Great Smoky Mountains
Fall in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Low clouds covering Smoky Mountains
Low Clouds in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park

We are lucky to live about 5 hours from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It's been quite awhile since we visited the park, so in September 2007 we decided to spend a week exploring the park.

Fog Covered Smoky Mountains
Smoky Mountains National Park

The park is anchored on the North Carolina side by the town of Cherokee, located on the Cherokee Indian Reservation and by Gatlinburg on the Tennessee side. The road between Cherokee and Gatlinburg is the only road that cuts across the park. This is somewhat similar to the situation in Glacier National Park where the Going to the Sun Highway is the only road across the park.

Smoky Mountain Early Sunset
Sunset in the Smoky Mountains

The attractions of the Smokies are:

Spring House
Spring House in Cades Cove, Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Wild Flower
Fall Wild Flower, Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Small Pebbles is small stream
Pebbles in the Stream, Smoky Mountains National Park

Although there is great beauty in the mountains, the large trees, and waterfalls; there is also beauty in small things. You just need to take the time to look for it.

Mushrooms
Mushrooms

We had a great time visiting places like Cades Cove that we'd been to many times and new places, such as Cataloochee where the elk spend most of their time.

The fall colors are an especially beautiful time in the park. The hardwood forests that cover most of the mountains turn yellow, orange, and red. It's quite a show. I've often thought that if Ansel Adams had lived in the Smokies instead of in Yosemite, he would have worked in color and not black and white.

Small stream and fall leaves
Fall Leaves
Rock with single plant growing on it in stream
Stream in the Smoky Mountains National Park

I hope you enjoy our pages and that you'll be inspired to visit Great Smoky Mountains National Park on your own.

Forest with leaves just turning red on way to Laurel Falls
On the way to Laurel Falls, Great Smoky Mountain National Park