As a kid, the closest I ever got to the Smokies was looking at my National Geographic calendars. You know the type I’m talking about. The ones with beautiful photos displaying tree-lined mountains of brilliant oranges, reds, and yellows in the fall. Those photos made me long to visit.

But, the downside of growing up on the West Coast is there are already lots of national parks in your backyard. My parents never ventured to any parks east of Yellowstone. So, I was left with my calendars and not much else.

Smokies here we come!

Fast forward 25 years. As we worked our way down the East Coast this autumn, the Smoky Mountains were at the top of my bucket list. I wanted to experience those picturesque mountains. I was certain the hiking would be sublime because the Appalachian Trail runs through the park. And we’d even get to visit the highest point in Tennessee – Clingman’s Dome.

We went into this leg of our trip expecting to see the same environment we’d become accustomed to near most national parks. There would be a small town near the park’s entrance. It would have overpriced food and gas. But we’d still stock up – because that’s the what you do when you’re going to remote national parks.

With this assumption as a backdrop, I can’t even begin to describe my surprise as we approached the Smokies. Once we got off I-40 and started heading south, all my expectations were just shattered.

What I expected to see when I approached the Smokies

The first clue that things weren’t going to be normal was the incessant stoplights every half mile on the road. Then, like a denim-and-rhinestone version of Las Vegas rising from nowhere, we entered Pigeon Forge.

Holy cow!! Nothing prepared me for this maddening gauntlet. Pigeon Forge is only the appetizer on your way to the Smokies though. A little further down the road, we’d hit the main affair…Gatlinburg. It was just as garish and crowded as anything I’ve ever seen. I felt like I was in the Twilight Zone of tourist traps.

This is the Smoky Mountains?!

About this time I was wondering, “Why didn’t anyone warn me about this?” We’d recently visited some friends in Virginia and told them about our plans to head down to the Smokies. They smiled a lot and told us how much they loved it. They even mentioned how they visited Gatlinburg during their honeymoon.

Of course, looking back on it now, they never said they actually liked Gatlinburg. They were suspiciously quiet about the whole thing. They talked about beautiful hikes and waterfalls, but not the 40 billboards for the Hatfield and McCoy dinner show. Or Dollywood. Or the insane traffic, even in November.

What the heck, people?!? Why are none of you talking about this?

I cannot sit by idly without saying a word.

Listen up all you outdoor lovers! Consider THIS blog to be a public service announcement. If you’re as naive as me and want to visit the Smoky Mountains, I’m about ready to share the good, the bad, and the super ugly.

The Good

When you finally get away from all the crowds, the Smoky Mountains are genuinely beautiful. Especially in the fall. It’s no surprise that photographers choose this season to record the splendor of this national park.

On the advice of one of the park volunteers, we headed six miles east of Gatlinburg to Greenbriar entrance to avoid the crowds. From there, we were able to do a 4-mile roundtrip hike on the Porter’s Creek Trail to a tall waterfall. There were fewer than a dozen people out there that afternoon and the solitude was priceless.

Crossing the river on an awesomely rustic bridge on the way to the waterfall

We also knew we wanted to see Clingman’s Dome during our trip. Since this is a very popular location, we decided to get an early start. Luckily, we beat the crowds and found plenty of parking at 9am.

After walking to the top of the tower, we found our way onto the Appalachian Trail and did a 7-mile hike. The highlight of our day was eating lunch at an AT shelter with a few SoBo thru-hikers who were closing in on the 2000-mile mark on the trail. Their energy as they neared this major milestone was so high, it was palpable. Hanging out with them an chatting about thru-hiking was definitely the best part of our visit. It was especially awesome to realize we were all standing on the top of Mt. Katahdin within about a week of each other this summer!

Hiking on the Appalachian Trail

Finally, we took the driving tour on Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail and stopped to hike to Grotto Falls. This short 2.6 mile round trip hike take you up to a fantastic 25-foot waterfall where you stand behind the cascade of falling water. Like most folks, we handed our camera over to fellow hikers to take our photo, then switched places to do the same for them.

Even if you don’t decide to head over to the falls, this drive along this one-way road is fantastic. And there’s lots of pull outs where you can stop and take photos to your heart’s delight.

Walking behind the Grotto Falls

A photo taken of us by one of our fellow hikers

And with that, its time to move on to the less enjoyable aspects you need to watch out for during your visit.

The Bad

Ok, here’s the reality: Smoky Mountains National Park is THE most visited national park in the U.S. More than 11 million people visited the park in 2017. That’s more tourists than the Grand Canyon and Yellowstone combined!!

So, yes it is crowded. And it’s not just crowded in the summer or on the weekends. It is crowded ALL. THE. TIME.

If you want to get away from these crowds, you need a strategy. Here’s what we did to give them the slip:

#1 Get up early

Only the most dedicated visitors are in the park early. That’s because Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg have dozens of pancake houses that successfully stall most visitors’ arrival to the top sights. So set the alarm and pack your daypack the night before. Because you can arrive in time to find a parking spot at some of the best sights, but only if you start early.

#2 Visit sights off the beaten path

The Smoky Mountains are known for being a hiker’s paradise. So, there’s lots to choose from. If you’re overwhelmed, just ask a NPS volunteer like we did. They know and love this park. If you tell them your skill level and how far you want to go, they can always find something that fits the bill.

#3 Be flexible 

Don’t assume you have to visit the park in a specific way. Make a list of ten things you want to see in the park and feel free to adjust your plans if one location is too crowded.

The scenery is beautiful even off the beaten path

The Ugly

There’s no way around the ugly truth. Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge are absurd. They are the tourist havens and, for some odd reason, lots of people love these towns.

If you adore Las Vegas or Branson, you’ll probably feel right at home in these twin towns of gaudiness. Seriously. The mess of billboards, arcades, mini golf courses, old-time photo studios, and souvenir shops is just overwhelming.

If you need a t-shirt with your name airbrushed on it or a new temporary tattoo, this is your place. But, for the rest of us, you simply cannot avoid the eyesore of these tourist traps on the way to the Smokies.

So, we just used it was great excuse to people watch. Grab an ice cream cone and a comfy seat on a bench. Then pull out your smartphone, and make it a game to see who can snap the most preposterous photo of an unsuspecting tourist. Compare your pics and laugh, because that’s about all you can do.

Have you been to the Smokies recently? What was your experience like?