Great Smoky Mountains National Park (NC Section)

Great Smoky Mountains National Park spans the North Carolina–Tennessee border and is the most visited national park in the United States, drawing more than 12 million visitors annually. The North Carolina gateway at Cherokee provides access to the Oconaluftee Visitor Center, the Mountain Farm Museum — a collection of restored 19th-century farm buildings on the Oconaluftee River floodplain — and Newfound Gap Road, which climbs to 5,046 feet at the state line ridge. From the North Carolina side, Clingmans Dome Road branches from Newfound Gap and ascends to the highest point in the park at 6,643 feet, topped by an observation tower with 360-degree views when clear. The Appalachian Trail traverses this ridge. Diverse ecosystems support more tree species than all of northern Europe; spruce-fir forests at high elevation give way to cove hardwood forests full of spring wildflowers. Black bears are regularly seen along Newfound Gap Road, and wild elk reintroduced to the Cataloochee Valley on the NC side in 2001 make early morning visits there rewarding for wildlife photography. Mingo Falls near Cherokee, a 120-foot cascade, is one of the tallest and most accessible waterfalls in the southern Appalachians. The park charges no gate admission fee, though a Smokies Pass is required at most trailheads.