I love the feel of national parks and i've never been to Great Smoky Mtns despite it being on our state. So I want to visit it some day. But i've been all over Pisgah, Nantahala, points all over the BRP, Linville Gorge and Blowing Rock areas, Julian Price, Tsali, Lake Fontana, NOC, Gorges state park, Dupont, Panthertown, etc. Other than Elk, will Great Smoky be boring and just a repeat since i've already visited these other places quite a bit? I ask, cuz if so, I might just revisit all these other places since they're awesome and closer.
Great Smoky Mtns natty park vs pisgah/nantahala/BRP/Linville
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uncleradar
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I grew up in the mountains and now that I’m retired I spend half my time hiking and exploring the area. I don’t think Great Smoky Mountains NP will add much for you. This year in particular I think I would skip it.
Centerpiece
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No. Mount Le Conte. Cade's Cove, Ice Water Springs... all good. More App Trail wonders... Do you shit in the woods? The Bears in the Great Smokies are asking for a friend...
What's going on this yr, say late Sept?
Centerpiece
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Not sure, but he may be referring to Helene damage to parks and trails, also DOGE cuts may be hampering final clean up from said damage. I’m not at all sure what shape the AT is in that neck of the woods right now. He may know something and be giving good advice.
All I know is everything being equal, in normal times, the Great Smokies are indeed great. I say this from having been all around the mountains in WNC and East Tenn. I live 30 minutes from Linville Gorge, Blowing Rock, Table Rock, etc. and got my undergrad at Western and spent loads of time in those hills, hiking those bits of the AT in the Smokies. It’s all good.
I wouldn’t use the excuse of “been there done that” to write off an entire area/region just because I hadn’t been there or done that - and then Go back to places where I had actually already “been there done that”
Having been throughout the North Carolina mountains, New York’s Adirondacks, the Gunks near New Paultz, and the beautiful mountains in the Bear Mountain/Harriman State Parks area along the Hudson (less than 35 miles from NYC’s City Hall - which is close to the Southern tip of Manhattan), Vermont’s Greens, Massachusetts’ Berkshires, Maine & New Hampshire’s Whites, the Alaska Range, the Kenai Peninsula, and Alaska’s Brooks Range, I’ve always been astounded by how different the view looks going compared to coming.
I’d go to the Smokies. In particular, I’d go to areas that re-open as soon as possible.
It’ll be an unusual look.
I’d go to the Smokies. In particular, I’d go to areas that re-open as soon as possible.
It’ll be an unusual look.