Last summer, as part of our “Tri-Park Trip” in our new-to-us Coleman pop up camper, we ended in the Great Smoky Mountains. Given our trip trajectory, we were on the Tennessee side, right near Gatlinburg, at the Sugarlands Visitor’s Center entrance.
Intending to hike as much as our little feet would allow us, we figured a couple of days here, following our paddling and our biking, would be a great way to end the trip.
But I took a long time to share this post because… well… we ended up leaving early.Â
This rarely happens to us. Usually, leaving an adventure is more like forcible tearing us away. We just can’t quit adventure.
But this time, we made a conscious decision to end it early.
Here’s the story why… and it was a few reasons…
Knowing we would be there in the heat of summer’s fling with humidity, we wanted to be able to use our A/C. Heck, it’s one of the biggest reasons we got “Shirley Jean” (that’s what we named her, as you may remember from our IG posts)!
This meant no camping in the National Park. There weren’t campgrounds, at least where we were, in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park that offered hook-ups. So after a lot of careful research, some already-sold-out options, and nonstarters as some campgrounds require a 4 night minimum, we found ourselves cranking up Shirley Jean at Greenbrier Campground in Gatlinburg.
On this I will admit to a pretty fair amount of “pickiness” on our parts – we have always had such great experiences camping at state and national parks, private parks feel like a letdown. In government parks, there is more space and more consideration for land, nature, trees, the natural scape. So yes, we’ve been pretty ruined by the amazing national and state park campgrounds.
Greenbrier Campground was not a bad experience perse. We loved having the river run through the back of our campsite, the swimming hole was gorgeous, and watching families tube down the small rapids made us wish we had brought our own! The bathrooms were very clean and the staff friendly. We also found the amenities well taken care of.
Yet, like most private campgrounds, they make the most money by getting in as many sites as they can, so on a scale of 1 – 5, privacy was at a -2. We were basically camping with the family who was next to us. Luckily, they were lovely people and went to bed at a decent hour.Â
We felt a bit like sardines in a can and were happy to head out and find space (or so we thought). And thus we arrived at our first morning in the park.
We rushed to Clingmans Dome right away. Clingmans Dome is the highest point in the Smokies (at 6,642 feet). We got there as quickly as we could, for two big reasons: 1) crowds and 2) the “smoke” rolls into the mountains early. Windows of day where the views are clear aren’t long, and usually best first thing in the morning.
We pulled into the parking lot around 10 am (tip: plan to take time to drive to Clingmans Dome, it is not on the exterior of the park) and walked as quickly as we could up the very easy, paved path to the observation deck. As soon as we arrived, the clouds started to roll in. The clouds would stay “in” for the rest of the day, according to all of the books, tips, rangers and scientists. It’s why they are called the “Smokies,” after all. The fog is caused by the vegetation releasing volatile organic compounds that resolves in that smoky haze (not by humidity).
The view at the top was gorgeous while we had it and, of course, the vegetation just stunning.
But we still felt like sardines in a can. It was busy up in the observation tower, getting busier by the minute. I looked wistfully at the backpacker, all alone, winding along the Appalachian Trail, which threads close to Clingmans Dome.
Which gets to the main challenge and issue we had with this trip: the Great Smoky Mountains National Park was CROWDED. Uncomfortably and irritatingly so.
This park had over 12.4 million visitors in 2020 and it is THE most visited National Park in the U.S. It can be a challenge to have the experience of communing with this great biosphere. Instead, think traffic jams, jostling, lines and lots and lots of people.
Please bear in mind that we’re no stranger to crowds in National Parks, we encourage people to use parks, and we ourselves are just as guilty about adding traffic and people to them with our gaggle of four.
My procrastination in writing this post was waiting to let time inform me as to whether our frustration and near-unenjoyment of our family trip to Great Smoky Mountains National Park was us being picky or whether it was a legitimate concern and our experience worth sharing with other families doing their adventure planning.
But I have backpacked (twice) in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park…
These photos were taken back in 2010 on our backpacking adventure in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, before cell cameras were any good. But look at how remote that is!
These photos are a year later (with the DSLR camera), in 2011. We hiked near Cherokee, NC, part of the Hemphill Bald trail.
The time and energy it took to hike far out into the wilderness was worth it. Because we were truly overwhelmed by the beauty and nature of this area. All we could see was what Mother Nature created here – and it felt like we were alone in the elements. It was pure magic.
I was hopeful that our trip with our kids would expose them to some of that magic.
After all, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park as a lot to offer!
With over 800 square miles, significant historical markers (from both indigenous tribes as well as frontiersmen), 187,000 acres of old growth forest, and a documented over 19,000 species, this is a huge park!
It is no surprise (and a good thing) that this area was protected in 1934 and designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to its amazing diversity. This is a special place.
But its increasing popularity has a harmful dark side, too. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park near Gatlinburg has more of an amusement park vibe:
1. You have to show up early to get parking at the trailheads you want, at the Visitor’s Center, and at observation spots.
