What-To-Do Issue 1 2024-2025 - Magazine - Page 14

The Land of
the Blue Smoke
Welcome to the Smokies
The Great Smoky Mountains is a place that has captured
our hearts and inspired our minds. Its rustic beauty
and vast wilderness have attracted people to the park
that stretches from western North Carolina to eastern
Tennessee. The Cherokee Indians called it “Land of the
Blue Smoke” because the hazy, watery mist often creates a blue-colored fog along the tops of the mountains.
Throughout the mountains, streams twist and turn and
sometimes become spectacular waterfalls. Hiking trails
allow visitors to immerse themselves in the seemingly
endless nature. There’s no doubt that the Great Smoky
Mountains National Park is a national treasure.
Beyond the park are a number of more modern cities
and towns. In Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, and Sevierville,
locals welcome visitors from around the world. These
places are filled with stellar entertainment, exquisite
dining and outstanding shopping opportunities. And
despite the continual popularity of the Smokies, the
small-town charm of yesteryear is still very much alive.
Take some time to explore all that there is to see and do
in this rich part of the country.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
It was actually the automobile that gave rise to the
founding of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
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In the early 1900s, the auto clubs of America wanted to
build scenic roads through the blue-misted mountains
so that the region could be enjoyed by all. Because of
their efforts, the United States Congress voted in 1934
to purchase and protect the area now covered within
the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Today, it is
the most visited national park in America and it still
remains free and open to the public.
Begin your journey through the park at one of
two visitor centers: the Sugarlands Visitor Center just
outside of Gatlinburg, TN, or the Oconaluftee Visitor
Center near Cherokee, NC. You can find out more
information from the park rangers who are on-hand
to answer your questions. Sugarlands offers a short
and informative movie as well as animal exhibits in
the Nature Museum, and three nearby hiking trails:
Cataract Falls, Fighting Creek Nature Trail, and the
dog- and bicycle-friendly Gatlinburg Trail. Oconaluftee
Visitor Center has an interesting museum that explores
the history and heritage of the Cherokee Indians and
also hosts activities such as night hikes, historic tours,
and more. An easy, introductory hike in this area can
be found on the Oconaluftee River Trail. This and the
Gatlinburg Trail near Sugarlands are the only dog- and
bicycle-friendly trails in the Smoky Mountains and are

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