Great Smoky Mountains Info

Whether you’re a frequent Smoky Mountain visitor looking for a new place to explore or planning your first visit to the area, you should definitely visit the North Carolina side of the Great Smoky Mountains, specifically Deep Creek! Keep reading to learn more about the top 3 things to do around Deep Creek in the Smoky Mountains:

One fun way to beat the heat when you come to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in the summer is swimming. Splash around in the cool water while admiring the timeless scenery. While not all the streams and creeks in the park are safe for swimming, there are several amazing spots to swim. With that being said, let us tell you how to reach some of our favorite Smoky Mountain swimming holes:

Summer is a great time for a visit to the Smoky Mountains. The weather is ideal for hiking, picnics, and more! As you are exploring the area, there are things not to do in Great Smoky Mountains National Park you need to know about to ensure you have the most fun and safe experience. Here’s what you shouldn’t do this summer in the Smokies:

Before the first folks ever settled in the Smoky Mountains and made Cades Cove their home, the only beings to roam the area were wild animals. Today, Cades Cove wildlife remains as the only residents — and the wildest! One of the distinct features visitors love about Cades Cove is the number of animals you can see. It provides visitors with a chance to connect with nature and its most fascinating creatures in a picturesque setting you can’t find elsewhere. Continue reading as we discuss these animals in our guide to Cades Cove wildlife:

Many of the trails in Great Smoky Mountains National Park offer more than just natural beauty and breathtaking views — they’re living, breathing stories of the past! As you wind your way along Smokies trails, you’ll get a glimpse of life during much simpler times. These trails are filled with the memories and voices of the people, culture, and events that shaped the Smoky Mountains we know and love today. Are you ready to travel back in time? Here are a handful of Smokies trails that have deep historical roots:

The timeless natural beauty of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is home to many diverse ecosystems, even wetlands! A wetland is defined as a low-lying area of land that is covered with water, either seasonally or year-round. This moist habitat is vital for water quality, reducing stream erosion, and flood protection; it also provides a home for many creatures and plants, such as salamanders. So far, park scientists have mapped over 600 wetlands in the area, from marshes and swamps to sinkholes and beaver ponds! Read on to learn more about a few places where you’ll find wetlands in the Smokies:

We have some great news for visitors of Great Smoky Mountains National Park! Cataloochee, a popular area on the North Carolina side of the park is starting to reopen after suffering significant damage from Hurricane Helene. Read on to find out everything you to know about part of the Cataloochee Valley reopening:

It’s no secret that the most popular and usually the most crowded area of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is Cades Cove. It receives about 5 million visitors each year! Why? Cades Cove Loop Road features beautiful natural scenery and showcases the area’s unique history. Want to know how to avoid some of the crowds there during your visit? Keep reading for our best tips on how to avoid traffic on Cades Cove Loop Road:

If you're going to the Tennessee side of the Smokies, let us tell you about one of our favorite areas. It is known for having many scenic trails, some with a fascinating history! Read on to learn about some of them before your next visit! Here is a list of 4 hiking trails in Elkmont Tennessee you need to try:

Great Smoky Mountains National Park is home to more than 1,600 species of flowering plants, including 100 native tree species and 100 native shrub species. The most unusual plant in the park is undoubtedly the Ghost Plant, which is also known as Indian Pipe or Pinesap. The thing that makes this plant so unusual is that it lacks chlorophyll and doesn't need sunlight to survive, thus giving it the unique “ghost-like” appearance! Here are the top 3 things to know about the unusual Ghost Plant in Smoky Mountains National Park:

There are a lot of historical remnants throughout the Smokies. If you've seen the popular structures, such as the John Oliver Cabin in Cades Cove, there is a lot more ground to cover. Read on to prepare for your next visit. Here is a list of 4 lesser-known historical sites in the Smoky Mountains you should know about:

One of the primary reasons why so many folks love visiting the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the abundance of wildlife! In addition to the iconic black bear, there are excellent opportunities to view white-tailed deer, wild turkeys, salamanders, and all types of other fascinating critters throughout the park! It is no wonder that the Smokies are such a prime destination for nature lovers and photographers from around the world! To make your visit a safe and enjoyable experience, here are a few insider tips for viewing wildlife in the Smoky Mountains:

After major portions of Interstate 40 fell into the Pigeon River during Tropical Storm Helene, the road reopened at the beginning of March and marked a major step towards repairing a critical corridor through the mountains of Western North Carolina! Although the highway is once again open for travel, it will be one-way traffic in each direction until further repairs are completed. Here are the top 3 things to know about the reopening of Interstate 40 at the Tennessee/North Carolina border:

Do you consider yourself a veteran when it comes to hiking in the Smoky Mountains? You may have explored all the beginner trails and feel ready to step it up a notch and see even more of the beautiful scenery the Smokies have to offer. If this sounds like you, we’ve got the perfect trail recommendation for your next visit to the national park–a lesser known and more challenging Smoky Mountain hike to the top of a mountain peak! Here’s your guide to hiking the Brushy Mountain Trail:

While hiking through the Smoky Mountains, have you ever felt that sensation of being watched, even if there is no visible proof to confirm that feeling? Maybe you have seen something moving around the woods in the corner of your eye, or come across what appears to be a large footprint in the mud! If so, you might be wondering if the legendary Bigfoot lives right here in the Smokies! Read on to understand more about the fascination with Bigfoot in the Smoky Mountains: