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 The
Best of the Smokies! |
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Must See Spots in the Smokies.
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 Newfound
Gap- -=
View Photo |
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| Figuratively and almost literally
the center of the park, it's the cut through the crest of the Great Smoky
Mountains. It is halfway between Sugarlands and Oconaluftee along Newfound
Gap Road. The Tennessee North Carolina border crosses Newfound Gap east
to west, as does the Appalachian Trail. At 5,048 feet high, it offers fine
views of the park. |
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| Alum
Cave Bluffs--=
View Photo |
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| The 100-foot-high Alum Cave Bluffs
were supposedly a source of saltpeter for Civil War gunpowder. (Saltpeter
is the mineral potassium nitrate, which is a key element in gunpowder.)
The bluffs were also the site of a nineteenth century alum mine. Alum is
a compound sulfate used in munitions manufacturing, in medicines, and in
setting cloth dyes. The bluffs are now a popular destination for day hikers.
Alum Cave Bluffs Trail begins at Newfound Gap Road between Newfound Gap
and Chimney Tops Overlooks. The walk is somewhat strenuous at the end -
the trail rises 1,360 feet above Newfound Gap Road - and at times hikers
must grip trail side cables to traverse cliffs. The trail is five and a
half miles round trip and goes right through another park attraction, Arch
Rock, which contains a tunnel caused by erosion. |
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| Andrews
Bald |
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| Balds are open, unfrosted fields
on mountain ridges that remain a mystery to naturalists, who can't explain
exactly why they occur. They theorize that overgrazing or repeated fires
set by humans may have caused them. Two miles south of Clingmans Dome by
hiking trail, Andrews Bald is the easiest of the park balds to reach. Grass
and flowering shrubs cover the area, and the views from the bald make it
an inviting picnic spot. |
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| Charlie's
Bunion--=
View Photo |
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| A forest fire in 1925 swept clear
the 1,000-foot-high cliff known as Charlie's Bunion, leaving it a rocky
prominence that now offers sweeping views of Mount LeConte and the Greenbrier
area. Charlie's Bunion is a popular destination for day hikers who want
to travel part of the Appalachian Trail. Start at Newfound Gap and follow
the crest east for four miles. |
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| Foothills
Parkway and Look Rock Tower--=
View Photo |
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Running southwest from Walland to
Chilhowee, this 20-mile section is the Foothills Parkway's longest segment.
It provides beautiful vistas of the northwestern Smokies, including Thunderhead
Mountain, highest peak in the Park's western half. Many of its south facing
overlooks peer over Happy Valley, into the Smokies, and beyond. Its north
facing views oversee Maryville, Knoxville, and the Great Valley.
Halfway along the segment, a trail
leads to the Look Rock Tower. It is a third of a mile from the road. The
trail makes a moderate climb. The tower provides a 360-degree panorama,
and a platform for scientific research such as air quality. Sunsets from
the tower are often spectacular.
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| Fontana
Dam--=
View Photo |
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| The highest
dam in the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) system, Fontana ranks among
the most beautiful in the world. Surrounded by the extraordinary
beauty of the Smoky Mountains, the adjacent national forests, and deep
river gorges. |
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| Roaring
Fork Motor Nature Trail--=
View Photo |
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| Along these roads, you will find
a collection of historical sites, including the remains of a homestead
owned by the Ogle family who lived here after the Civil War. There are
also log cabins and a cemetery in Roaring Fork, a village settled about
150 years ago, which supported some two dozen families. Accessible to automobiles
by way of the paved Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail, it is located
just southeast of Gatlinburg. The roads are closed to trailers and recreational
vehicles. They are not open in winter. |
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| Chimney
Tops--=
View Photo |
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| Chimney Tops are sheer pinnacles,
dramatic examples of the tremendous forces that millions of years ago caused
the eastern edge of North America to buckle, creating the Appalachian Mountains.
You can see the twin summits, which the Cherokee called Duniskwalguni,
or "Forked Antlers," from the Chimney Tops Overlooks, located along Newfound
Gap Road; or hike to the cliffs on a steep, four-mile-round-trip trail. |
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| Clingmans
Dome--=
View Photo |
| . |
| At 6,643 feet, Clingmans Dome is
the highest spot in the Smokies and a natural magnet for visitors. A forest
of spruce and fir trees covers the top, but an observation platform rises
above the evergreens to provide an unparalleled view of the park. From
Newfound Gap, drive seven miles southwest on Clingmans Dome Road to the
parking lot. Reaching the platform requires a steep half mile walk from
the parking lot. Clingmans Dome Road is closed from approximately December
to April. |
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| Mingus
Mill--=
View Photo |
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| Located just north of the Oconaluftee
Visitor Center on Newfound Gap Road, Mingus Mill is one of two water powered
mills still in operation at the park. From mid April through October, a
miller grinds corn and wheat to make cornmeal and flour. |
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| Mount
LeConte |
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| Mount LeConte, the third highest
peak in the park, is a focal point for hikers and backpackers who often
gather at dawn or sunset for one of the Smokies' most powerful wilderness
experiences. The 6,593-foot-high mountain offers its best views from two
rocky outcroppings on the summit, Myrtle Point and Cliff Top. LeConte Lodge
is located in the trees not far from the summit. To reach Mount LeConte,
take one of five hiking trails: Boulevard Trail via the Appalachian
Trail starting at Newfound Gap, 16 miles round trip; Alum Cave Bluffs
Trail at the Alum Cave Bluffs parking lot on Newfound Gap Road, 11
miles round trip;
Rainbow Falls Trail or Trillium Gap, 13.4
miles round trip; or Bull Head, 14.4 miles round trip from Cherokee
Orchard. |
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| Mountain
Farm Museum--=
View Photo |
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| Settled around 1800, Oconaluftee
is now home to Mountain Farm Museum, which replicates a mid-nineteenth-century
farm. You can see a house, barn, corncrib, sorghum molasses mill, and blacksmith
shop. Spring through October, there are living history demonstrations.
Mountain Farm Museum is located a short walk from the Oconaluftee Visitor
Center. |
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| Cades
Cove--=
View Photo |
| . |
| Cades Cove is a prime spot to see
some of the Smokies' history. In this isolated valley, first settled in
1818, the NPS maintains a historical and cultural preserve of log cabins,
churches, and other buildings. Cable Mill, near Cades Cove Bookstore, is
an operating water powered grist mill |
| Cades Cove Loop Road |
| This 11 mile one-way road passes
by 19 tour stops. The stops are marked by numbered posts and are keyed
to a pamphlet you can obtain at visitor centers. The road is a favorite
with bicyclists. As a bonus, Cades Cove offers fine views of the surrounding
mountains. Cades Cove is accessible by automobile off U.S. 321 near Townsend.
Living history demonstrations, held spring through fall, include the making
of sorghum molasses, lye soap, and apple butter. |
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