Where to Go: Southern Appalachians

Trace Ridge Trailhead
Jeff Gun-Flickr
The Southern Appalachians offers a plentitude of outdoor adventures, but there are three main places that shouldn’t be missed.

In addition to Great Smoky Mountain National Park, the Pisgah and Cherokee National Forests are key destinations in the region.

Great Smoky Mountain National Park

As the most popular national park in the nation, Great Smoky Mountain National Park sees more than 9 million visitors every year. Fortunately, there are still plenty of places to go in the park for some solitude  Be sure to check out the wildflowers in the park- there are more than 1600 varieties!

For more information about the park, check out their website: http://www.nps.gov/grsm/index.htm

Great Smoky Mountain National Park is the most popular national park in the nation.

Pisgah National Forest

Covering more than 500,000 acres, the Pisgah National Forest in North Carolina is a recreation destination. Mountain biking and hiking are two of the biggest draws for this area.

Learn more about Pisgah National Forest: http://www.fs.usda.gov/nfsnc

Cherokee National Forest

The 650,000-acre Cherokee National Forest is a great place for scenic drives and backcountry hikes. Trout fisherman should make sure to check out Citico Creek.

Learn more about the Cherokee National Forest: http://www.fs.usda.gov/recmain/cherokee/recreation

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At a Glance

Some key take-aways from this article include:

  • The popular Great Smoky Mountain National Park exhibits a wide variety of wildflowers.
  • The Pisgah National Forest is a destination for hikers and mountain bikers.
  • For scenic drives, backcountry hikes and fishing, check out Cherokee National Forest.