For the 77th consecutive year Great Smoky Mountains remained the most visited National Park in 2020. Of course, it is less than a day’s drive from two-thirds of the nation’s population, and U.S. 441, New Found Gap Road, goes through the heart of the park. But it is deservedly visited for its astonishing variety of life and beauty, and with a little effort you can avoid crowds.
Mountain Bluet
Getting low to the ground does help!
Sparks Lane, Cades Cove
One of the most popular areas is Cades Cove which is a wide, open valley that was lived in by natives, who were later pushed out by settlers, who in turn were removed when the park service acquired the land in the 1930s. The 11 mile loop road can be infuriating with slow, bumper-to-bumper traffic stopping to see deer, horses, turkeys and other wildlife. However, two dirt roads cut across the loop, and can be surprisingly quiet. Also, dogs are not allowed on the area trails, but they are allowed on roads, so Chance got a nice walk along Sparks Lane and Hyatt Lane.
Hyatt Lane rest
Maple buds, Cades Cove
The trees were just beginning to bud and offered sweet pastels. We stayed on Sparks Lane to enjoy a peaceful sunset while the distant traffic still circled the loop road.
Sparks Lane sunset, Cades Cove, Tennessee
Most of the park is deeply forested, but a few spots allow distant views, and we stopped for sunrise at Maloney viewpoint on Fighting Creek Gap Road.
Great Smoky Mountains sunrise
Another quite popular area near Gatlinburg is Roaring Fork Motor Trail which is a narrow, one-way loop through a beautiful forested area with several waterfalls and trails. Again, no dogs on the trails. However, the Motor Trail was still closed to traffic in early April, so voila, a great, quiet place for a walk with most people hiking the nearby trails and staying off the road.
Roaring Fork Motor Trail
Also, not far from Gatlinburg was another road into the park that was closed for construction, but still allowed for parking nearby with views of the Greenbriar River.
Dogwood, laurel and moss
Falls on the Greenbriar River
When it was time to leave the park and head to North Carolina, New Found Gap Road climbs over the crest of the mountains, and one of the best stops to see the receding ridgelines is Mills Overlook at nearly 5,000 feet elevation. And why might they be called the Smokys?
Mills Overlook ridges