View Full Version : in GSMNP where do all the people go?
Great Smokey Mountain National Park along the NC/TN border is said to be the most visited national park in the US. When I hiked through the park in 2006 (granted I went through in early April) there weren't many people along the trail at all save for the thru hikers.
So I am curious.. where do the hoards of visitors go in the park? and do they mostly just visit in summer (June July August)? I'm guessing most drive through or stay close to their cars but a decent number must get into the back country as well yes?
David
Woodturner
02-28-2016, 23:20
There are a lot of people who never venture far from the road.
Of those who do, many will take short hikes of a few hours duration from a parking area to specific location and then back to their car. Trails to Chimney Tops, Alum Cave, (I think the Alum Cave trail continues to the top of LeConte) and several water falls get a lot of traffic.
On a clear day, the paved trail to the top of Clingmans Dome will probably see several thousand.
HooKooDooKu
02-28-2016, 23:22
The short version is that almost none of them venture into what I would truly call the back country (far enough back that you encounter a back country camp site).
But just to detail where everyone else is going...
Front Country Locations:
Front Country Camp Sites
Picnic spots
Visitors Centers
Motor trails (Cades Cove, Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail, 441 with all the pullouts)
Historic Buildings (Cades Cove, Catoloochee, Roaring Fork, Greenbrier)
Day Hikes to locations less than 3 miles into the back country:
Clingman's Dome
Andrews Bald
Chimney Tops
Alum Cave (to the bluffs)
Tunnel at the Road To Nowhere
Day Hikes to Water Falls:
Abrams Falls
Laural Falls
Rainbow Falls
Grotto Falls
Swimming Holes:
Townsend "Y"
Sinks
random river spots along the main roads
some swimming holes a short distance into the woods (Deep Creek and Big Creek areas).
From there, you can move on to other minor day trips, some in remote corners, others more miles into the back country:
Less popular water falls (Indian Creek, Hen Wallows)
Charlie's Bunion
Ramsey Cascades
Gregory Bald
LeConte
In GSMNP where do all the people go?
Not very far from their motor vehicles. The vast majority of GSMNP visitors experience this NP through a windshield and tethered to nearby motor vehicles at large campgrounds and picnic areas. IMO, this NP's yearly visitor stats are misleading as the NPS counts among visitors those traveling Hwy 441 between Cherokee NC and Gatlinburg TN which is a well maintained paved 2-4 lane public road through a NP some simply drive as another road to drive unrelated to an intentionally designed NP visit.
May through Nov are all busier GSMNP Visitor total months compared to April usage. Only about 8% of GSMNP Visitors make Back Country Campsite reservations. Those 8% don't actually show up for their reservations.
Easy enough to make a search for GSMNP Visitor stats.
https://irma.nps.gov/Stats/Reports/Park
Not very far from their motor vehicles.
that is correct........
i heard a statistic years ago something to the effect of 90% of the traffic in park never gets outta their cars..........and of that 10% that do.........only a small percentage go more than a mile from their car...
that being said----there are some "highway" trails-----so busy with people its like being on a highway------trails such as laurel falls.........alum cave.........chimney tops.................
CamelMan
02-29-2016, 03:32
Those 8% don't actually show up for their reservations.
I'm 90% sure I won't make it tomorrow. Day-hiking it is.
reversejinxx
02-29-2016, 07:51
GSMNP does not sound much different than most National Parks in my experience.
I've done a fair amount of hiking in the Grand Teton/Yellowstone Parks and it's the same thing. Get an hour off the road and the people disappear.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G870A using Tapatalk
that is correct........
i heard a statistic years ago something to the effect of 90% of the traffic in park never gets outta their cars..........and of that 10% that do.........only a small percentage go more than a mile from their car...
that being said----there are some "highway" trails-----so busy with people its like being on a highway------trails such as laurel falls.........alum cave.........chimney tops.................
TN hiker... I need to clarify this before I keel over in stunned amazement. Are you suggesting that 90% of the traffic in THIS park never get out of their cars and of those that do 10% never go more than a mile from their car or of all national parks or even most national parks? any idea where you get this statistic from?
wait... this is too much for me to wrap their head around.. how is it possible.. why would anyone go through the trouble of driving hours to some beautiful national park and NOT even leave the car? not even for a 1 mile hike??????
heatherfeather
02-29-2016, 12:02
wait... this is too much for me to wrap their head around.. how is it possible.. why would anyone go through the trouble of driving hours to some beautiful national park and NOT even leave the car? not even for a 1 mile hike??????
