We've never taken an extended stay in the Smoky Mountains, but we always make a point of driving through on our trips to Myrtle Beach and Savannah, Georgia.

It's worth the effort to avoid the insanity of Interstate 40 between Knoxville, Tennessee and Asheville, North Carolina. This summer, we took an even more leisurely pace by driving the Blue Ridge Parkway, which begins at the base of the Smokies in North Carolina between Cherokee and the state line.

If you're just passing through, don't be timid about taking the Gatlinburg Bypass. It's a great way to avoid the additional traffic, plus capture some great photos overlooking the town.

There are plenty of on-line resources about Great Smoky Mountain National Park and we have included here the ones we have found most useful.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Great Smoky Mountains National Park map in Adobe PDF - very nice

Subscribe to BlueRidge Country magazine

Insiders' Guide to the Great Smokey Mountains
From the book publishers of the guide of the same name.