The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the #1 most visited national park in the US. Annually, more than 8.5 million visitors share the beauty of The Smokies. The portion of the park in Tennessee is more than 244,000 acres including famous Cades Cove.
East Tennessee is located within the footprint of the Appalachian Mountains. The area includes the the tall 6,300 ft peaks of the Great Smoky Mountains, as well as the river valley of the French Broad, Holston, and Tennessee Rivers. The River Road, between Gatlinburg and Townsend, offers a roaring mountain river and many scenic areas.
To the north and south of the park lies The Cherokee National Forest. This is a 650,000 acre forest with more than 600 miles of trails, whitewater rivers, designated wilderness areas, campgrounds, and various cascading waterfalls.