2. You will DEFINITELY be bumping up against people as it will be crowded on the trails (which was fairly uncomfortable in COVID times), crowded in the parking lot, crowded in nature, crowded at the trailhead, congested on the roads in and out…
3. Plan to add time to your activities for waiting in lines all over, including for bathrooms.
4. Picnic sites are claimed early in the day, just like the best seats at a general admission concert.
And we were there ON A WEEKDAY! I can’t even imagine what a weekend looks like.
Of course, beyond these inconveniences, the additional human traffic means litter and, quite frankly, a nature that looks trampled. It’s beautiful, of course, because Mother Nature does her thing sometimes in spite of us. But it’s hard to hear Mother Nature talking when a din of human noise is constantly in the background and all of the feet slapping against the trail and even going off-trail is beginning to take its toll.
The congestion and air pollution has gotten so bad that public officials were holding public hearings to try to address the problem.
The sheer amount of visitors (and uncontrolled crowds) has led to an increase in litter (which can increase fire danger significantly as well as spread illness to wildlife), soil erosion near the roadside, vegetation tramping as people go off trail (which is incredibly terrible for biodiversity and wildlife so STAY ON THE TRAIL), and air pollution causing a drop in the fertile land’s ability to nurture new growth.
During all of this, of course, federal budgets for park management are being reduced. So without entry fees, the dollars available to mitigate human damage is less than it has been while human impact is more than it has been. (source)
I have a few guesses as to why this particular park is stressfully and uncomfortably crowded while other, also popular parks still allow space to get away and escape, (even if their roads and parking lots are likewise busy):
1. This park doesn’t charge an admission fee. While this seems like the right idea for a National Park, it also means that no one has to seriously consider whether they want to enter, and there is a lot of car traffic, presumably because of this. Meanwhile, Shenandoah National Park is currently $30 entry fee per vehicle? I wonder if a fee of some sort would simply be a method to ensure those who enter understand the importance and value of entering a National Park. There is significant proof that a hefty entrance fee doesn’t stop crowds, but it may help to create some modicum of resistance.
2. It is right next to a major entertainment playground. Gatlinburg is a highly sought after destination for families because it has a lot of different types of activities. Heading to a National Park is just an ‘easy get.’ Instead of the park being THE thing, it has the potential to become simply an additional check in the box.
3. While the park itself is huge, the trails that families are going to do aren’t incredibly abundant. If you are looking for 4-5 miles from a parking lot, with maybe a view or waterfall, there aren’t tons of options here. Which means those trails are well-used.
4. They don’t close the Park for crowd control. Not many Parks do but this is becoming a more popular approach, with COVID accelerating this as crowd control and social distancing became a pandemic safety-measure. (What would happen if we viewed it as an Earth safety-measure, just as important to Earth’s health?)
That said, we still had some Great Smoky Mountains National Park magic! This guy walked right by our car (while we were stopped in traffic, and sadly he was being chased by tourists with cameras)…
In general, this National Park is one that is hurt by its own success and its commitment to be open to the public to enjoy nature. It seems like by making enjoyment of wilderness easy for all, we’ve made it harmful for the actual park.
What you should plan for your family’s visit to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park really all depends, ultimately, on what kind of experience you want. If you want to visit Gatlinburg, yet feel like you should pop into the Park while there, it makes sense to head to this area and do that.
But if you really want to know, see, feel and be in the Great Smoky Mountains, then I strongly urge you to try a different entrance. You could try the Cherokee, NC side, for instance.
But as the most popular National Park, you’ll still be with a crowd.
My hope is someday there is a solution and the Smokies can exist in the ruggedness, unharmed, while still allowing us to bask and play in their shadows. I don’t know what the answer is, but being in the Smokies made me curious enough to start looking for a solution.
We go to nature so we escape the feeling of being a sardine in a can.
Visit the official website for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park here: www.nps.gov/grsm
Want More on National Parks?
Visiting Gettysburg National Battlefield: All the Tips You Need Because it is BIG!
We’ve revealed that the ultimate destination of our Road Warrior Trip was Niagara Falls, but our first stop was the Gettysburg National Battlefield. This place is HUGE, so I thought
Visiting Congaree National Park: Which Parks are “Worth” it?
It’s not the most glamorous national park. While people fly across the country to visit Redwood and Arches, visiting Congaree National Park doesn’t have the same allure. The numbers tell
Visiting Biscayne National Park (Are Parks Now for the Elite?)
Florida has never really captured my heart, at least not compared to the way it seems to have a love affair with many other people. Maybe because we are “Non-Disney
Things to do in Bedford, Virginia
All I wanted after college was a big city full of opportunity and creativity. I wanted hum. I wanted constant movement. I wanted to be faceless and nameless in a
A Really Great (seriously, a REALLY GREAT) Itinerary for the Family in Washington, D.C.
Taking the kids to Washington, D.C.: the heartbeat of our government, the scene of current events, and the pulse of our nation. It seems like a must-do at some point.
A Weekend in Harpers Ferry (with kids)
Sneaking off to Harpers Ferry for a weekend in spring was highly anticipated and desperately needed. After slogging through spring sports, heavy work projects, rejuvenated social demands after a sleepy