The Great Smoky Mountains unfurl along the spine of the southern Appalachians like a verdant quilt. These gentle slopes once soared higher than the Rockies, but they now wear their age in soft green draperies of oak and maple, poplar and beech. Stretching from western North Carolina to eastern Tennessee—here a crag of storm-blasted rock, there a cleft of woodland cut through by a clear stream, elsewhere an ancient pioneer's meadow—the Smokies present a thousand personalities.
Last year Great Smoky Mountains National Park drew a whopping nine million visitors so you might find it worth the effort to stray from the beaten path. But don't worry—with more than a half million acres to explore, that's easily done. Start by choosing your adventure level. Hiking trails range from stroller-friendly paths to gut-busting, rock-strewn climbs. You can fly-fish for brilliantly colored brook trout in a remote waterway, or kick back and cast a line from a deck chair on a Fontana Lake houseboat. You can be awestruck by a rare salamander half-hidden in the moss at your feet, or marvel, as you drift off to an afternoon nap in a meadow, at just how little it takes to make you happy here.
WELCOME WAGONS
The tourist-oriented towns that ring the park maintain a frantic pace. Try to ignore the scramble while you load up on local fudge—a good hiking snack—and arrange tickets for an evening show. Once you’re inside the park’s borders, your time will be decidedly more tranquil.
Gatlinburg, Tennessee
A bustling complex of hotels, art galleries and fudge shacks, Gatlinburg is equal parts down-home hokey and upscale elegance. Consider these two opposites: The Sweet Fanny Adams Theatre, home to a vaudeville-meets-Monty Python show that kids find hilarious, has enjoyed packed houses for decades (sweetfannyadams.com). Within walking distance, the Arrowmont School of Arts & Crafts trains budding artists in pottery, glasswork and metalsmithing during intensive weeklong workshops. Only have a day? Check out the avant-garde wooden sculptures and intricate silverwork on display in the school’s public galleries (arrowmont.org).
In the middle of this spectrum is Beneath the Smoke—asoaring two-story photography gallery, bookstore and nature-nut retreat. Browse the exhibits of woodcarvings and wildlife photos (a black bear napping in a tree was a recent favorite), as well as the huge selection of books on regional history (865-436-3460).
Cherokee, North Carolina
Home to the Eastern Band of the Cherokee, this town blends authentic Native American culture with backwoods kitsch. You’ll hear traditional Cherokee dancers chanting in their native tongue and see pot-bellied men donning Sioux war bonnets made in China.
For a trio of genuine Cherokee experiences, start at the Museum of the Cherokee Indian, which tells the Cherokee tribe’s story through high-tech exhibits and real-life artifacts (cherokeemuseum.org). At the Oconaluftee Indian Village & Living History Museum, native Cherokee weave baskets and dance in a replicated village. Kids love the blowgun demonstration, in which a Cherokee warrior blasts carved wooden darts out of an eight-foot-long blowgun. With your newfound grasp of Cherokee history and culture, head to the long-running outdoor drama, Unto These Hills. A cast of dozens recreates the history of the Cherokee nation, with pyrotechnics and the famous Eagle Dance (cherokee-nc.com).
Much of the rest of Cherokee is a mix of cheap souvenir stores and a Harrah’s Casino. For kids, however, scouting the trinket shops along the main drag is a rite of passage. Ignore the fake “Indian chiefs” who charge $5 for a photograph, and search instead for the Big Three of Smokies mementos. First, hunt down a Cherokee bean shooter, a short length of hollowed-out cane packaged with a couple dozen dried beans. (It’s the kid-friendly version of the traditional blowgun.) Next, look for a white oak basket handmade by Native Americans. The Museum of the Cherokee Indian sells them, as does the Qualla Arts & Crafts Mutual (828-497-3103). Finally, pick up the Holy Grail: The small, cushy stuffed black bear that’s a Smokies icon. They’re everywhere, but make sure yours comes with the red vinyl collar that marks it as true Smokies kitsch.
Bryson City, North Carolina
Funky and laid-back, the park’s southern gateway is filled with Gore-Tex-clad hikers, small-town lawyers, native Cherokee and, if the season is right, bear hunters. It’s a jumping-off spot for some signature park activities—like floating down frothy, frigid Deep Creek in a truck-tire inner tube. Nearby is gorgeous Fontana Lake, which forms 29 miles of the park’s southern border. Line up a boat rental or fishing guide at Fontana Village Marina (fontanavillage.com). This is also where you’ll find the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad, which runs scenic train tours of nearby Nantahala Gorge (gsmr.com; 800-872-4681; $49).
Before you leave town, check in on a Bryson City landmark: On a knoll above town, in the town cemetery, is the grave of Horace Kephart, author of Camping and Woodcraft—the turn-of-the-century outdoor bible used by generations of Boy Scouts. A small boulder marks the site. Look up to see Mount Kephart looming overhead.
BEYOND THE WINDSHIELD
The best of the Smokies is found far from the asphalt and sidewalk, out where hiking boots, houseboats and historic trains meet the misty, mile-high blue haze of the wildest land left in the eastern United States.
Boot Camp
With more than 800 miles of hiking trails, Great Smoky Mountains National Park is best experienced on foot. Orient yourself at the park’s website, nps.gov/grsm. To purchase detailed trail maps and guides, go to smokiesinformation.org.
