The Remarkable Great Smoky Mountains

The Great Smoky Mountains, or commonly known called Smokies, is a mountain range located in the states of Tennessee and North Carolina. The mountain range is a part of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which is widely considered as the most visited park in the United States. Millions of people visit this park established in 1934.

The National Park is home to the largest old forest area in the country. Wildlife population includes black bears, diverse salamanders, and other biosphere reserves, which are unknown to other parts of the world. The mountain range has been attributed the name “Smoky” owing to the presence of a fog over its stretch. This gives the impression of smoke from a distance.

We were traveling across different states of the United States, visiting a few of the popular national parks in the country. Our adventure club had ear marked Smokies for visiting in the month of April. We would be in North Carolina during this time. We booked a hotel near the national park so that we could spend more time exploring the diverse beauty of this place.

Hiking on the Mount LeConte

Our group was interested in hiking to the summit of Mount LeConte and spending a night in the lodging on the top. We started our hike early in the morning so that we could reach that before the sunset. Mount LeConte is a tall mountain with hiking trail, which takes you to the top. The views from the top are mesmerizing while the facility of lodging is one of the greatest adventures. We spent a night on the top and enjoyed a lively barbecue.

Hiking on the Laurel Falls Trail

On the next day we decided to hike on the Laurel Falls Trail. This provides a unique experience to the tourists owing to the presence of beautiful falls and greenery. Hiking to the Laurel Falls became the highlight of our visit to the Great Smoky Mountains.

Hiking on the Alum Cave Trail

We had hiked on two tall mountain trail is the Great Smoky Mountain ranges. Now we wanted to follow the trail of Alum Cave in order to examine the educational geographical formations alongside. We spent hours in the cave before we decided to visit the Roaring Fork.

Exploring the beauty of Roaring Fork Stream at the Great Smoky Mountains

Roaring Fork is a beautiful stream in the park located on the Tennessee side of the park. There are lush green trees and biosphere on either side of the stream as it curves along the mountain range. We walked across the stream for a few hours and enjoyed the scenic beauty of this place.

Exploring the Wildlife in the National Park

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is home to various species of animals. Many are not commonly found in other parts of the world. We went across the park and came across black bears and diverse species of salamanders in the region. Then visited the animal museum and an aquarium here, which provided great amusement to our group.

We spent more than a week visiting different places in the Mountain Ranges and hiking to the summit of famous peaks. This time proved to be a source of great adventure and learning for us. 

Other great and amazing locations to visit include: Rome, Thailand, Grand Canyon, Poland, and England