The Great Smoky Mountains is America’s most visited national park. Boasting ridge upon ridge of forest, the park straddles the border between North Carolina and Tennessee. World renowned for its diversity of plant and animal life, the beauty of its ancient mountains, and the quality of its remnants of Southern Appalachian mountain culture, it’s no wonder why the Smoky Mountains had more than 14 million visitors in 2021.
Adventure seekers have access to over 800 miles of hiking trails, a multitude of camping opportunities, white water rafting, skiing, horseback riding, mountain biking and so much more. Visitors can drive the 11 mile scenic Cades Cove Loop road to view the abundant wildlife and many historic buildings from before the park was established in 1926. Hikers will have numerous opportunities to get their feet wet while exploring over 100 prominent cascades and waterfalls that can be found inside Great Smoky Mountains National Park plus numerous smaller cascades and falls on the 2,000 miles of streams and rivers.
Sportsmen who visit the Great Smoky Mountains National Park have about 2,900 miles of streams to fish. Within the park’s boundaries is one of the last protected wild trout habitats in the eastern United States. Approximately 20% of the park's streams are large enough to support trout populations and the park offers a wide variety of angling experiences from remote, headwater trout streams to large, cool water smallmouth bass streams. Most streams remain at or near their carrying capacity of fish and offer a great opportunity to catch these species throughout the year. The park allows fishing in all streams and is permitted year-round in the park, from 30 minutes before official sunrise to 30 minutes after official sunset.
For more information about all that the Great Smoky Mountains National Park has to offer, we recommend visiting GSMNP or Visit My Smokies
