Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Great Smoky Mountains National Park is located in western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee in the Great Smoky Mountains. The park is in Swain and Haywood Counties in North Carolina. In Tennessee, the park is located in Sevier, Blount, and Cocke Counties.
The idea to create a national preserve in the area started in the late 19th century, either as a national park or national forest. The push for a national park became successful in the 1920s by supporters in Asheville, NC and Knoxville, TN. A compromise was reached and the park was located in between the two cities. In 1926, Congress passed a bill establishing the park, and fund-raising began to purchase the land. The state legislatures of North Carolina and Tennessee appropriated funds, as well as individuals, private groups, and even school children. The remaining money was donated by the Laura Spellman Rockefeller Memorial Fund. Free admission to the park was a stipulation of the money, and to this day, Great Smoky Mountains National Park is one of the only national parks with free admission. The park was formally dedicated in 1940 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Contact Information:
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
107 Park Headquarters Road
Gatlinburg, TN 37738
Phone: (865) 436-1200
Directions:
As a large national park, there are numerous entrances each with its own directions. The following are directions to specific areas within the park.
Big Creek Area:
From I-40 near the North Carolina/Tennessee state line, take exit 451 in Tennessee (Waterville Road). Follow the road about two miles into the park. The Ranger Station is located on the left and the campsites are further down the road. The Big Creek Area is in Haywood County, North Carolina.
Cataloochee Area:
From I-40 in western North Carolina, take exit 20 on US-276 and turn right on Cove Creek Road within a quarter mile. This is a fairly long road that is narrow, very windy, steep, and turns to gravel for a couple of miles. The total distance on the road is only 11 miles, but plan for a good 30 minutes to make the drive, since its extremely slow. And its a two-way road, so be careful for oncoming traffic. After about ten miles, Cove Creek Road enters the park and a paved road to the left leads into Cataloochee Valley. The Cataloochee Area is in Haywood County, North Carolina.
Cosby Area:
From I-40 in east Tennessee, take exit 447 towards Hartford Road. Turn left on Hartford Road then the first right onto Trail Hallow Road. Follow Trail Hallow Road for about 3 miles then turn right on TN-32 N. In about 2 miles, turn left onto Cosby Park Road to enter the park. Alternately from Gatlinburg, take US-321 N and turn right at the junction with TN-32. After 1.2 miles, turn right onto Cosby Park Road. The Cosby Area is in Cocke County, Tennessee.
Elkmont Area:
From Gatlinburg, go west on US-441 and turn onto Little River Road towards Cades Cove. The entrance to the Elkmont Area is on the right after about 5 miles. The Elkmont Area is in Sevier County, Tennessee.
Map:
Camping:
There are many campsites in the park for car camping, as well as backcountry campsites and shelters, mostly along the Appalachian Trail.
Big Creek Camping:
The Big Creek Area has a group campsite, individual campsites and a horse camp site. The Big Creek and Baxter Creek Trails run through the camping area, and the Chestnut Branch Trail to the Appalachian Trail and Mount Cammerer starts at the Ranger Station.
Cataloochee Camping:
The Cataloochee Area has group and individual campsites. The three group campsites are on the gravel road leading from Cataloochee to the Big Creek Area just past the Palmer House. It is possible to rent all three group campsites, each of which can accommodate up to 25 people, for a very big group. And since the campsite is away from other stuff, campers can expect reasonable privacy. The group campgrounds do not have potable water, but there are vault bathrooms and a creek nearby to filter water. The Boogerman Trail is one of the most popular hiking trails in this area, but the main attraction in Cataloochee is the wildlife, especially the re-introduced elk.
Cosby Camping:
The campground in the Cosby Area includes individual sites and a group site. Only about 25 of the individual sites are available for reservation, the rest being first-come first-served. But with 165 sites in total, there is usually no issue getting a spot. There are a couple trails that can be accessed from near the campground - the Low Gap Trail that leads to the Appalachian Trail, the Lower Mount Cammerer Trail, and the Gabes Mountain Trail that leads to Hen Wallow Falls. And just outside the campground is easy access to Cosby and Hartford, Tennessee.
Elkmont Camping:
The campground at Elkmont has both individual and group sites. This campground actually has the largest number of campsites of any developed campgrounds in the park, 220. The majority of sites may be reserved in advance, but are first-come first-served. The campground is only for camping - there are no day-use facilities. Little River runs through the campground and several trails are adjacent to the campground.
Wildlife:
Viewing wildlife in their natural habitats is one of greatest experiences of visiting Great Smoky Mountains National Park. However, wildlife can be very dangerous, so please abide by all park rules and regulations regarding keeping a safe distance, never feeding any wildlife, and proper storage of food.
Black Bears:
American black bears (Ursus americanus) are iconic of the park (i.e., Smokey the Bear). If you are lucky enough to spot one, be sure to follow all regulations and maintain a safe distance. Here's a picture of some cute bear cubs in Cades Cove (these pictures were taken with a telephoto lens from inside a car driving the loop road).
The mama bear was up in a tree watching her cubs. Once they got their fill of acorns, they headed into the woods and the mother climbed down the tree and followed them. Here's a video of her climbing down:
Blog Entries:
02-Jul-2017: Bear Creek and Chasteen Creek Falls
23-Oct-2016: Hen Wallow Falls & Max Patch
22-Oct-2016: Mount Cammerer
02-Sep-2016: Great Smoky Mountains Waterfalls
25-Oct-2015: MST Hike at Folk Art Center
24-Oct-2015: Gregory Bald Hike
26-Apr-2015: Big Creek Wildflower
25-Apr-2015: Wildflowers in Harmon Den
External Links:
US National Park Service website: http://www.nps.gov/grsm/index.htm