Gatlinburg is located in the heart of the Great Smoky Mountains area and has a direct connection to the main park entrance. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park straddles the border between North Carolina and Tennessee.
The Gatlinburg Area
The sprawling landscape encompasses lush forests and an abundance of wildflowers that bloom year-round. Streams, rivers, and waterfalls appear along hiking routes that include a segment of the Appalachian Trail. An observation tower tops Clingmans Dome, the highest peak, offering scenic views of the mist-covered mountains.
The Clingman’s Dome observation tower offers truly incredible panoramic views of the whole mountain range. There are a ton of swimming holes (that you can actually swim in!) scattered throughout, and to really cap things off you can pick your fill of wild strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and loads of other lesser-known berries while you’re hiking around.
It is the most popular National Park in the country and hosts well over ten-million annual visitors. It gets more annual visitors than the Grand Canyon, Yosemite, and Yellowstone combined. The beautiful mountains reach heights of close to 7,000 feet.
Plenty more can be read on the official national park website at the link below.
