SNP vs. Great Smoky Mountain NP

Hi all and Happy New Year -- Our family of four (incl. two kids ages 6 and 8) are considering a trip that might include time at either Shenandoah NP or Great Smoky Mountains NP. If any folks who have been to both and have any opinion as to which is ';better'; (as entirely subjective as that is), we%26#39;d be interested iny our thoughts. Maybe a better way to put it is how the two parks may be different, as they both look beautiful!

We%26#39;d be visiting from Minnesota, and enjoy outdoor activities.

Thanks for any opinions.

-- David

SNP vs. Great Smoky Mountain NP

Ptuty,tough question!! I live pretty close to SNP, but have family near GSM...I personally like GSM. Cade%26#39;s Cove (outside Gatlinburg, TN) is fantastic. You can then travel into Cherokee Nat%26#39;l forest in NC. Then you can also take in the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, if you base in GSM. Plus, GSM has tons of shopping, rides, Dollywood, etc. Touristy? Yes. Fun? Yes, still manages to be fun, imho. Hope this helps.

SNP vs. Great Smoky Mountain NP

I%26#39;ve been to both and you can%26#39;t miss with either one. Shenandoah has a nice lodge called Skyland and several good campgrounds. Hiking is great, Skyline Drive very scenic, Luray Va (just off Skyline Dr) has Luray Caverns...kids and adults will like the caverns. GSMNP is between NC and TN. I prefer the Gatlinburg TN side, nice area with lots of motels, restaurants and things to do. Cherokee NC has some motels, casino, very nice GSMNP visitors center on Cherokee side with good trail called Oconaluftee River Trail very nice for kids, overall Cherokee no comparison to Gatlinburg. GSMNP has trails for all hikers, beautiful overlooks, don%26#39;t miss Clingman%26#39;s Dome observation tower. Good luck and enjoy the trip.

Thanks love and goneagain -- Sincerely appreciate the helpful thoughts! I%26#39;m glad that both parks are as beautiful as advertised and we can%26#39;t go wrong with either one. We may also visit DC, making Shenandoah the more logical choice, but at first blush at least the GSM seemed to have a bit more to offer. As you both suggest, the towns around GSM sound like fun (and Asheville is a community I think we%26#39;d like), and the mountain-biking (one of my favorite activities) in Pisgah NF is supposed to be some of the best in the country. But hiking and camping will be the main events, and it sounds like both parks are great with varied hiking options, with Shenandoah a much shorter trip from DC.

One follow-up on the Loray Caves that was actually asked but I don%26#39;t believe answered in another thread. Is there a sort of down and dirty, hands and knees, tight-spots cave exploring option in either area? We did some of that last summer, and the kids enjoyed it.

If we don%26#39;t go the camping route, I am looking at Massanutten for the range of activities offered, but it gets pretty spotty reviews on the TA accomodations board and seems like the activities = a lot of added cost. So, leaning pretty strongly against.

THANKS AGAIN!

Luray Caverns offers a general group tour every 1/2 hr or so, I don%26#39;t think they offer the ';wild cave'; tour that I%26#39;ve seen in other places. Mammoth Cave National Park in KY (1 hr north of Nashville) has several great tours including the ';wild'; one. If you are a AAA member, they have a series of National Parks booklets (free, green in color), including SNP and GSMNP and nps.gov has complete info.

Hi, We are visiting Shenandoah this summer so I can%26#39;t compare for you. However we visited GSM two summers age,kids were 8,6 and 4 and we had a wonderful time. Stayed in Gatlinburg. Yep, it%26#39;s touristy but you pick and choose. Ditto to all everyone said about area attractions. Don%26#39;t miss Cades Cove. Went to Cherokee, Clingmans Dome, etc. Also, if you stay in Gatlinburg,(which I suggest) travel the short way to Pigeon Forge and visit Dollywood(really a lovely park, her waterpark(can%26#39;t remember the name offhand) and her Dixie Stampede.) This was a great show. Even my little one was mezmorized. Like I said, lots of commercialism but if you are willing to mix that with the educational and nature you%26#39;ll have a ball. Good Luck choosing. Maybe we%26#39;ll see you in Shenandoah!

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