GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS PARK HIGHLIGHTS

APPALACHIAN TRAIL
A scenic, 70-mile portion of the 2,174-mile Appalachian Trail, which stretches from Springer Mountain in Georgia to Mount Katahdin in Maine, meanders through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Visitors to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park can enjoy the perfect day hike along the Appalachian Trail, which is the longest marked trail in the world. The Appalachian Trail, which was the brainchild of forester Benton MacKaye and completed in 1937, winds through 14 states, eight national forests, six national parks and more than 60 state parks. Rustic cabins are located throughout the trail (spaced about a day's hike apart). For further details about the Appalachian Trail, visit the official website of The Appalachian Trail Conference at www.appalachiantrail.org or the National Park Service at www.nps.gov/appa.

CADES COVE
The most visited area of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is 4,000-acre Cades Cove valley, which features preserved pioneer homesteads, historical churches, an old mill, hiking trails, a 161-site campground and an abundance of wildlife. The one-way, 11-mile Cades Cove loop takes approximately 45 minutes by car. A self-guided tour book can be found at the entrance to Cades Cove, which is located near Townsend, Tennessee, in the Northwest section of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Near the Abrams Falls parking area, visitors can view a typical Smoky Mountain homestead, complete with a barn, smokehouse, blacksmith shop and corncrib. Take a scenic, 5-mile roundtrip hike along the Abrams Falls Trail. Farther down lies the John P. Cable Mill, which was built in 1868 and still operates from mid-April through October. Animals that call Cades Cove home include black bears, deer, foxes, wild turkey and raccoons. Dawn and dusk are the best times to catch a glimpse of wildlife in Cades Cove. Note: Cades Cove is closed to motor traffic on Saturdays and Wednesdays until 10 AM from May to September, giving bicyclists and pedestrians free reign of the road. Bike rentals are available from April through October and again in December. Or you can opt for a horseback riding adventure through the park at Cades Cove Riding Stables. Cades Cove also offers hayrides during evenings from May through October.

CATALOOCHEE VALLEY
Once a thriving farm community, the remote Cataloochee Valley section of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is home to abundant wildlife, including deer, wild turkeys, black bear and red wolves, as well as historic structures, campsites and numerous hiking trails, including the popular, 7-mile Boogerman Loop Trail.

 CLINGMANS DOME
The highest point in the Smoky Mountains, 6,643-foot Clingmans Dome, was named in honor of North Carolina Senator Thomas Lanier Clingman, who helped measure it in 1858. Take a short but steep, half-mile hike along a paved walkway up to the Dome's 54-foot-tall observation tower for a panoramic view of the Smoky Mountains. To reach Clingmans Dome, take a 7-mile side road off Newfound Gap Road. The road to Clingmans Dome is usually closed from December through March because of weather conditions.

FALL FOLIAGE
The busiest times to visit the Great Smoky Mountains National Park are during the summer months and the month of October - the peak season for fall foliage when the park comes alive with a blaze of brilliant red, orange and yellow leaves. Some of the best colors can be viewed along Newfound Gap Road, the 32-mile stretch of U.S. 441 that winds from Gatlinburg, Tennessee, to Cherokee, North Carolina.

HIKING TRAILS
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park boasts more than 850 miles of hiking trails, ranging from easy to strenuous. Some of the most popular trails include Abrams Falls Trail (5 miles round trip), Alum Cave Bluffs Trail (11 miles), Andrews Bald Trail (3.6 miles), Chasteen Creek Falls Trail (4 miles), Chimney Tops Trail (4 miles), Grotto Falls Trail (3 miles), Hen Wallow Falls Trail (4 miles), Laurel Falls Trail (4 miles) and Ramsey Cascades Trail (8 miles). In addition, a 70-mile portion of the famous Appalachian Trail winds through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

MOUNT LECONTE
A great place to view beautiful Smoky Mountain sunrises and sunsets, 6,593-foot-tall Mt. LeConte is the third-tallest mountain in the Smokies behind Mount Guyot (6,621 feet) and Clingmans Dome (6,643 feet). The remote and rustic LeConte Lodge, which was built in 1924, requires a 5.5-mile hike and has no electricity, telephones or running water. It is open from late March through November. Reservations are usually made up to a year in advance.

MOUNTAIN FARM MUSEUM
Mountain Farm Museum, a 19th-century farmstead that sits along the banks of the Oconaluftee River, includes a farmhouse, barn, apple house, hen house, springhouse and blacksmith shop. During the summer, visitors to the Mountain Farm Museum can view demonstrations and live farm animals.

NEWFOUND GAP ROAD
A 32-mile stretch of road that connects Gatlinburg, Tennessee, to Cherokee, North Carolina, Newfound Gap Road (U.S. 441) features scenic overlooks, picnic areas, mountain streams, and the Sugarlands and Oconaluftee visitor centers. Numerous hiking trails can be found along the way such as Chimney Tops (4 miles round trip), Alum Cave Bluffs (11 miles) and a portion of the famous Appalachian Trail. The highest point along the road is Newfound Gap with an elevation of 5,048 feet. Newfound Gap offers a spectacular overlook, as well as the Rockefeller Memorial, which marks the spot where President Franklin D. Roosevelt dedicated the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in 1940.

OCONALUFTEE VISITOR CENTER
If you arriving to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park via Cherokee, North Carolina, stop by the Oconaluftee Visitor Center, which features maps, brochures, exhibits, a gift shop and restrooms. Adjacent to the Oconaluftee Visitor Center lies Mountain Farm Museum, a mid-19th-century farmstead. The Oconaluftee Visitor Center is open daily from 8 AM to 7 PM. About 1 mile down the road from the Oconaluftee Visitor Center lies Mingus Mill, a working grist mill.

THE ROAD TO NOWHERE
A 6-mile scenic drive that was never completed, the “Road to Nowhere” provides a wealth of scenic mountain views, wildlife and hiking trails, including the 6-mile Noland Creek Trail. The Road to Nowhere ends at the mouth of a tunnel. Originally known as Lakeview Drive, the Road to Nowhere was planned in the early 1940s as a second entrance into Cades Cove from the North Carolina side. However, construction on the road was abandoned amid concerns about its high cost and environmental impact on the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

SUGARLANDS VISITOR CENTER
If you are arriving to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park via Gatlinburg, Tennessee, stop by the Sugarlands Visitor Center, where you can pick up park maps, view an introductory video to the park and a natural history exhibit. The Sugarlands Visitor Center is open daily from 8 AM to 7 PM.

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