You haven't spent much time in the Deep South have you? There's a reason (well a few) that the obesity rates are through the roof. Most people visit the area for the questionable delights of Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg. The smokies just offer a nice side trip as a break from visiting Ripley's believe it or not and outlet shopping.
Yeah, I might be a cynical former east Tennesseean.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
wait... this is too much for me to wrap their head around.. how is it possible.. why would anyone go through the trouble of driving hours to some beautiful national park and NOT even leave the car? not even for a 1 mile hike??????
Most U.S. NP Visitors are U.S. citizens entrenched in gluttonous mass consumptive U.S. cultural norms ie; addicted to shopping and spoiled by convenience, Materialism, and tethered to a motor vehicle. 2/3 + are overweight or obese. Most live rather sedentary lifestyles where walking is not high on life's list of priorities. In short consumption and the most convenience is sought out.
More people visit Gatlinburg annually than GSMNP. Many will be taken in by Gatlinburg's carnival like TOURISTY atmosphere not even considering a visit or walk in one of the world's greatest NPs GSMNP. And, when it is considered it's largely an afterthought approached from behind a windshield or tethered to a motor vehicle. What time is the buffet open to?
In the second most visited NP, Grand Canyon NP, only 4% of the visitors go below the rim with the vast majority never leaving more than 1/4 a mile from their motor vehicles WITH more time spent in the gift shop, hotel room, and in restaurants(buffet oriented are popular) than actually at either of the rims. It's been calculated the avg GC NP visitor spends more time shopping for tee shirts, coffee mugs, calendars, etc with pics of the GC printed on them than actually experiencing the GC at either of the rims in person. I've heard countless times from these same people, "oh I've been to GC NP, I've done that." What?
bigcranky
02-29-2016, 12:27
wait... this is too much for me to wrap their head around.. how is it possible.. why would anyone go through the trouble of driving hours to some beautiful national park and NOT even leave the car? not even for a 1 mile hike??????
You silly.
These are folks who are visiting Gatlinburg and Dollywood for a week, and while they are there they take a drive (maybe) as far as Newfound Gap, where they (maybe) step out of the car and look at the view and stand on the AT for a minute, then get back in the car and drive back to town.
illabelle
02-29-2016, 13:05
wait... this is too much for me to wrap their head around.. how is it possible.. why would anyone go through the trouble of driving hours to some beautiful national park and NOT even leave the car? not even for a 1 mile hike??????
Another point to make here is that the Smokies are within EASY driving distance of a great percentage of the US population. It's not like the investment of driving through five states and a desert to get to one of the parks out west.
The "not even leave their car" thing might be a little exaggerated. After all, there are toilets to visit, and picnics to eat. But walking, yeah, that would make their shoes dirty.
wait... this is too much for me to wrap their head around.. how is it possible.. why would anyone go through the trouble of driving hours to some beautiful national park and NOT even leave the car? not even for a 1 mile hike??????
If the 6m number includes all that go through then it actually make sense that many don't get out out their car. there is a major U.S. Route going right through the park that likely accounts for the majority of the "traffic".
You haven't spent much time in the Deep South have you? There's a reason (well a few) that the obesity rates are through the roof. Most people visit the area for the questionable delights of Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg. The smokies just offer a nice side trip as a break from visiting Ripley's believe it or not and outlet shopping.
Yeah, I might be a cynical former east Tennesseean.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
My total time in the deep south = 2-3 airline trips to Miami (where my brother used to live..he's now in San Fran) my AT thru hike in 2006, and a trip to coastal NC (where my oldest brother now lives) this past December. That's my sum total of visits to "the south". I am a New Englander through and through.
