The Quieter Side of the Smokies
America's most visited national park has a Carolina flank that most tourists overlook — wilder, less crowded and closer to the mountains' true character.
The Great Smoky Mountains draw more visitors than any national park in America, and most of them never see its finest side.
The road less driven
The park's Carolina flank is quieter, wilder and less developed than its Tennessee counterpart. The crowds thin, the trails empty, and the mountains reveal the misty, layered character that gave them their name.
Elk graze in the valleys; old-growth forest survives in the coves.
The rewards of patience
Reaching the best of it takes a little more effort — the Carolina approaches are winding and remote — but the payoff is a park that feels genuinely wild.
For travelers willing to skip the famous overlooks, the Smokies' Carolina side offers the mountains as they were before the crowds arrived: hushed, immense and utterly unhurried.
Related Stories
A Nor'easter Closes N.C. 12 at Pea Island and Disrupts Ferries
High tide breached the dunes near the Pea Island Visitor Center on September 24, closing the road between the Basnight Bridge and Rodanthe as crews braced for more of the same.
Mountain State Fair Draws 153,260 Over 10 Days
The fair in Fletcher wrapped up September 20 with new rides, a butterfly experience, calf births and a food drive that put more than 18,000 meals on the table.
Bridgeman Rallies With a 61 to Win Asheville's First PGA Tour Event Since 1942
Trailing by five shots on Sunday, Jacob Bridgeman shot a bogey-free 61 at The Cliffs at Walnut Cove to win the inaugural Biltmore Championship at 26 under.