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Ultimate North
Carolina Picnic Getaways
Blue
Ridge Parkway National Park
Map 14
Milepost 451.2 Waterrock Knob
Parking Overlook.
Visitor Information Center, Comfort
Station. 4-State view including fine panorama of the Great Smoky
Mountains. Trail, with pedestrian overlooks, to the Knob.
GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK
Once a part of the Cherokee
homeland, the Smokies today are a hiker’s paradise with over 800
miles of trails. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park, located in
the states of North Carolina and Tennessee, encompasses 800 square
miles of which 95 percent are forested.
Welcome to Great Smoky Mountains
National Park. The Smokies, a forested mountainous area, covers more
than a half million acres in North Carolina and Tennessee. These
ancient mountains are home to a wide variety of plant and animal
life unsurpassed in the National Park Service. The Park also offers
a glimpse into the lives of early Southern Appalachian farming
families and community lifestyles. Seventy-seven historic structures
concentrated in five historic districts include a collection of log
cabins, barns, churches, gristmills and various outbuildings.
In addition to its role in
preserving the rich natural and historical heritage, the Park is a
place for outdoor recreational pursuits. These range from a short
stroll in the woods to a more extensive hike in the backcountry.
Camping, fishing, picnicking, and horseback riding, or just viewing
magnificent scenery are favorite pastimes.
Every season in the Smokies can be
the best time to visit: spring wildflowers, summer camping along
cool mountain streams, fall foliage, and winter's crisp, blue skies
are all reasons to visit.
Ridge upon ridge of endless forest
straddles the border between North Carolina and Tennessee in Great
Smoky Mountains National Park. World renowned for the diversity of
its plant and animal life, the beauty of its ancient mountains, and
the quality of its remnants of Southern Appalachian mountain
culture, this is America's most visited national park with over 9
million visitors each year.
Milepost 455.7 - CHEROKEE, NC.
At the southern entrance/exit to
Parkway. Home of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. Museums,
cultural and family attractions, motels, campgrounds, restaurants,
shops, famous outdoor drama "Unto These Hills" and
Harrah's Cherokee Casino. Complete Information at downtown Visitor
Center. www.cherokee-nc.com
Toll-free (800) 438-1601.
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