I can second that groups make reservations and then don't keep them as we stayed by ourselves at the Horace Kephart Shelter despite another group having a reservation. We were looking forward to meeting the other group as we knew they were from our town. (The reservation person had asked if we knew them as they wanted to make sure we weren't trying to skirt the group size limit by making two reservations.) Not sure why they didn't show as the forecast was fair, although with an overnight low in the lower 40s.
wait... this is too much for me to wrap their head around.. how is it possible.. why would anyone go through the trouble of driving hours to some beautiful national park and NOT even leave the car? not even for a 1 mile hike??????
its essentially on a major highway. ive always assumed the numbers for GSMNP are as high as they are because its counts people who pass through the park because they have no other choice but to as being visitors, which technically they are. i suppose many of them might get out at newfound gap or clingman's dome, but thats about it.
i figure that is also why there is no entrance fee. it would amount to a toll road and i guess wont fly with the locals etc.
SouthMark
02-29-2016, 14:29
I read once that less than one percent of the people that visit Gatlinburg even enter the park.
I can second that groups make reservations and then don't keep them as we stayed by ourselves at the Horace Kephart Shelter despite another group having a reservation. We were looking forward to meeting the other group as we knew they were from our town. (The reservation person had asked if we knew them as they wanted to make sure we weren't trying to skirt the group size limit by making two reservations.) Not sure why they didn't show as the forecast was fair, although with an overnight low in the lower 40s.
Golden Corral buffet served all you can gouge on fried chicken, biscuits, and ham flavored white gravy grease that night? Must have found a coupon for 10% off at one of the umpteen tee shirt shops, trip to the top of the Space Needle, and tour of the Titanic exhibit? UT was playing UF that night which couldn't have been missed? Wally World was having a sale? :rolleyes:
Abatis1948
02-29-2016, 15:12
DavidNH, I wish to invite you to come visit sometime. The south has the friendliest and kindest people you will come in contact with. Some of us are fat and some of us are thin, but most are good tax paying citizens. After reading some of the posts above you may get the idea we are all fat. I am fat, but I have been section hiking the AT for years. I have been to the GSMNP almost every year of my life. As kids my sister and I would play a game counting car tags from different states and most were from above Tennessee and North Carolina and on up to your part of the country. I do not want to encourage the folks who stop at Newfound, Clingmans Dome, and the many overlooks along US 441 to enter the backcountry. Let them enjoy their trips and let the park count them. We need those numbers to keep the parks open.
i figure that is also why there is no entrance fee. it would amount to a toll road and i guess wont fly with the locals etc.
its also written into law that since the road is a state route, there would be no entrance fee........
Are you suggesting that 90% of the traffic in THIS park never get out of their cars and of those that do 10% never go more than a mile from their car or of all national parks or even most national parks? any idea where you get this statistic from?
this was pertaining just to the smokies...
i had heard this from a ranger about ten or so years ago............not sure exactly how accurate it really was, but it gives an idea that most people dont necessarily leave their cars...
keep in mind-----whats the favorite thing to do in cades cove?
it aint hiking........it aint camping.........it aint horse back riding..........it aint fishing........
its riding around, with the sliding door of the van open, the loop road.............or in the back of the pickup truck with chairs...
thats the way that a majority of people see the cove.....
Heliotrope
02-29-2016, 21:46
Who's complaining? I have no problem having the trails "to myself". I live minutes from Acadia, one of the top 5 parks in terms of visitation. I have seen it all in terms of tourist behavior. Even on the most beautiful Summer days I can find quiet, "remote" trails. One gorgeous night in July I had a sweet swimming hole all to myself as the sun was setting low on the horizon. Everyone else was in town buying cones and T shirts. [emoji3]
However, my mother is an example of someone who loves the National Parks. Over the years we have driven Acadia many times, stopped at the beach once, never hiked a trail together, visited the gift shop at Jordan pond many times. And now she could barely walk a 1/4 mile on pavement. But she loves watching documentaries on the park system. She appreciates the parks in her own way.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Water Rat
02-29-2016, 22:16
why would anyone go through the trouble of driving hours to some beautiful national park and NOT even leave the car? not even for a 1 mile hike??????
My grandparents loved camping and backpacking. My grandfather passed on too soon for me to be able to do this with him, but my grandmother really enjoyed being able to drive and still visit/see the National Parks when she was getting older. This was after health issues took her ability to walk. She lived to be 95 and was not content to just sit in some room and not experience life. We did the best we could, with what she could do. This meant road trips to see the parks. No, it was not the same as being able to experience it first-hand. It sure was better than sitting in a room and waiting to die. It also allowed us amazing settings in which we could talk about trips we had taken, trails we had hiked.
