So, you have found yourself in the most visited National Park in the United States of America. The question becomes, what are you going to do? There are so many things that you can do while you are in the Smokies that you might have to pick and choose then start planning your next visit.
Here is just a small list of the things that you can do while you are in the GSMNP:
Auto Tours – If you are planning to visit all the areas of the SMokies, you are going to find yourself on several of the auto tours while you are traveling from location to location. The auto tours are a great way to explore the history and the culture of the mountains. Beautiful scenery, historic locations and of course places (homesites, churches, cemeteries, etc) that have helped to form the story of the Smokies.
Camping – Ready to spend some time in the great outdoors? Camping in one of the campground sin the Smokies or doing some backcountry camping is the end all be all for your outdoor adventure. Bring your RV or Pop-Up, bring your tent or arrange to stay in one of the shelters along the trail, anyway you do it, make sure that you stay in the National Park on your next visit to the Smokies.
Fishing – Yes, you can fish for trout while you are in the Smoky Mountains. There are many rules and regulations while you are fishing but if you are an angler, you are going to want to try your hand at fly-fishing while you are in the mountains. The streams in the GSMNP are crystal clear and if you find the right spot, you can hook into rainbow, brown or brook trout. And while the rainbow gives you the most fight of any game fish in the Smokies, the brook trout, the only native trout to the Southern Appalachians is the prize you are looking for.
Hiking – With more than 800 miles of hiking trails in the Smokies, it is no wonder that hikers all over the globe head to the Smokies to spend sometime on some of the best trails that there are in the southeast. There are trails for every style of hiker: from the person that has never been on a trail before to the person that has hiked the AT three times. Hike a trail that takes you away from the everyday, into the backcountry.
Horseback Riding – Bring your equine friend into the SMoky Mountains. You can ride your horse on one of the trails that is open to horseback riding and you can even keep your horse at your camp site. There are several horse camps open in the national park so that you can camp all night and ride all day.