High-Country Favorites
APPALACHIAN TRAIL Some of the finest stretches of this famous, 2,000-plus-mile footpath wind through the Smokies. Try a seven-mile day hike from Fontana Dam to the soaring cone of rock called Shuckstack. After crossing the 480-foot-tall dam, you’ll climb 2,500 feet for a panoramic view of four mountain ranges. Start early and bring trail mix, lunch and water.
ALUM CAVE BLUFF TRAIL Expect dramatic views and soaring panoramas of the Little Pigeon River gorge, boulder-strewn streams, massive rock bluffs, ridgeline forests and cathedrallike groves of poplars. The hiking crowd tends to disperse above the Alum Cave; the full route, which takes about 3½ hours round-trip, brings you to the top of Mount Le Conte.
TRILLIUM GAP TRAIL This wide 2½-mile round-trip trail is great for younger kids. Roaring Fork River tumbles over a mossy overhanging ledge to form Grotto Falls. Scramble to the base, and you can actually walk behind the veil of foaming white water.
Crowd-Beaters
BOOGERMAN TRAIL Massive hemlocks, poplars and white pines shade this smooth-rolling botanical sampler. Pack a wildflower field guide—orange jewelweed and purple-fringed orchids paint the forest floor, while old stackedstone walls hint at early settlements. Connections with the Caldwell Fork Trail make for an easy loop.
MOUNT STERLING Short and steep, this 2.8-mile climb is worth every drop of sweat. It’s impossible to count the number of mountain peaks visible from Sterling’s crest, but generations of kids have tried.
LITTLE CATALOOCHEE TRAIL This lowland trail follows old mountain roads with just one moderately steep pitch through Davidson Gap. The payoff: the Smokies’ signature forests, of course, but also historic farmsteads and the sweet chapel of Little Cataloochee Baptist Church. Built in 1889 for circuit-riding horseback preachers, the restored church tells the story of local pioneers.
EAT
BENNETT’S BBQ
Fourteen hours of hickory coals
work magic on pork ribs, chicken
and beef brisket. 714 River Rd.,
Gatlinburg, TN; 865-436-2400;
dinner for two, $40*
JARRETT HOUSE
Seriously casual Southern buffets
of mountain trout and country
ham with red-eye gravy. 100
Haywood Rd., Dillsboro, NC; 800-
972-5623; dinner for two, $50
RELIA’S GARDEN
Located beside a whitewater river,
with surprisingly chic fare and
seasonal veggies. 13077 Hwy. 19
W., Bryson City, NC; 888-905-
7238; dinner for two, $75
LULU’S CAFÉ
Eclectic fine dining in a quaint
mountain village. 612 W. Main
St., Sylva, NC; 828-587-5858;
dinner for two, $45
PETER’S PANCAKES & WAFFLES
A classic Southern breakfast.
1384 Tsali Blvd., Cherokee, NC;
828-497-5116; breakfast for
two, $18
DRAGON’S DEN GRILL & PUB
Friendly burger/barbecue joint
favored by motorcyclists. 17548
Tapoco Rd., Tapoco, NC; 800-
889-5550; lunch for two, $20
*Prices cover a meal for two,
without drinks, tax or tip.
PLAY
HIKE WITH A PRO
Guided naturalist-led trail hikes,
from two hours to three days.
A Walk in the Woods; 865-436-
8283; awalkinthewoods.com;
from $25, including snacks
LEARN TO KAYAK
Superb white-water paddling
instruction from the best-known
local outfitter. Nantahala Outdoor
Center; 888-905-7238; noc.com;
$445 for a two-day school,
including lodging and meals
CAST A FLY
Small creeks and roaring rivers
hold brook, brown and rainbow
trout. Learn to fly-fish or stalk
a trophy catch with expert
instructor William Cope. Smoky
Mountains on the Fly; 828-586-
4787; smokyonthefly.com;
from $225, gear included
STAY
RCI®-affiliated resorts in the Smokies include:
CROWN PARK RESORT
Gatlinburg, TN
TREE TOPS RESORT
Gatlinburg, TN
WYNDHAM SMOKY MOUNTAINS
Sevierville, TN
For more information,
visit RCI.com or call
Weeks: 800-338-7777
Points: 877-968-7476
NON-RCI-AFFILIATED HOTELS:
FONTANA VILLAGE RESORT
Family-oriented spot on
pristine Fontana Lake. Hwy.
28, Fontana Dam, NC;
800-849-2258;
fontanavillage.com;
doubles from $99
FRYEMONT INN
Chestnut-paneled rooms in a
1923 lodge with huge stone
fireplaces. 245 Fryemont St.,
Bryson City, NC; 800-845-
4879; fryemontinn.com;
doubles from $125
LECONTE LODGE
Five rugged trails—and no
roads—lead to this historic
lodge deep inside the park.
Call early as it books up
months ahead. Great Smoky
Mountains National Park;
865-429-5704;
lecontelodge.com;
doubles from $200
SNOWBIRD
MOUNTAIN LODGE
Rustic and relaxing, with
gorgeous mountain views.
4633 Santeetlah Rd.,
Robbinsville, NC; 800-941-
9290; snowbirdlodge.com;
doubles from $240
CATALOOCHEE RANCH
Guides lead daily horseback
rides. There’s also hiking,
fishing and cookouts. 119
Ranch Dr., Maggie Valley, NC;
800-868-1401;
cataloocheeranch.com;
doubles from $247, including
two meals