| The Great Smoky
Mountains National Park, established in 1934, covers 520,408 acres of land with heights
ranging from 840 feet at Abrams Creek to 6,643 feet at Clingmans
Dome. Although not advertised as highly as the Tennessee side, the North Carolina side
offers many great hiking and horseback riding trails at Deep Creek,
Round Bottom, Smokemont and at the end of The Road To Nowhere.
Directions:
Several major highways lead to the Park. The following routes provide access to the three
main entrances. In North Carolina: From I-40, take U.S. Route 19 West through Maggie
Valley. Proceed to U.S. 441 North at Cherokee into the Park. In Tennessee: 1)From I-40
take Exit 407 (Sevierville) to TN Route 66 South, and continue to U.S. 441 South. Follow
U.S. 441 to Park. 2) From I-40 in Knoxville - Exit 386B U.S. Highway 129 South to
Alcoa/Maryville. At Maryville proceed on U.S. 321 North through Townsend. Continue
straight on TN Highway 73 into Park.
Visitor Centers/Exhibits:
Sugarlands Visitor Center, near Gatlinburg, TN, is open year-round and offers an
orientation program and natural history exhibits. Oconaluftee Visitor Center, near
Cherokee, NC, is also open year-round and its exhibits focus on mountain life of the late
1800s. Adjacent to the visitor center is the Mountain Farm Museum,
a collection of historic farm buildings. Cades Cove Visitor Center, near Townsend, TN,
(closed in winter), sits among preserved historic buildings representing isolated farming
communities of the 1800s. |
