A visitor to the Great Smoky Mountains is more likely to run out of time than things to do. The Smokies are rife with opportunities to enjoy the outdoors at no or low cost. Whether it's waterfalls or winding mountain trails that complete your definition of a day well spent, the Smokies offer plenty of ways to explore nature's allure.
Taking an auto tour of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is one way to see the sights without breaking a sweat. Cades Cove is a perennial auto touring favorite; its 11-mile loop is frequently lined with vehicles on weekends, particularly during the fall, when hordes of foliage fanciers flock to the area. Pioneer homesteads and deer dot the landscape; occasionally, a black bear might make an appearance. The Cades Cove loop is a 45-minute drive on average. Tour books are available at the park's entrance.
Bicycling the Cades Cove loop is a pleasant, if strenuous, activity. The park rents bikes, and bicyclists are welcome to bring their own. The loop is closed to motorists until 10 a.m. on Wednesdays and Saturdays from early May to late September to give bicyclists and pedestrians a chance to walk or ride the loop without worrying about traffic. Other areas open to bicyclists are roads in the Greenbrier and Tremont areas of the park in Tennessee, and the Cataloochee Valley and Lakeview Drive in North Carolina.
The Great Smoky Mountains are a camper's paradise. Within the national park, four kinds of campsites are available: back country, which requires a hike several miles long; front country, in which campers may camp near their vehicles and have access to restrooms, barbecue grills and picnic tables; group campgrounds, located in the front country and appropriate for groups of eight or more; and horse camps, small campgrounds with primitive campsites and hitching racks for horses.
Anglers are permitted to fish Smoky Mountains streams throughout the year from 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset. Only two of the park's 2,115 miles of streams are not open to anglers: Bear Creek, in North Carolina, at its intersection with Forney Creek, and Lynn Camp Prong in Tennessee, upstream of its union with Thunderhead Prong. A valid North Carolina or Tennessee fishing license is required; fishing licenses can be obtained in nearby towns but not within the park. There are size and possession limits on fish, and only artificial flies or lures on a single hook are permitted.
Roughly 550 miles of trails in the Smokies are approved for horseback riding. Guided trail rides are offered by four stables within the park from mid-March through late November; they range from 45 minutes to several hours in duration. Carriage and wagon rides lasting 20 to 30 minutes are also offered from several park stables in Cades Cove and at Smokemont near Cherokee, North Carolina. Equestrians are also allowed to bring their own horses. The park offers five vehicle-accessible horse campsites. Horse campsites are open from April through October.
Few activities rival the peacefulness of floating down a mountain stream on an inflatable tube. Most tubing excursions take place in Townsend, Tennessee; tube rentals are available from area vendors from Memorial Day through Labor Day. The water in most spots is fairly shallow; transportation to and from tubing sites is available from local tube rental facilities.
