12 Best Sights in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, NC, North Carolina

From the Clingmans Dome parking, taking the trail less traveled to Andrews Bald feels like being in on a secret. To get there, walk the 1.8-mile Forney Ridge Trail, a rocky path with an elevation gain of almost 600 feet. The payoff is several acres of grassy bald at more than 5,800 feet, with stunning views of Fontana Lake and the southeastern Smokies. This is one of only two balds in the Smokies that the park service keeps clear (the other is Gregory Bald). Difficult.

This is the smallest picnic area in the park, with only 10 picnic tables. The creek is wide and inviting, with small swimming holes and several channels that create tiny islands. The picnic area is accessible via Exit 451 off of Interstate 40 or the unpaved Cove Creek Road from Cataloochee. There's a small campground here and restrooms but no pavilion. Several good hiking trails begin here, and the Appalachian Trail crosses the road near the entrance at Davenport Gap.

This is one of the most memorable and eeriest sights in all of the Smokies. At one time Cataloochee was a community of more than 1,200 people. After the land was annexed for the national park in 1934, the community dispersed. Although many of the original buildings are gone, more than a dozen houses, cabins, barns, and churches still stand. You can visit the Palmer Methodist Chapel, the Beech Grove School, and the Woody, Caldwell, and Messer homesteads. You have a good chance of spotting elk here, especially in the evening and early morning. You'll also likely see wild turkeys, deer, and perhaps bears. Cataloochee is one of the most remote parts of the Smokies, reachable by car via a narrow, winding gravel road that rises over a steep pass before dropping you into the isolated valley. Take the 5 mph speed limit seriously on the blind curves. At dawn and dusk, this uncrowded valley is pure beautiful magic. 

This is a great spot to take in the broad expanse of Cataloochee Valley. Cataloochee comes from a Cherokee word meaning "row upon row" or "standing in rows," and indeed you'll see rows of mountain ridges here. The overlook is well marked and has a split-rail fence.

Deep Creek offers more than picnicking. You can go tubing (rent a tube for the day for around $5 or $6 at nearby commercial tubing centers), hike about two miles to three pretty waterfalls, or go trout fishing. You can even go mountain biking here, as this is one of the few park trails where bikes are allowed. The picnic area, open year-round (but no running water in winter), has 58 picnic tables, plus a pavilion that seats up to 70 (reserve in advance, $32 fee). There's also a campground here.

From almost 5,000 feet on Gregory Bald, you have a breathtaking view of Cades Cove and Rich Mountain to the north and Fontana Lake to the southeast. Gregory Bald is one of only two balds in the Smokies that are kept clear of tree growth by the Park Service. This is a view that just a few thousand people a year will see, as it's reachable only by a strenuous 11.2-mile roundtrip hike via the Gregory Ridge Trail, with 2,700 feet of elevation gain. The trailhead is at the end of Forge Creek Road in Cades Cove. In early summer, this difficult hike through old-growth forests to Gregory Bald offers an astounding display of hybrid flame azaleas. Difficult.

Located at more than a mile high and set in a stand of spruce and fir, the picnic area has 41 tables. Nearby is Mile High Overlook, which offers one of the most scenic views of the Smokies and is a wonderful place to enjoy the sunset. For birders, this is a good spot to see golden-crowned kinglets, red-breasted nuthatches, and other species that prefer higher elevations. Nearby are a campground and trailheads for several good hiking trails, including Flat Creek. The disadvantage is that, due to the high elevation (and the risk of snow and ice), the picnic area is open only from late May to mid-October.

This is perhaps the best re-creation anywhere of an Appalachian mountain farmstead. The nine farm buildings, all dating from the late 19th century, were moved in the 1950s to this site next to the Oconaluftee Visitor Center from various locations within the park. Besides a furnished two-story chestnut log cabin, there is a barn, apple house, corncrib, smokehouse, bee gums, springhouse, chicken coop, and other outbuildings. In season, corn, tomatoes, pole beans, squash, and other mountain crops are grown in the garden, and the park staff sometimes puts on demonstrations of pioneer activities, such as making apple butter and molasses. Two easy 1½-mile walking trails begin near the museum. Dogs on leashes are allowed on the trail but not within the farm grounds. Elk are sometimes seen grazing in the pastures adjoining the farm, and occasionally you may see white-tailed deer and wild turkeys.   This is an extremely popular place to visit, but in the evening after the visitor center closes, you're likely to have it to yourself.

A 5.4-mile round-trip hike takes you to an old fire watchtower, rewarding you with amazing views. The route is steep, with an elevation gain of almost 2,000 feet, so you should consider this a strenuous challenging hike. Difficult.

The park's main information center on the North Carolina side is polished and inviting after a $3 million renovation and expansion. It is 1½ miles from Cherokee and offers interactive displays, a 20-minute film, a large book and gift shop, ranger-led programs, and assistance from helpful volunteers. There are restrooms and vending machines. Adjoining the visitor center, in a large level field next to the Oconaluftee River, is the Mountain Farm Museum, a reconstruction of an early 1900s mountain farmstead. Herds of elk are often seen here.

For the effort of a 2.4-mile hike at the Deep Creek entrance to the park near Bryson City, this trail will reward you with three pretty waterfalls: Tom Branch, Indian Creek, and Juney Whank, which you can see close-up from a 90-foot-long wooden bridge that crosses directly over the falls. Moderate.