Wildflowers are a calling card at GSMNP with over 1,500 kinds of flowering plants. Blooming flowers can be found year-round. PHOTO COURTESY GSMNP
Howard DuBose
Last month was the 100th anniversary of the National Park System. We had national parks before that, but they were run by the Army. In honor of this anniversary, let’s talk about OUR national park, The Great Smoky Mountains National Park! (OK, OK, we share it with Tennessee).
Many folks might think it was always a national park, since it is so far east, but it was not until the 1930s that local pressure managed to get much of the mountain land in the Smokies saved for a park.
The Great Smoky Mountain National Park really is for hiking, nature (wildlife, trees, leaves, flowers), and for walking up mountains! It is open 24/7, 365 days a year. They do not even close for Christmas. If you drive to the top of Clingman’s Dome, you find a great lookout tower. You can also hike up to it, if you are in good shape! Newfound Gap, Cade’s Cove, Balsam Mountain, & Elkmont are other popular destinations in the GSMNP.
Some campgrounds on the NC side of the GSMNP are:
1. Smokemont, 828-497-9270.
2. Deep Creek (private), 828-488-6055.
3. Balsam Mountain, 877-444-6777.
There are campgrounds on the TN side:
1. Cade’s Cove, 865-448-2472.
2. Elkmont, 865-430-5560.
3. Cosby, 423-487-2683.
There are 10 campgrounds and the six government campgrounds that take reservations can be accessed at 1-877-444-6777, or online. Most frontcountry campsites have fire ring with grill, picnic table, lantern pole. Some are RV-oriented, but most are tent-oriented. These campgrounds have cold water and some type of toilet. The larger ones, like Smokemont, have more amenities.
A website that you can use is: mysmokymountainvacation.com and another one is nps .gov (This one gets you access to all national parks).
There are four types of camping in the park, check the website for maps and a complete list:
Backcountry (basically you backpack in).
Frontcountry (the regular campgrounds noted above).
Group campgrounds (special campgrounds for groups of 8 or larger).
Horse campgrounds (canpgrounds with road access that are intended for riders and their horses).
Many folks enjoy picnicking in the park, especially in the fall when the leaves are changing. It is nice to get out in the woods, but even nicer to camp out in a warm motel when temps drop!
There are 13 picnic areas scattered over the park. Most are in the North or West part, but the closest ones to the Triangle are near Bryson City, Smokemont campground, and at Heintooga. Again, check the Park website for names and maps. Only four picnic areas are open year round (Cades Cove, Deep Creek, Greenbriar, Metcalf Bottoms). The others have various dates, due to weather problems with road access. There are pavilions you can rent at Smokemont and Deep Creek (Bryson City). Reserve early.
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is so large, there are four visitor centers, and three are open year round. These are Cade’s Cove, Oconaluftee, & Sugarlands. Hours vary by month. The summer one is at Clingman’s Dome, closed December through March. Something to know, most of the secondary roads in the park are closed from sometime in November until sometime in April. Dates vary, depending on weather (i.e. snow).
A tip for the cyclist history buff: Cade’s Cove is the most popular destination in the Park, even in the fall. Until the snow flies, there is a 11-mile loop that is good for cyclists, and reserved for bikes until 10 a.m. on Wednesdays, Saturdays.
There are also several very interesting hiking trails (a nature trail & a 5-mile loop to Abrams Falls) and longer hikes to Rocky Top (yes, that one) and Thunderhead Mountain. Maps are on the website, and at the visitor’s center, which does close on Christmas day.
If you want to wait and visit in the spring or summer, whitewater rafting is one of the big reasons to go to the Smoky Mountains. Most great rafting rivers are not in the Park, but close by. Most rafting is spring and summer, with only a few lasting past Labor day.
Lots of the raft companies do several different rivers, so you may have a choice, depending on where there is water. Some rivers, like the Ocoee, Tuckeseege, & Nantahala are dam-released, so there is more often water there. Some of these companies have their own campgrounds, lodges or cabins. I am going to list my favorites, but others are also good.
Be sure and make reservations ahead of time, and if you have kids, make sure the river and company takes passengers their age. There is a website, greatsmokies.com/rafting, that lists more than I do. Most of these companies have individual websites. Some of the most popular are:
1. Wildwater Ltd. (Nantahala, Ocoee, Chattooga), 828-488-2384.
2. Smoky Mountain Adventures (Tuckeseege), 828-586-5285.
3. Nantahala Outdoor Center (Fr. Broad, Ocoee, Nantahala, Chattooga), 828-785-4845.
4. French Broad Rafting & Ziplines (Fr. Broad), 800-570-7238.
There are many tourist attractions in the Great Smoky Mountains. The GSMNP is near Cherokee, which is a place you need to go to, at least once. It is a great place to go with the kids, and not as crowded, expensive as Disney properties. You can easily spend more than one day there. If you just want to visit the GSMNP, you can go there from Cherokee. The rafting is mostly a one-day thing, mostly pretty close to Cherokee. All the rivers but the Ocoee are under 2 hours from there, and the Ocoee is a little over 2 hours.
Something that I hope you do not miss when you go out there, is the Bryson City & Great Smokey Mountain Railroad (1-828-566-8811) which runs from Dillsboro to Bryson City (and back) down the Nantahala Gorge and is a great experience, especially in the fall when the leaves are changing. The trains run through the end of the year, usually on a daily basis. Check website for schedule. You will not forget this ride and your kids will love it.