Appalachia Trip #10: The Great Smoky Mountains

Our last full day in Appalachia, as part of a high school field trip experience, we toured the Great Smoky Mountains. Once in the park we took the long drive down to Cades Cove where we saw a few black bears roaming around.

Yep, those black dots are the best I got. You'll have to trust me those are black bears. They weren't exactly close to us. :-)

The drive down to Cades Cove is worth it, but just be aware it will be a long drive and the drive through Cades Cove is very slow. There is a lot of traffic and everything comes to a complete stop when an animal is spotted. The speed limit through the cove is 20 mph, but you probably average much less than that given the slow moving and heavy traffic.

This post concludes my series on our trip to Appalachia. There's so much more to do in the area near the Great Smoky Mountains, including the Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge areas just north of the park, but we didn't stay in these areas other than to drive through one day. Given the proximity to a large population on the east coast, the Great Smoky Mountains are the highest populated national park by tourist numbers. Great scenery and much to do, but be prepared for large crowds wherever you go. That doesn't mean you shouldn't go, but just be prepared that you won't be in the woods by yourself. If you're looking for a quiet, secluded vacation, this is not it.