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101 Reasons to Visit
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
| 26. Appalachian Trail |
27. Look Rock |
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| The Appalachian Trail (2,100 miles) crosses through Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The entire trip takes 4 to 6 months, crossing 14 states, 8 national forests, 2 national parks and 15 major rivers. Elevations range from 6,643 feet at Clingmans Dome in the Smokies to near sea level at the Hudson River in New York. The segment within the park follows the Smokies ridgeline 69 miles for nearly the entire length of the park. |
This scenic drive stretches along 17 miles and travels along the backbone of Chilhowee Mountain between Chilhowee Lake and Townsend. You may view Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the beautiful valleys of the Tennessee River Valley bordered by the plateau of the Cumberland Mountains. A short hike to a lookout tower takes only 15 minutes from the Look Rock overlook. Lake of the Sky and Chilhowee Lake are located along this section of the Foothills Parkway. |
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28. Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont
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29. Mountain Farm Museum
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| Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont is a year-round residential environmental education center in the Smokies which offers workshops and programs for everyone, from grade school children to Elderhostel groups and teachers. Programs may include hiking, slide shows on flora and fauna, mountain music, living history, and wildlife demonstrations. Program fees vary. For more information, call (865) 448-6709. |
The Mountain Farm Museum, situated on the banks of the Oconaluftee River just inside Great Smoky Mountains National Park, is a collection of of southern Appalachian farm buildings assembled from different locations throughout the Park. Most of the structures at the Oconaluftee Mountain Farm Museum were built in the late 19th century by the Davis family and were preserved at the Mountain Farm Museum in the 1950s. The museum is located just outside of Cherokee, NC. |
Fall Colors Photo Tour | Smoky Mountain Fall Colors |
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30. Cable Mill
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31. Mingus Mill
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Cable Mill is located in Cades Cove and is open March 15 through the Sunday following Thanksgiving. It is located near the mid-point of the 11 mile, one-way Cades Cove Loop Road.
Cable Mill is a water-powered grist mill. Cornmeal can be purchased at the park store located next to the mill. |
This 1886 turbine mill ground corn into meal and wheat into flour for over fifty years for the mountain community near Mingus Creek. In place of a wooden water wheel, a small steel turbine provided power to turn the mill's stones and machinery. The National Park Service rehabilitated the mill in 1968, and Mingus Mill operates during the summer as an historical exhibit. The mill is located just inside the Park entrance from the Cherokee side. Cornmeal can be purchased when the mill is open during the summer |
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32. Tubing
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33. Picnicking
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| Tubing down a cool Smoky Mountain river is a great way to spend a hot summer day. Several places offer tube rentals and will transport you back after you have gone down river so you can start all over again. Some of the more popular tubing areas are at the Wye in Townsend and throughout the town of Townsend. Some of the whitewater rafting businesses also offer tubing. |
Picnic areas are located at Big Creek, Chimney Tops, Cades Cove, Collins Creek, Cosby, Deep Creek, Greenbrier, Heintooga, Look Rock, Metcalf Bottoms, and Twin Creeks. Picnic sites have a picnic table and a raised grill for cooking. Restrooms are located in each picnic area. Cades Cove and Chimney Tops picnic areas have handicapped accessible picnic tables. |
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34. Cades Cove Visitor Center
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35. Oconaluftee Visitor Center
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| Cades Cove Visitor Center is open daily except Christmas Day. The center is located inside the park near the mid-point of the 11-mile, one-way Cades Cove Loop Road. Indoor and outdoor exhibits of Southern Mountain life and culture includes Cable Mill, a grist mill which operates spring through fall, the Becky Cable house, and other historic structures. |
The 6,300-square-foot Oconaluftee Visitor Center (open daily except Christmas Day) is located inside the park, 2 miles north of Cherokee, NC, on US-441. The center has a bookstore and shop, public restrooms and telephones, soda and water machines, and a backcountry permit station. The adjacent Mountain Farm Museum contains a fascinating collection of log structures, including a farmhouse, barn, smokehouse, applehouse, corn cribs and others. Demonstrations of farm life are conducted seasonally. |
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