border of NC and TN, it is by far the most visited national park, and we wante to find out why. This park is home to mountains, rivers, and forests. One of the reasons that it is so polular is the accessibility of the incredible beauty! The forests blankets the landscape, and we had the chance to see it just as the trees were changing color! The tapestry of colors is incredible! Also this park is free! We are always happy to visit places at that price!

We had the great fortune to enjoy this park with Saralyn MacPhee! She was in the area and met up with us for the afternoon. It was fantastic to have her joy and enthusiasm as we explored!

We stopped first at the Oconaluftee Visitor's Center to scope out our options. We decided to hit up 2 different locations. We were a bit tight on time because we were looking forward to supper in Chattanooga that evening, so we had to (sadly) limit this visit.

Our first stop was the historic Mingus Mill. The Mingus Mill is actually powered by a turbine drive instead of a water wheel, which is much higher efficiency, but more expensive to install, so they were uncommon. The mill house was 3 stories tall and is still used to grind flour that can be purchased by the visitors!

Once we had exhausted the mill we moved on to the Deep Creek Trail. This trail is a loop that winds past 3 waterfalls before returning to the parking lot. The hike has a fair amount of ups and downs, but is not too strenuous, and is mostly in the shade. Sadly there is a drought currently in the area so the falls were not too spectacular, but they definitely looked like they had fantastic potential!

We wanted to take the drive through the park, but we were also hungry, so we said goodby to Saralyn, and headed to Chattanooga to spend some time with Julie's cousin and her family.

Personnel:
The lady that we talked to at the VC was super helpful! She knew how long it took to get everywhere, had suggestions based on our avaliable time, and highlided a map for us (using 2 different colors!) accordingly.

Climate/weather:
The weather was perfect. It was foggy in the morning, but when we got to the trailhead it was clear and beautiful. The temperature was nice, and being in the shade was very pleasant.

Facilities/signage:
The entrance sign was pretty unremarkable, but the other signs in/around the park were well placed. The facilities we stopped at were not equipped with soap, but did have water and hand sanitizer.

Hiking experience:
With the pleasant hiking weather, the beautiful foliage, and the 2 active water falls we enjoyed the hiking experience and wished we had time for more.

Driving experience:
We didn't drive through the park very much, but we did find that evwn though we weren't fully into the busy season the parking lots were full. This park is known for having lots of traffic, so be prepared!

Camping options:
We didn't notice any campgrounds, but there are several in the park. Backcountry is also very much an option here as the Appalachian Trail winds through the lengrh of the park.

Hammockability:
Definitely lots of trees here with areas that are clear of underbrush. The temperature was perfect for it too. Just watch out for bears!

Scenery:
We were in the park just at the beginning of fall, and it was fantastic, but when fall comes in full I can only imagine how incredible it must be!

Nearby food:
We didn't see any food options inside the park, but just outaide you will find Cherokee (NC) or Gatlinburg (TN) and there are plenty of food options there.


This park is definitely on the return list. Seeing the park in ita fall glory is something that we don't want to miss! And it is free! Turns out there are good reasons that this is the most visited NP.

After leaving the park we headed into Chattanooga to spend a few days with Julie's cousin Delight and her family (Chris, Marin, and Morgan.) We had a great time exploring the Cloudland Canyon and its waterfall (which was dry, but still cool!) And spending time exploring the woods behind their house with Marin and Morgan. So good to spend time with family!

We also got to spend a few days with Billy and Brittany Saunders (and Sophie)! We were planning to spend an evening at the Aquarium and downtown Chattanooga with them but were pleasantly surprised to be able to spend several days at their house before heading out! Bonus!