Why You Shouldn’t Drive Through Smoky Mountains National Park

By John A. Heatherly

Much can be seen from the road in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, but visitors who remain in the car or the hotel miss even more! More than half-a-million acres of the park spreads through Tennessee and North Carolina, offering once in a lifetime activities.

Foxnews.com has more…

Many visitors to Great Smoky Mountains National Park simply traverse the park’s famous 30-plus mile Newfound Gap Road through the park and don’t get out of the car much, if at all.

That’s a real shame, given there is so much to do here — more than 800 miles of hiking trails (including the chance to walk a bit on the famous 2,180-mile Appalachian Trail) horseback riding, fantastic fishing and the chance to see historic settlers’ cabins, schoolhouses, churches, grist mills and more.

I’ve been thinking a lot about what Great Smoky Mountains National Park has to offer, as I’ve been working on my latest Kid’s Guide — to the nation’s most visited national park. Yes, that’s Great Smoky Mountains with more than 9 million visitors — almost three times the number Yellowstone gets!

And let’s not forget that as the National Park Service gets ready to celebrate its centennial next year. To commemorate …read more

Source:: Patriot Outdoor News