Amazing Fall Color Drive... You may have your drive interrupted by Fog at times. But depending on the time of day and weather conditions, you may see for miles. Our daughter started out the journey saying Starved Rock in Illinois was the best natural wonder to see. Now she wants to Live in or around the Smokies.

This park is absolutely gorgeous if you love the wilderness of Appalachia. The scenic drives here are breathtaking for the east coast, and there are tons of great activities here. If you like hiking this is a great place to seek out a few trails. There are many awesome places where you can hike to some incredible waterfalls. When you're in the park though, you're only ever a short drive back to town, and Gatlinburg is such a gem for wonderful food, drink, or a stay.

This is an amazing park with lots of hiking trails and views. Go hiking early, as parking can be challenging (though it keeps the trails from getting too congested). When we go back, we will look at what lodging options there are other than the crowded, chaotic, commercialized mess that Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge are.

We come from Florida every year to see this beautiful National Park. So many trails, there is something for all ages and abilities. We especially love the winter months when the forest turns into a winter wonderland. Everyone that loves National Parks needs to see the Smokey Mountains.

This is the most visited national park in America. Once inside, you know why. It is so green and beautiful! When you think of Tenneessee, THIS is what you think of. Be prepared to spend some time here. There are so many hiking trails, rivers and campgrounds to explore. Pack a lunch. You won't find a more beautiful place to stop and eat. Consider this: when I visited last summer, it was at the height of tourism, yet I NEVER saw another person! That has not bern my experience at other national parks in the summertime. As a result, I was able to drive slowly, stop as often as I wished and take my time on the teails without feeling like I was holding up others. This is a must do national park. HINT: The Blue Ridge Parkway has connections here too.

If you are in the area, stop by the park. They do not charge admission...the only National Park I know that is free. I highly recommend using the Little River Gorge area. Less travel and spectacular scenery. Also, use the Townsend entrance...you will avoid Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge.

Such a beautiful huge park. We went in early spring. Snow was on the high peaks the 1st 2 days and was so beautiful. There are so many roads and trails to explore. The boulder covered creeks were 1 of our favorite spots to hike. Lots of wildlife. There is a lot of traffic at times so patience is critical.

I've been down several times and just enjoy the overall experience of the park. The views are breathtaking, and there are a lot of trails for different experience levels. Cades Cove is a great nature loop, and I highly recommend going to Clingmans Dome if the road is open (April - Oct I believe). I always plan on the whole day, but you could probably do a nice drive and maybe a short hike in a couple of hours.

This is a free National Park; however, there were notices about needing to pay for a parking ticket if more than 15 minutes. Probably for those hiking the trails. We were disappointed because certain roads were closed pending April 1 opening. Some like the picnic parking areas could be open.

We meant to hike the trail to Grotto Falls but the road was blocked so we hiked to Rainbow Falls instead. So call first to see what's open. Nearly 6 miles round trip was a little much for us but it was beautiful along the way. Trail was very well maintained - could be done in good tennis shoes. Trickling springs around every corner. We got to the park at 7:30am during spring break and got a parking spot right at the trail head. I think the whole thing took a good 3 hours (I'm the slow one with 3 kids 15-18) and there were a TON of cars all down the side of the road when we left. It was also nice and cool in the morning.