I know this is not a story of the "average" person "seeing" the parks from a vehicle. It's just one story as to why some people might not get out of their cars.
swisscross
02-29-2016, 22:33
We, my family, are planning a trip this summer to visit my mother in laws birthplace and such.
i suggested that we swing by Clingsman Dome.
Oh my gosh... i guess i am horrid to suggest to my children and 78 yo mother in law see something beautiful.
BTW. I am taking my 9 yo on her first backing trip on the Pinhoti later this month!
Are you suggesting that 90% of the traffic in THIS park never get out of their cars and of those that do 10% never go more than a mile from their car or of all national parks or even most national parks? any idea where you get this statistic from?
this was pertaining just to the smokies...
i had heard this from a ranger about ten or so years ago............not sure exactly how accurate it really was, but it gives an idea that most people dont necessarily leave their cars...
keep in mind-----whats the favorite thing to do in cades cove?
it aint hiking........it aint camping.........it aint horse back riding..........it aint fishing........
its riding around, with the sliding door of the van open, the loop road.............or in the back of the pickup truck with chairs...
thats the way that a majority of people see the cove.....
Violent Green
02-29-2016, 23:35
If the 6m number includes all that go through then it actually make sense that many don't get out out their car. there is a major U.S. Route going right through the park that likely accounts for the majority of the "traffic".
I wouldn't call Hwy 441 a major US Route really. It's basically closed two months out of the year, closed to any vehicle over 21 feet and the average speed is about 25mph. There is some traffic passing through of course, but I would be shocked if that accounted for 5% of the visitation numbers. If you think about it, there isn't much on the other side for folks to be driving through for. Cherokee and Bryson City aren't exactly the most exciting places around.
HooKooDooKu
02-29-2016, 23:36
BTW. I am taking my 9 yo on her first backing trip on the Pinhoti later this month!
That's great to hear. I'll be taking my daughter on her first backpacking trip in GSMNP this April.
I'm still waiting to see how the whole peeing in the woods thing is going to go. We did an overnight trip to LeConte Lodge last year. About a quarter of the way down Alum Cave trail, she said she forgot to pee after breakfast. So I found that one good spot you can get off the trail as you cross the saddle... and she was having none of that. Held it til we got to the parking lot.
Cherokee and Bryson City aren't exactly the most exciting places around.
except the casino..............
I wouldn't call Hwy 441 a major US Route really. It's basically closed two months out of the year,
emmmmmmmmm............id say two months being closed is a bit of a stretch...
maybe a months worth of time over the winter, but there's no way they close that road down for 60 days.......
Violent Green
02-29-2016, 23:47
except the casino..............
Keep in mind GSMNP clocked 9M visitors 20 years before the casino opened. Besides, 1/2 the casino goers are going to come in via Hwy 19.
Violent Green
02-29-2016, 23:50
emmmmmmmmm............id say two months being closed is a bit of a stretch...
maybe a months worth of time over the winter, but there's no way they close that road down for 60 days.......
Think winters from 10 years ago, not winters from today. Besides, they don't even treat the roads. I wonder how long snow & ice on a road take to melt at 5,000ft?
Keep in mind GSMNP clocked 9M visitors 20 years before the casino opened. Besides, 1/2 the casino goers are going to come in via Hwy 19.
still that's half that comes through the park.....
Think winters from 10 years ago, not winters from today. Besides, they don't even treat the roads. I wonder how long snow & ice on a road take to melt at 5,000ft?
no........i think you'd have to go back 20 years....
they do more now (plowing and sanding) to keep the road open...
they used to just shut the road down like clingmans dome road, but that stop in 1997, the year i moved down here, and the year the casino opened.....
Besides, they don't even treat the roads.
they plow and use sand for traction.....
they dont use salt because it would add to the salinity of the creeks............which goes against the mission statement of the park to protect the environment........
Violent Green
03-01-2016, 00:09
still that's half that comes through the park.....
