Jason Frye - Moon Great Smoky Mountains National Park: Hiking, Camping, Scenic Drives

fresh cut flowers at the Market Square Farmers Market

Theres a smell to this place toorich, wet, and fertile, the smell of dirt and decades of leaves. Moss tinges the air near the springs, seeps, and waterfalls. In the autumn, the faint cinnamon smell of leaves perfumes the breeze, and the sound as they crunch underfoot announces your passage.

Birds, cicadas, the rush of water, and the sigh of wind create a layered sonic landscape. When the elk bugle and call to one another, when a turkey gobbles, or when a hawk keens, it punctuates the soundtrack of the Smokies.

Theres other musicbanjos and dulcimers and guitars and voices raised in song. That music sounds so at home it feels like its been here as long as the streams or birds or wind, but its just evidence of us. We drive the roads and hike the trails, fish in the streams, take photos of the sunsets and vistas, adding our voices to the music of the place.

When we leave, this song stays with us. We hum it to ourselves, recalling the place, the breeze, the sun on our faces, and the smell of fall on the air. We sing because this place is song-worthy, a place like no other.

This is why we go back: to learn a new verse, to find a place or experience missed on a previous trip. I go not to lose myself in the wilds of the Smokies, but to find myself there.

Indian Flats Falls

Hi-Wire Brewing in Asheville

Mountain Farm Museum near the Oconaluftee Visitor Center

just after dawn or as the sun sets will show you exactly what makes these mountains smoky.

See the : Elkmonts colony of synchronous fireflies is world-renowned. With a little luck you can catch them blinking in unison every night for a couple of weeks in early summer.

Find Fall Color: To see the mountains awash in color, bike or drive .

Go : Want to see owls, elk, deer, and even bears? Youll find them in Cades Cove, in Cataloochee, and at the Oconaluftee Visitor Center. Just remember to bring your binoculars or zoom lens if you want to get up close with the parks full-time residents.

: There are tons of hikes in the Smoky Mountains, so why not hit the trail and head to Hen Wallow Falls, Abrams Falls, Deep Creek, or Grotto Falls?

: Dolly Partons mountain theme park is full of roller coasters and waterslides, ready to deliver the thrills you want.