The national park stretches across the states of Tennessee and North Carolina.
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the most visited national park in the United States – and for many reasons.
Nature & Wildlife in the Smokies
One of the few areas in the eastern states, an estimated 1,500-2,000 black bears call the Smokies home. However, anyone who now thinks of huge furry monsters is way off the mark. Although the wild bears are still not to be trifled with, most specimens weigh around 50 – 90 kilograms, with a few large exceptions.
Incidentally, the bears in the smokies are also special in that their fur color is exclusively black. In other parts of the world, specimens with brown or cinnamon hair are also found.
Hiking trails and sights
Visitor centers
The two main visitor centers are the Sugarlands Visitors Center in Gatlinburg and the Ocanaluftee Visitor Center near Cherokee.
Best Time to Visit the Smoky Mountains
Summer is peak season for the Smoky Mountains. Nicht verwunderlich also, wenn an den sonnigen Tagen besonders viele Schaulustige im Nationalpark unterwegs sind. Um den großen Massen und auch dem großen Verkehrsaufkommen zu entfliehen, lohnt sich eine möglichst frühe Anreise.
