No matter where you camp in the park, you must be fully prepared for rainy weather.
Attractions shift with the seasons in the Smokies. The best way to meld your own interests with current attractions for a pleasant hike is to seek advice at a visitor center. Describing your interests and asking “What’s best to see this time of year?” may well produce custom-tailored hiking advice. You will notice hikes are described in time as well as distance because steeper trails make simple distance a deceptive measure. A leaflet, “Walks and Hikes,” describes over 50 popular day hikes and is available from park visitor centers for a small charge.
Backcountry Use Permits
All overnight hiking in the park requires a backcountry use permit available free at visitor centers, and the Cades Cove campground kiosk. The permit system has as its purpose to protect the unspoiled character of the Smokies backcountry for the enjoyment of present and future users. Permits distribute use so that impact is not disproportionate in popular areas, and thus they provide backcountry users with an opportunity for increased solitude. You do not need a backcountry use permit for day hiking, only for overnight use. The “Great Smoky Mountains Trail Map” folder (see [above]) explains the permit system and its use. Information is also available at ranger stations or visitor centers. Or write: Backcountry Permit, in care of the park address; telephone (615) 436-1231 and ask for “Backcountry.” You can reserve a specific backcountry campsite for one to three specific nights up to 30 days in advance under this permit system. You can do this in person, by telephone, or by mail. The permit itself must be picked up in person no earlier than 24 hours before the beginning of the trip. Note: Reservations for the entire trip are automatically canceled if your permit is not picked up by 12:00 noon on the first day of the scheduled trip. Permits will not be issued to groups larger than eight persons.
Competition for use of trail shelters along popular trails is great in the peak season. But you can pick and choose from among many uncrowded trails that offer trailside campsites. All water obtained in the backcountry should be boiled or chemically treated.
The Appalachian Trail
Of all the distance the Appalachian Trail spans between Maine and Georgia, perhaps no sustained portion is as virtually untouched by humanity as the 110 kilometers (70 miles) threading the crest of the Smokies. And this despite the fact that the overall trail is 3,244 kilometers (2,015 miles) long. You can park your car in the Newfound Gap Parking Area and walk the AT north or south for a pleasant walk—or day-long hike—along the Smokies crest. A popular destination to the north is Charlies Bunion. There, because of unrecovered fire openings on extremely steep mountain slopes, you achieve a real alpine sense and literal “peak” experience. You can also park below Clingmans Dome, a short spur drive south of Newfound Gap, and experience the AT.
About every 10-16 kilometers (8 to 10 miles) there are overnight shelters providing primitive bunks. These three-sided shelters are closed in on the fourth side with chainlink fence as bear-proofing. To stay in these shelters requires a backcountry use permit/reservation. Stays are limited to one night at a given shelter.
The Appalachian Trail traces 110 kilometers (70 miles) along the crest of the range. Overnight shelters are screened against bears. Shelter use requires a backcountry use permit (see [text]). Through-hikers on the Appalachian Trail must also write ahead for permit information.