Not necessarily. 25% could come up Hwy 441 from the south and another 25% could be locals. Maybe none come through the park. LOL. Who knows, it's all just guess work really. The main point I wanted to get across as that Hwy 441 through the park is not a major highway, nor is it a four lane.
Violent Green
03-01-2016, 00:15
they plow and use sand for traction.....
they dont use salt because it would add to the salinity of the creeks............which goes against the mission statement of the park to protect the environment........
Yep, I'm aware. I doubt your casual casino goer is going to chance going over NFG with sand for traction. Maybe I'm wrong. People do love their gambling. However, park visitation has remained basically flat since the late 70's so I'm not seeing the casino connection.
Maybe none come through the park.
theres still quite a bunch that come through the park just to go to casino....
ive seen it---by way of being at newfound gap when people get out to get a quick view and a bathroom stop----along with the park service knows that traffic through the park can be attributed to the casino.......
Hwy 441 through the park is not a major highway, nor is it a four lane.
depends upon what one considers a major highway--
size----yes, not the same as an interstate.....
but, for volume of traffic, its greater than some 4 lane, non winding down the mountain type of roads..............
However, park visitation has remained basically flat since the late 70's
flat?
not seeing it......seeing peaks and valleys...........
https://irma.nps.gov/Stats/SSRSReports/Park%20Specific%20Reports/Annual%20Park%20Recreation%20Visitation%20Graph%20 (1904%20-%20Last%20Calendar%20Year)?Park=GRSM
Bianchi Veloce
03-01-2016, 02:49
How are visits counted? How is the data collected?
Violent Green
03-01-2016, 08:43
flat?
not seeing it......seeing peaks and valleys...........
Smooth out those peaks & valleys into a trendline and what do you get? Visitation is mostly flat since the late 70's. For example, if you look at the graph from 1950-1980 that is decidedly not flat. We're mostly just arguing semantics at this point.
Violent Green
03-01-2016, 08:46
theres still quite a bunch that come through the park just to go to casino....
ive seen it---by way of being at newfound gap when people get out to get a quick view and a bathroom stop----along with the park service knows that traffic through the park can be attributed to the casino.......
I never really argued that none came through the park (except for my attempt at humor above which you didn't pick up on). How many is quite a bunch? What data do you have that backs up this statement?
I wouldn't call Hwy 441 a major US Route really. It's basically closed two months out of the year, closed to any vehicle over 21 feet and the average speed is about 25mph. There is some traffic passing through of course, but I would be shocked if that accounted for 5% of the visitation numbers. If you think about it, there isn't much on the other side for folks to be driving through for. Cherokee and Bryson City aren't exactly the most exciting places around.
how close is the nearest highway to "the other side" though? seems pretty dang far to me. on both of my trips to the smokies i drove the length of 441 across the park and there were many times more cars than could possibly accounted for by people just visiting the park. way more cars than youd ever see on a road in any other NP ive been too.
now im not saying that out of 6 million visitors, 4 or even 3 million of these are just people who cross the park. but, i can easily buy that 10,000 people cross the park lets say 20 times a month, just because they live there and its the easiest way to get to certain places. i can further see that these 200,000 crossings a month are each counted as a "visit" for statistical purposes, and there you go, 2 million more "visits" per year added to the stats.
Abatis1948
03-01-2016, 10:19
It is amazing this discussion has continued on as long as it has. During the summer months there are days when the traffic is bumper to bumper for miles and hours with every overlook parking lot full. A lot of folks just like to look at the views, the Elk, and Cades Cove. There is also a lot of traffic on the east and west ends of the GSMNP. From some of the remarks made here it is evident some of you know little about the park. Make the drive over the mountain on the 4th of July and you will see a circus. Please do not encourage folks to go into the backcountry with their trash and clutter.
Violent Green
03-01-2016, 15:15
[QUOTE=tdoczi;2046940 on both of my trips to the smokies i drove the length of 441 across the park and there were many times more cars than could possibly accounted for by people just visiting the park. way more cars than youd ever see on a road in any other NP ive been too.[/QUOTE]
Go to the park on a sunny Spring or Fall day. Cade's Cove traffic will be backed up for 11 miles for the entire day. The intersection at Sugarlands will be backed up past Elkmont 6 miles away. The parks several hundred front country campsites will all be full. Visitor center parking lots overflowing. You have the synchronous firefly event where Elmonts 200 sites are packed for 2 weeks and they shuttle people in for hours.
