Our new featured hotspot is “Great Smoky Mountains National Park” located in North Carolina and Tennessee. The Smoky Mountains covers 521,085 acres. Of this total, 276,085 acres are in North Carolina and the remaining 244,741 are in Tennessee. Between 8-10 million people visit The Great Smoky Mountains National Park each year, making it the most visited national park in the country. Wildlife is abundant with black bears, deer, elk and coyotes.

The park is sometimes referred to as the “Wildflower National Park.” There are over 1,660 different kinds of flowering plants, more than in any other North American national park. The Great Smoky Mountains offers panoramic vistas, waterfalls, rushing mountain streams, over 800 miles of trails, historic buildings and grand forests. There are three visitor centers, each offering exhibits, a bookstore, shop and restrooms.  The only lodge in the park is Le Conte Lodge, accessible only by foot.  There are 10 developed campgrounds, each having restrooms with cold running water, but no showers.  Visit www.nps.gov/grsm to find out more.