It is quite a task to plan any vacation, but especially planning a national park vacation can be overwhelming. That’s because national parks are BIG and there is so much to see and do and so there is a lot to potentially miss seeing and doing if you don’t know about all the park offers. Also, there are things you must know about parking, camping, pets and so forth (like Vehicle Free Days when you cannot drive in certain areas of the park).
Good news! My latest Terrance Talks Travel book has just hit the bookstores and online booksellers.
Terrance Talks Travel: The Quirky Tourist Guide to the Smoky Mountains National Park (including Gatlinburg, Sevierville, Pigeon Forge, Bryson City & Cherokee) is a helpful reference for planning a vacation to this area. If you haven’t considered this before, you definitely should!
Did you know…
The Smoky Mountains National Park is the MOST VISITED park in the U.S. (That’s right! Grand Canyon, Grand Tetons, Yellowstone, and Zion are not as popular as the Great Smoky Mountains).
The Smoky Mountains National Park welcomes 14 million visitors annually! (It is busy year round, especially weekends, fall colors, holidays, and summer!)
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It is one of the rare national parks that does NOT charge an admission fee.
It is open 24/7. You can enter the park at any time!
Roughly 2/3 of the U.S. population is within a day’s drive of the park.
It is full of wildlife–more than 200 species of birds alone! And there are close to 2,000 of our favorite residents–black bears!
Planning a National Park Vacation
The park is close to 550,000 acres with hundreds of trails, attractions, wildlife, waterfalls, overlooks, and more. So there is a lot you need to know to make the most of your valuable vacation time, such as:
You can only see elk in one part of the park. Find out where to go to see these park newcomers.
Find out where the best waterfalls are, wildflower walks, special seasonal shows and events, best motorcycle routes, best scenic drives, where to stay (there are some super cool unique lodging options most tourists don’t know about), and much more.
There are trails suitable for strollers and scooters. Learn where to find them.
There are trails you shouldn’t attempt unless you are an avid hiker. Learn how to avoid them!
Discover two places in the park that you absolutely must explore.
There are many hidden gems (like the Troll Bridge) you need to find out about.
Learn what you must know about permits, passes, pets, camping, parking, weather, best time to go, and more.
Discover the best day trips!
Most importantly, discover the best way to enter the park. There are multiple entrances that are very different. Learn where to go to find scenic trail rides, aerial tram rides, adventure parks, ziplining, wineries, waterparks, adventure tours, specialty shopping, rafting, year-round ice skating,fishing, skiing, hiking, biking (is limited to a few areas within the park)and where to go to avoid all of above if communing with nature is all you’re looking for.
Read what other travelers have to say before booking your trip!
FYI: National Virtual Vacation Day was March 30. Established in 2015 by Terrance Talks Travel, it encourages all of us to explore our dream vacations, even if only virtually! Check out these free resources you can use to enjoy your own virtual vacation day! Go on vacation any time you want–or need to!
Here’s some gear you should have for any hiking and outdoors vacations!
Terrance Zepke studied Journalism at the University of Tennessee and later received a Master's Degree in Mass Communications from the University of South Carolina. She has studied Parapsychology at the renowned Rhine Research Center. She began her career as a freelance writer and photographer, ... 
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