6. Great Smoky Mountains National Park

 

One of the South's great views, the Smokies as seen from the top of Roan Mountain
Southern Living Photo by Staff Photographer. ©2009. All Rights Reserved.

This is the most visited national park in the country, and one glimpse at it lets you know why. The Park includes more than 520,000 acres, 735 miles of streams, and 800 miles of some of the most scenic hiking and biking trails in the world. The peaks reach over 6,000 feet, providing unforgettable scenic vistas. Several visitor centers are scattered throughout the park.   (© 10Best)

We love the Smokies, and so do the more than 9 million travelers who flock there each year. It's just a 45-minute drive from Knoxville. Because weekends are sometimes crowded, especially in the fall, you may want to take an alternate route on U.S. 129 to Maryville, then U.S. 321 to Townsend, instead of the more congested Sevierville-Pigeon Forge-Gatlinburg route (U.S. 441). From Townsend, continue on to the park entrance and enjoy the scenery. Cades Cove glows with the colors of autumn, but it often gets bumper to bumper (literally) around sunset. (from Southern Living)

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