The place is a zoo.
Go to the park on a sunny Spring or Fall day. Cade's Cove traffic will be backed up for 11 miles for the entire day. The intersection at Sugarlands will be backed up past Elkmont 6 miles away. The parks several hundred front country campsites will all be full. Visitor center parking lots overflowing. You have the synchronous firefly event where Elmonts 200 sites are packed for 2 weeks and they shuttle people in for hours.
The place is a zoo.
i doubt none of those things.
i still think point a to point b passage of vehicles along highway 441 that has nothing directly to do with visiting the park has a large impact on the reported number of park visitors, and as such, it makes for an unfair comparison. i guarantee you were the grand canyon or yellowstone or glacier or death valley free and along a highway in a populated place where people passed back and forth as part of convenient passage between two points that GSMNP would no longer be the most visited park in the system.
i dare say most people in the larger world dont even know GSMNP exists. like if you did a family feud style survey, it wouldnt show up on the board. guarantee it.
Ahhh, I love the Smokies. I have done several week long backpacking trips in the park, some long weekend day hiking trips, and some family vacationing. My parents took me down there when I was younger and we spent most of our time in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge. When I was in college, I started to do backpacking trips in the park and really fell in love with the place.
As my kids are growing up, it has been a perfect place for short family getaways that include roller coasters, dinner theaters, cabins, and time outdoors. We were just there for a Christmas getaway. We rented a cheap condo up by Ober Gatlinburg, went to see Dixie Stampede again, explored Cades Cove, hiked Alum Cave up to the bluffs, did some shopping, visited the new Oconoluftee visitors center and hiked the river trail, and visited the Museum of the Cherokee Indian.
The great majority of people visiting the GSMNP are there because it has such a nice mixture of scenery paired with tourist amenities (hotels, fudge shops, mini golf, etc). The great majority are staying in hotels and cabins..... not at campsites.
Ahhh, I love the Smokies. I have done several week long backpacking trips in the park, some long weekend day hiking trips, and some family vacationing. My parents took me down there when I was younger and we spent most of our time in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge. When I was in college, I started to do backpacking trips in the park and really fell in love with the place.
As my kids are growing up, it has been a perfect place for short family getaways that include roller coasters, dinner theaters, cabins, and time outdoors. We were just there for a Christmas getaway. We rented a cheap condo up by Ober Gatlinburg, went to see Dixie Stampede again, explored Cades Cove, hiked Alum Cave up to the bluffs, stocked up on hot sauce at Pepper Palace, visited the new Oconoluftee visitors center and hiked the river trail, and visited the Museum of the Cherokee Indian.
The great majority of people visiting the GSMNP are there because it has such a nice mixture of outdoor activities paired with tourist amenities (hotels, fudge shops, mini golf, etc).
Violent Green
03-01-2016, 19:52
i doubt none of those things.
i still think point a to point b passage of vehicles along highway 441 that has nothing directly to do with visiting the park has a large impact on the reported number of park visitors, and as such, it makes for an unfair comparison. i guarantee you were the grand canyon or yellowstone or glacier or death valley free and along a highway in a populated place where people passed back and forth as part of convenient passage between two points that GSMNP would no longer be the most visited park in the system.
Opinions vary I guess. Funny you mention Death Valley and Glacier. Cade's Cove, which is not on Hwy 441 and makes a loop inside the park, has twice the visitors as Death Valley and as many as Glacier.
Opinions vary I guess. Funny you mention Death Valley and Glacier. Cade's Cove, which is not on Hwy 441 and makes a loop inside the park, has twice the visitors as Death Valley and as many as Glacier.
you have stats concerning the number of visitors to cades cove? i'd be interested in seeing them.
another fun thing to do would be a survey of from where the people in GSMNP are from at any given point in time. betcha the vast majority are NC and TN, with some generally east coast residents mixed in, little to no one from west of the mississippi and practically no foreign visitors. people are travelling from all over the world to go see cades cove, sorry, not buying that one.
