The Lotz Family Smokey Mountain Pages

By Mark Lotz

Through these pages we hope to share with you our adventures in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP) and surrounding areas. The Smokies are our favorite vacation spot and we try to visit as often as we can - and that's not often enough. On these pages we will attempt to provide a good assortment of information and photos on the different areas of the Smokies that we have visited.

What makes the Smokies so special, you ask? We think the history of the area, the streams, the mountains, and the variety of plant life is simply captivating. The scenery is constantly changing, so no matter how many times you might visit the Smokies, the mountains reveal subtle changes that make each visit as memorable as the last - a small water fall that pops up after a spring rain, a change in color of the trees, a light powdering of snow on the mountain tops, a wild flower that you notice for the first time, or catching a glimpse of a black bear. This uniqueness is due to the large change in elevation found in the park. From an elevation of 873 feet where the Foothills Parkway meets Highway 129, to an elevation of 6,643 feet at Clingmans Dome, is a change of 5770 feet. This is equivalent to traveling 1,250 miles north and all the plant life of such a trip is contained in the 520,000+ acres of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park! No where else in the United States does such a phenomena exist. Because of this diversity, the park has been designated an International Biosphere Reserve.

Part of the Appalachian Mountains, the Smokies are the oldest mountains in the United States. The Smokies are so old that no fossils can be found in the mountain strata simply because the mountains were formed before critters that could fossilize evolved. When the massive geological upheaval that created the Smokies was over, the peaks were sharper and higher than they are now. Weather and climatic changes over millions of years slowly eroded and rounded the peaks and carved the valleys.

~ When to Visit ~

The GSMNP is the most visited of all the national parks. Nearly 10.3 million people visited the park in 1999 with Cades Cove alone attracting almost 2 million visitors! In 2002, 9,316,419 people visited the Smokies. The park's 10 year average is 9.5 million annual visitors. We try to schedule our visits during the early spring when the park is less crowded. Most people just stay in their cars and drive through Cades Cove or along Newfound Gap Road. If you have to visit during the summer or other peak seasons, then hit the road or the popular trails early to beat the crowds. You can also visit areas of the park that are less crowded, but just as beautiful such as Cataloochee, Roaring Fork Motor Trail, the Quiet Walks just off of some of the park roads, and the Foothills Parkway.

~ What To Do in the Park ~

There is no admission charge to the park. The park offers over 800 miles of hiking on 150+ trails, campgrounds, back country camping, bicycling in Cades Cove, horseback riding, and hay rides. Nearby is Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, and Sevierville where you can find craft shops, restaurants, amusement parks (Dollywood), lodging and rental cabins, and sometimes too many people and traffic jams. We like to stay in Townsend, TN when visiting the area. This small town is known as "The Peaceful Side of the Smokies". One visit and you will immediately see why this is so. Check out the links below to find out what is available in these towns.

~ Some of our Favorite Activities in the Smokies ~

• Check out the historic settler cabins in Cades Cove
• Drive Little River Road/Laurel Creek Road from Sugarlands visitor center to Cades Cove
• Have a picnic by a stream in the Cades Cove, Chimney Tops, or Metcalf Bottoms picnic areas
• View the working farm and farm buildings at Oconaluftee visitor center on the NC side of the park
• Take a lingering walk on some of the Quiet Walks that are found along the park roads
• Drive Rich Mountain Road from Cades Cove to Townsend and visit Tuckaleechee Cavern
• Hike to one of the many spectacular waterfalls that can be found throughout the park
• Drive the Foothills Parkway and hike the half mile to Look Rock Observation Tower
• Visit Mingus Mill or Cable Mill and see corn being ground into meal or wheat into flour
• Check out the white water in the streams after a rainy day
• Visit The Sinks and take a short hike on the nearby trail
• Drive Roaring Fork Motor Trail

~ Visitor Centers ~

Stop in at the visitor centers located at Sugarlands, Cades Cove, Oconaluftee, Gatlinburg, and/or Townsend and pick up detailed information on the Smokies to make your visit more enjoyable. Demonstrations of farming and homemaking activities are conducted on a seasonal basis by the National Park Service (NPS) at the visitor centers at Cades Cove and Oconaluftee. A new 150 seat theater is being constructed at Sugarlands visitor center and should be open by fall, 1999. For additional information on the park, purchase a copy of the "Smokies Guide" newspaper at any visitor center. It costs 25 cents and is published four times a year by the Great Smoky Mountains Association. Many interesting books about the park are also available. All proceeds benefit the park. For additional books about the Smokies that are on our recommended reading list, please visit the Lotz Travel Bookstore.

Support The Park

You've probably already noticed that there is no entrance fee for the GSMNP. This is due to a clause in the Park's enabling legislation. Other parks such as Grand Canyon and Yellowstone can charge entrance fees of $20 per vehicle and earn millions of dollars in supplemental funding as a result. Please consider making purchases at the Visitors Centers where proceeds go toward funding worthwhile projects in the Park. Additional financial help is provided by the Great Smoky Mountains Association and the Friends of the Smokies organizations. Please consider joining these organizations in their effort to help the Park. There are also donation boxes along side some of the roads in the park.

For more travel links on the Smokies, visit our Smoky Mountains Page.