The 815-sq-mile park is the country's most visited and, while the main arteries and attractions can get crowded, 95% of visitors never venture further than 100 yards from their cars, so it's easy to leave the teeming masses behind. There are sections of the park in Tennessee and North Carolina. Unlike most national parks, Great Smoky charges no admission fee.
Stop by a visitor center to pick up a park map and the free Smokies Guide. The remains of the 19th-century settlement at Cades Cove are some of the park's most popular sights, as evidenced by the teeth-grinding summer traffic jams on the loop road.Mt LeConte offers terrific hiking, as well as the only non-camping accommodations, LeConte Lodge . Though the only way to get to the lodge's rustic, electricity-free cabins is via five uphill hiking trails varying in length from 5.5 (Alum Cave Trail) to 8 miles (Boulevard). It's so popular you need to reserve up to a year in advance. You can drive right up to the dizzying heights of Clingmans Dome , the third-highest mountain east of the Mississippi, with a futuristic observation tower.
With 10 developed campgrounds offering about 1000 campsites, you'd think finding a place to pitch would be easy. Not so in the busy summer season, so plan ahead. You can make reservations for some sites; others are first-come, first-served. Cades Cove and Smokemont campgrounds are open year-round; others are open March to October.
Backcountry camping is an excellent option. A permit is required; you can make reservations and get permits at the ranger stations or visitor centers.