When I'm back on a real computer, I'll look up stats in cades cove.....
but that is correct---cades cove numbers surpass some national parks numbers...
and the park does get worldwide visitors---it's tyoical to see bus loads of worldwide visitors....
another fun thing to do would be a survey of from where the people in GSMNP are from at any given point in time. betcha the vast majority are NC and TN, with some generally east coast residents mixed in,
that the thing with the smokys-----its an easy drive from a good chunk of the east coast/midwest...
draw a radius of an 8-10 drive from the Park, and that's where it draws from.............
practically no foreign visitors.
thats certainly not correct........
ive seen car caravans of various nationalities along with bus loads of them coming and enjoying the park.....
i can further see that these 200,000 crossings a month are each counted as a "visit" for statistical purposes, and there you go, 2 million more "visits" per year added to the stats.
yes, that is correct.......
but, keep in mind----everytime one enters the Park, it is counted as a visit.............because it is a visit.............
so yes, people local to this area, who may go in to the park dozens a time a year if not more----each time is counted as a visit and the formula is used to determine stats..........
just in case anyone wonders---here's what the formula is for the determination of visits and visitors...
scoll down to near the bottom and it will have a tab for the formulation that will open up in a PDF file....
https://irma.nps.gov/Stats/Reports/Park
here ya go on the cades cove numbers....
https://irma.nps.gov/Stats/SSRSReports/Park%20Specific%20Reports/GRSM%20Camping%20Report?Park=GRSM
814,475 vehicles enter the cove.....
so, then roughly using the formula......it's around 2 million visitors to the Cove itself.....
one of the old PIO's used to tell me that if Cades Cove were its own national park, it would be within the top ten of most visited Parks.......
that the thing with the smokys-----its an easy drive from a good chunk of the east coast/midwest...
draw a radius of an 8-10 drive from the Park, and that's where it draws from.............
thats certainly not correct........
ive seen car caravans of various nationalities along with bus loads of them coming and enjoying the park.....
you know the park better than me. all i know is on the 2nd of my two visits there a nice older woman asked me if i was from NC or TN, when i said NJ, she acted quite like she never met anyone from so incredibly far away.
yes, that is correct.......
but, keep in mind----everytime one enters the Park, it is counted as a visit.............because it is a visit.............
so yes, people local to this area, who may go in to the park dozens a time a year if not more----each time is counted as a visit and the formula is used to determine stats..........
i take no issue with them being counted as visits, i'm just saying when you compare the numbers to a place like the grand canyon it becomes kind of an apples to oranges thing. way more people travel to the grand canyon to see the grand canyon than travel to the smokies to see the smokies, no matter which has more "visits." stated differently, GSMNP is not as "popular" as it's visitor numbers make it seem.
wait... this is too much for me to wrap their head around.. how is it possible.. why would anyone go through the trouble of driving hours to some beautiful national park and NOT even leave the car? not even for a 1 mile hike??????
I live a block and a half from the beach. It always amuses me to see people sitting in their cars enjoying the beach, without actually enjoying the beach. This happens everywhere in the Greater Boston Area, particularly in Southie. :-?
you know the park better than me. all i know is on the 2nd of my two visits there a nice older woman asked me if i was from NC or TN, when i said NJ, she acted quite like she never met anyone from so incredibly far away.
August 1982, my first trip to Knoxville, on my way to Louisiana, I was in a bar dancing with a guy who looked like one of the ZZ Top guys. A very charming gentleman. When I told him where I was from,
"BOSTON! I've never been to BOSTON! Have you ever danced with a MOUNTAIN MAN?"
He was quite charming, and steeled my resolve to hike in Tennessee and North Carolina, thinking to combine beautiful mountains (all mountains are beautiful) with sweet people. I don't think I met a Mountain Man again, but had some incredible experiences being in that part of the country. My family goes to that part of the USA every other year, and every trip I wonder what ever happened to him. I don't think I danced with a Mountain Man again, as I married in man who was a competitive swimmer who hates cold weather but loves being out on the sea. But in 1982, meeting a Mountain Man was quite exotic to me, a woman who was born in the Aegean (raised here) and lived in France for some time. Now the Mountain Man, he was truly someone who seemed "so incredibly far away" to me in culture, and I mean that with the deepest respect for him.