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Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Great Smoky Mountains National Park


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Enjoy the country鈥檚 most iconic scenery from the comfort of your own car with our guide to the eight most unforgettable national park drives

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It isn鈥檛 impossible to find lodging around our nation鈥檚 most-visited national park. But these spots are extra cool鈥攆rom secluded cabins and riverside retreats, to a treehouse and beyond.

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Most national parks have an entry fee, but not these. And they鈥檙e all awesome places to visit.

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鈥淭he trees aren鈥檛 as big as everyone says鈥 and 鈥淚've seen better in video games.鈥 Our national-parks columnist rounded up some scathing reviews of America's Best Idea.

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These cool new lodging options are within striking distance of some of the country鈥檚 most popular national parks

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Panoramas, waterfalls, and other natural wonders await you on these quick, rewarding routes chosen by our national-parks expert

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This beautiful 469-mile route connects Great Smoky Mountain and Shenandoah National Parks. Our local writer knows just where to stop for hikes, camping, and the best views.

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Our parks expert found the coolest small towns to stay in next door to U.S. national parks. You鈥檙e welcome.

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Ditch the crowds as you hike, camp, and revel in the most stunning backcountry landscapes in the U.S. They don't call one circuit Wonderland for nothing.

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Love 鈥檈m or hate 鈥檈m, timed-entry reservations will be required at some of our favorite national parks. Here鈥檚 how to make sure you get in.

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There was nothing to do, I didn鈥檛 see a bear, and that snake harassed me

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A searching mother, a headless gunslinger, a mysterious light to show you the way: these national parks are home to hair-raising tales

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The Swag, a beloved southern hideaway, borders Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Cozy up in down-home cabins, hike to balds with views across Appalachia, and explore the least-crowded corners of the park.

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There鈥檚 been a series of encounters in recent weeks. Research suggests that killing bruins isn鈥檛 the best way to prevent attacks.

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From a severed hand in Yosemite to missing honeymooners in the Grand Canyon, our national parks are home to some curious and strange tales

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Reservations are hard to come by but this hundred-year-old lodge is worth the wait. In the meantime, you can hike five miles to see it.

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We鈥檝e done the impossible and made a list of best hikes in our national parks. Now鈥檚 a perfect time to start checking them off, from Acadia to Yosemite.

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国产吃瓜黑料s in national parks don鈥檛 end at sundown. We鈥檝e found the best ways to explore after dark, from seeing the Northern Lights to Yooperlite hunting.

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As you鈥檙e visiting national parks this summer, don鈥檛 miss out on these spectacular outlooks, mountain summits, and lake vistas. We鈥檝e got the intel on how to reach them all.

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Eager to visit one of America鈥檚 national parks this year? Start planning now. Here鈥檚 all the information you need to book hard-to-get reservations.

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This bruin鈥檚 journey across four states is a reminder that hikers and campers should be extra careful with food and trash

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Despite being one of the most popular destinations in the U.S., the Smokies make it easy to plan a last-minute trip and avoid crowds year-round. Here鈥檚 our definitive guide on what to know before you go, how to make the most of all the park has to offer, and can鈥檛-miss experiences in every season.

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Great Smoky Mountains is a mecca for millions of outdoor visitors each year. But as our 63 Parks columnist explains, that doesn鈥檛 mean you can鈥檛 find solitude and peace. Often all it takes is a walk in the woods.

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You can still find a slice of solitude in the country's most visited parks

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The colder months are the perfect time to visit national parks, with fewer crowds and endless adventure. Stay at one of these dreamy base camps.

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You can visit parks for free right now, but you still need to take precautions to prevent the spread of the coronavirus

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Over 300 million people visited national parks in 2019, the third-highest total in over a century

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Together, Joy and her grandson Brad have driven more than聽25,000 miles through 38 states鈥攁nd they're not done yet

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Olde Virden's Red Hot pepper flakes turn even the rankest dehydrated meal into mouthwatering fare

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A group of hired caretakers, called ridgerunners, are working to protect America鈥檚 favorite wilderness footpath from the hordes of people who walk it each year

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You may be in the middle of the wilderness, but a local IPA isn鈥檛 that far away

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We pulled records from January 2006 to September 2016 on where, how, and why park visitors are dying. Here鈥檚 what we found.

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Get out and explore the country鈥檚 weirdest sites with help from Atlas Obscura鈥檚 co-founder

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Fit in a last-minute camping trip at one of these iconic parks before summer ends

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It鈥檚 not all fun and games in the parks

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We've cut the fat (and circumnavigated the crowds) so you can enjoy any of these thrilling parks in just one day

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Tennessee, North Carolina, and Georgia have the biggest mountains among the 14 states on the Appalachian Trail. The southern portion of the Appalachian Trail. Although the promise of southern temps might draw spring break hikers to Georgia, sleet and snow are common here in March. Georgia is better hiked in…

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Love Acadia, the Tetons, and the Grand Canyon? Wait until you meet their crazy little cousins.

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From fresh, tropical milkshakes to buffalo steaks the size of your head, we dug up the best chow near America鈥檚 national parks.

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To find the emptiest hideouts in seven iconic parks, we called on the guys with the keys to the back door: the rangers and staff.

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Finding uncrowded bliss from Olympic to Acadia

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Combine your next visit to a national park with a bonus raid on a great state park or national forest—and get twice the escape

32 YEARS AGO this summer, my pal, the crime novelist Jim Crumley, his overeducated farmer friend from Arkansas, Harold McDuffy, and yours truly hiked six miles to Bowman Lake in Glacier National Park. For someone who had spent most of his life in the desert country of southeastern Oregon, this…

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