Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Cades Cove

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

In Appalachian parlance, a cove means a valley, but Cades Cove is far more than that. One of the most popular destinations in the Tennessee section of…

Mt LeConte

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Mt LeConte (6593ft) is the park’s third-highest peak and one of its most familiar sights, visible from practically every viewpoint. The only way to get to…

Cable Mill Historic Area

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

To get bread on the table, early residents of Cades Cove first had to mill their grains and corn. Above all other staples, corn was the most important…

Clingmans Dome

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

‘On top of Old Smoky’ is Clingmans Dome (elevation 6643ft), the park’s highest peak. At the summit, a steep, half-mile paved trail leads to an observation…

Mingus Mill

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

One of the park's most picturesque 19th-century buildings, the Mingus Mill is a turbine-powered mill that still grinds wheat and corn much as it has since…

Mountain Farm Museum

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Adjacent to the Oconaluftee Visitor Center, this excellent collection of historic buildings evokes life on a typical farmstead of the late 19th century…

Fontana Dam

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Built in the early 1940s to provide power for America's industrial needs during WWII, Fontana is the tallest dam east of the Rockies. At 2365ft wide, it's…

Parson Branch Road

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

This 8-mile-long road is permanently closed to motorized traffic, though it's open to mountain bikers and walkers, who can enjoy some serene forest views…