Great Smoky Mountains National Park

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Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the most visited national park in the U.S.  Driving, hiking, camping, sightseeing...whatever you wanna do that involves the outdoors can be done here.  There are 16 mountains over 6,000 feet, the highest being Clingmans Dome at 6,643 feet.  There is more annual rainfall here than any other part of the U.S. outside of the Pacific Northwest and parts of Alaska.  There are at least 1,800 black bears in the park, and they have been reintroducing elk over the last 10 years.  Seventy miles of the Appalachian Trail runs through the park.

I didn’t spend a ton of time here--the chunk of a single day.  It was wet and rainy so I didn’t do any hiking.

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The observation tower at the top of Clingmans Dome.

We spent a week here one summer almost 20 years ago.  There’s all kinds of hiking to partake in and creeks to roll down.

So, pack up the family, stuff them in the minivan, hook up the popup camper, and head east....

The view from Clingmans Dome with a hint of humidity.

Mom and 3 cubs.  They were digging like crazy.  They seemed to never notice the traffic stopping to look at them.

Katahdin is the end of the trail...