Smoky Mountains National Park Summer Crowds

GSMNP is one of my favorites, but it is one of the most visited parks in the system and very crowded most of the summer. It is also usually hot and sticky in July and August unless a thunderstorm cools things down briefly.

I like to visit that park in April or October. When I lived in the southeast, I liked to go to the beach to cool down. Waist to chest deep in 80 degree water wasn't too bad, once the sun got low in the evening.