Great Smoky Mountains National Park: 10 spots to explore in the park

The Great Smoky Mountains is, by far, the most popular national park. In 2015 it welcomed about 11 million visitors, nearly twice as many as second-ranked Grand Canyon. Straddling Tennessee and North Carolina and covering more than a half-million acres, the vast and stunning park offers a wealth of things to see and experience. You could easily spend a week or more exploring its sprawling landscape.

What follows are 10 great things to do in the Smokies. While many of the suggestions would appear on any top 10 list, this is not meant to be a definitive rundown of the best that the park has to offer. Depending on your interests, you might want to consider fishing, camping, more challenging hiking trails, or any number of other activities, for example. But if you are a Smoky Mountains newbie, or it's been awhile since your last visit, these 10 ideas are a great place to start.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park: A visitor's guide

Travel Newfound Gap Road

Passing through the Smoky Mountains between Gatlinburg, Tenn. and Cherokee, N.C., Newfound Gap Road spans a mere 32 miles. But as you wind your way up and down the twisting, often steep road, you'll be transported to remarkably diverse places and treated to some breathtaking sights. It's likely you'll see the signature smoky mist hugging the mountains along your journey.

Gorgeous vistas can be seen at Newfound Gap, which is roughly at the road's halfway point and marks the state line. With the Appalachian Trail crossing the gap, you can often find hikers milling about as they take a break. At about a mile high, the temperature is considerably cooler than at lower elevations, and abundant snowfall typically persists into the spring.

Catch the Views Atop the Clingmans Dome Observation Tower

From the vantage point of the circular observation tower at Clingmans Dome you'll be able to see the majestic Smokies in all directions. Climbing the steep half-mile path to get there, however, is a bit of a trial. Between air pollution and billowing mist, visibility is sometimes not optimal. But in general, it is still well worth the effort it takes to make the trek.

At 6,643 feet, Clingmans Dome is the highest point in the park, and temperatures are even lower than at Newfound Gap. During my early spring visit, it was nearly 70 degrees in Gatlinburg, but in the mid-40s and quite windy at the mountains' summit. Bring extra outerwear if you visit. Note that the access road to Clingmans Dome is closed from early December through late March.

Walk the Spruce-Fir Nature Trail

Located along the road leading to Clingmans Dome, the 1/4 mile Spruce-Fir Nature Trail gives hikers a fascinating peek into a strange, but beautiful mountaintop forest. Dead and decaying fir trees, their bark covered with moss, line the path. Many of the spruce trees have toppled as well. Amid the eerie devastation, however, are many chattering, twittering, and rustling animals as well as flowers and other indications of abundant life.

Go Back in Time at Cades Cove

Tucked into a verdant valley in the northwest corner of the park, Cades Cove provides a glimpse of the farming community that once lived in the Smoky Mountains. Settled by Europeans in the early 1800s, many of the cove's historic buildings remain open to visitors. Among the three houses of worship is a circa-1902 Methodist church that, legend has it, was built in 115 days for $115. Its congregation extends back to 1820. There are also barns, log houses, a smokehouse, blacksmith shop, and other places to explore.

Cades Cove is very popular, and traveling its 11-mile loop by car can be an exercise in patience, especially during the busy summer season. Consider bringing or renting bicycles to tour the area during designated days and times when cars are prohibited.

Go Off the Beaten Path at Deep Creek

Located between Bryson City and Cherokee at the southern edge of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, it's about a 30-minute drive from the Oconaluftee Visitor Center to Deep Creek. The cell signal is iffy (at least for my carrier, your results may vary), and GPS may be balky. Like I did, you may have to resort to old-school paper maps to locate it. But like me, you'll surely find the relatively remote area a peaceful and pleasant place to visit.

Walking Deep Creek Trail in early spring, its namesake creek was rushing and offered a lovely accompaniment to the beautiful small purple butterflies and other sights I saw. They are not enormous, but the area's waterfalls, including Tom Branch and Indian Creek, are captivating focal points. The trail's nice, wide paths make it easy to navigate.

Check Out a Grist Mill

Corn, especially stone ground cornmeal (and the delicious cornbread and other treats made from it), has long been associated with the Smoky Mountains. Built in 1886, the historic Mingus Mill allows visitors to see how corn used to be processed. Water flows down a long millrace to power its cast iron turbine. When the mill is open from mid-March to mid-November, you'll be able to observe cornmeal production in action.

Go Down on a Farm

Behind the park's Oconaluftee Visitor Center is the Mountain Farm Museum. It includes a collection of authentic, historic structures culled from farms throughout the Smokies. The museum includes a log farmhouse, an apple house, and a sorghum mill and furnace. Rangers maintain the livestock and crop fields to show what farm life was like generations ago.

Picnic Along a Stream

Pack some food and take a meal break at Chimney Tops Picnic Area. A striking mountain stream flows through the site. Before or after your picnic consider stopping at the nearby Chimney Tops Overlook, which offers dramatic views. Or hike the Chimney Tops Trail and revel in the sights during the steep ascent of Sugarland Mountain.

Meander Along Fighting Creek

The Fighting Creek Nature Trail is an easy 1.2-mile loop located behind the park's Sugarlands Visitor Center. Despite its proximity to the busy center and to major roads, walking the trail quickly takes visitors away from the hubbub and into the hushed forest. Markers along the way indicate some of the native trees and other flora. The John Ownby cabin, an open structure made of rough-hewn timbers and built in 1860, is among the trail's highlights.

See Cataract Falls

Take an easy 0.6-mile round trip jaunt on a branch of the Fighting Creek Trail to Cataract Falls. You could also proceed directly to the falls from the Sugarlands Visitor Center. It's not especially big, but the waterfall is beautiful. Young kids and others who might be challenged by more demanding hikes should find the walk doable. If your time is limited, or you are intimidated by hiking but would nonetheless like to give it a go at Smoky Mountains National Park, walking to Cataract Falls could be a good option.