With all of the stressful hustle and bustle that goes on every day in this modern life, it is nice to just get away from it all and relax in a peaceful and beautiful place. The Great Smoky MountainsNational Park is the perfect place to escape all of the noise and chaos that bombards you every day.

The Great Smoky MountainsNational Park is part of the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains and is located on the boarder of Tennessee and North Carolina. This national park protects the majority of the Great Smoky Mountains, or the Smokies as they are lovingly called. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the most visited national park in the country, with over 9 million visitors a year, and with good reason. It is home to the largest “old growth” hardwood forest in the eastern U.S and has a very rich cultural history, offering an intriguing snapshot of how families lived in the late 19^th century.

The Great Smoky MountainsNational Park has been nationally recognized as both an International Biosphere Reserve and a World Heritage Site. This recognitions show how important the area is to preserve some of the world’s biological resources and unique cultural resources, available only in this region of the country. The Smokies have more than 4000 different species of plants growing including over 100 types of native trees and over 100 types of native shrubs that can only be found in the Great Smoky Mountains. There are also hundreds of different types of wildlife to see while at the park including the densest population of black bears east of the Mississippi and the most diverse population of salamander species outside of the tropics.

The SmokyMountainsNational Park is home to the MountainFarmMuseum, which is a fascinating collection of nearly 80 old farm buildings located throughout the whole park. Some of the various farm buildings include a working blacksmith, a barn, a log farmhouse, and the Davis House – a rare chestnut log house, built before the 1930s’ blight that killed almost all the chestnut forests in America. The Mingus Mill, built in 1886, is also located in the park. The Mingus Mill uses a water turbine, rather than the customary water wheel, to power the machinery that was used to make corn meal.

The Great Smoky MountainsNational Park offers a wide variety of activities. The most common activity people choose to do in the park is an auto tour that winds throughout the park offering a chance to see amazing forest views and mountain vistas, rushing mountain streams with multiple waterfalls throughout the park, and rustic historic buildings. You can go bicycling through Cades Cove on the 11-mile loop road, or horseback riding on the hundreds of miles of trails throughout the park. You can even rent horses if you don’t have a horse of your own. The park has over 800 miles of hiking trails, from peaceful walkways to long rugged trails for a multi-day backpacking trek. If fishing is your passion, there are over 700 miles of fishing streams winding through the mountains offering a chance to catch brown, brook, and rainbow trout. The park has many camping options to choose from, from luxurious RV camping to pitching a tent along the trail of a backpacking trek. No matter where you camp, you will be surrounded by some of the most picturesque views this country has to offer. Simply visit the online store or the visitor’s center for additional information about the local wildlife and wildflowers to know where to go during the year for the best experience.

The Great Smoky MountainsNational Park is neighbored by Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg TN. Both of these cities are very popular tourist locations offering hundreds of different activities including art galleries, quaint shops, and even a Winter Festival where you can see millions of beautiful Christmas lights and the Gatlinburg Christmas Parade. There are Gatlinburg cabin rentals available throughout the city and Great Smoky Mountains which offer a relaxing, peaceful, and picturesque way to enjoy the Smokies.

So if you find yourself getting overly stressed at work or with your daily chaotic life, take the chance to escape to the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee and enjoy all of the magnificent views and stress free activities they have to offer.