Like twin jewels to the north and south of the Blue Ridge Parkway, Shenandoah National Park and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park offer the perfect augment to your parkway experience.
The Great Smokies straddle the North Carolina and Tennessee lines making up more then 800 square miles of 95% forested mountain geography including Clingmans Dome. At 6,643 feet, it’s just 50 feet shy of Mount Mitchell, the highest mountain peak in eastern U.S. The park is 35% old growth forest and home to more then 850 miles of hiking and biking trails, including 71 miles of the Appalachian National Scenic Trail and the Cades Cove loop.
The parks protected status over the decades have created a welcoming environment to 19,000 species! And that’s not counting the recently discovered or understudied species. Known parks inhabitants include 200 bird species, 100 reptile and amphibian species and of course – black bears. All for us to protect and enjoy covering an area 2/3 the size of Rhode Island.