We spent time in the Smoky Mountains when we workamped at a campground in Townsend, Tennessee, just outside the western side of the Park during the summer of 2013. If you are planning a trip to the Smoky Mountains, be sure to stay on the "peaceful side" of the park. We drove into Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg one day - it was so crowded and "touristy" we left as soon as possible. We ventured into the Park and visited mostly the western side. It's a long way around the whole park and we never did get to the eastern edge and thus did not see the lightening bugs or elk.
Alabama
Russell Cave National Monument (Bridgeport) ~~ Lives of Prehistoric people and their house in a cave
Georgia
Andersonville National Historic Site (Andersonville) ~~ National Cemetery and prisoner of war museum;
Andersonville National Historic Site -- Visit to the POW Museum
Anna Ruby Falls (North Georgia) ~~ Located within the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest
Cumberland Island Museum (St. Marys) ~~ A long string of barrier islands with no cars, but lots of wildlife
Okefenokee Wildlife Refuge (Folkston) ~~ 630 miles filled with swamp, alligators, birds, and pine forest
Kentucky
Mammoth Cave National Park (Cave City) ~~ A vast cave system with over 365 miles of surveyed passages, it is over twice as long as they known cave
Massachusetts
Springfield Armory National Historic Site (Springfield) ~~ Houses the archives, exhibits and world's largest collection of historic American military firearms
Michigan
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore ~~ Huge dunes along the shore of Lake Michigan
Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore (Munising) ~~ Colorful rock structures that rise hundreds of feet above Lake Superior
North Carolina
Fort Raleigh National Historic Site (Manteo) ~~ Home to one of the first colonists from England
Pea Island Wildlife Refuge (Outer Banks) ~~ Habitat for aquatic birds and other animals along the Outer Banks
Smoky Mountains National Park ~~ The southeast side is home to lightening bugs and elk, neither of which we saw this trip
Wright Brothers National Memorial (Kill Devil Hills) ~~ Located around Kitty Hawk where the Wright Brothers made their historic flight
Ohio
Cuyahoga Valley National Park (Bedford) ~~ This is a vast area surrounding the Cuyahoga River south of Cleveland with hiking trails, the Erie Canal and many other things to enjoy the area.
Pennsylvania
Flight 93 National Memorial (Stoystown) ~~ Dedicated to the people who gave their lives sabotaging the hijackers' efforts to fly a plane into the Nation's Capitol
Fort Necessity National Battlefield (Farmington) ~~ The beginning of the French & Indian War and a young George Washington given the task of telling the French to leave
Gettysburg National Military Park (Gettysburg) ~~ Confederate and Union forces clash in one of the battles of the Civil War
Tennessee
Smoky Mountains National Park ~~ The Smoky Mountains hosts 28 monuments, including the grave sites of two signers of the Declaration of Independence
Alabama
Russell Cave National Monument (Bridgeport) ~~ Lives of Prehistoric people and their house in a cave
Georgia
Andersonville National Historic Site (Andersonville) ~~ National Cemetery and prisoner of war museum;
Andersonville National Historic Site -- Visit to the POW Museum
Anna Ruby Falls (North Georgia) ~~ Located within the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest
Cumberland Island Museum (St. Marys) ~~ A long string of barrier islands with no cars, but lots of wildlife
Okefenokee Wildlife Refuge (Folkston) ~~ 630 miles filled with swamp, alligators, birds, and pine forest
Kentucky
Mammoth Cave National Park (Cave City) ~~ A vast cave system with over 365 miles of surveyed passages, it is over twice as long as they known cave
Massachusetts
Springfield Armory National Historic Site (Springfield) ~~ Houses the archives, exhibits and world's largest collection of historic American military firearms
Michigan
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore ~~ Huge dunes along the shore of Lake Michigan
Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore (Munising) ~~ Colorful rock structures that rise hundreds of feet above Lake Superior
North Carolina
Fort Raleigh National Historic Site (Manteo) ~~ Home to one of the first colonists from England
Pea Island Wildlife Refuge (Outer Banks) ~~ Habitat for aquatic birds and other animals along the Outer Banks
Smoky Mountains National Park ~~ The southeast side is home to lightening bugs and elk, neither of which we saw this trip
Wright Brothers National Memorial (Kill Devil Hills) ~~ Located around Kitty Hawk where the Wright Brothers made their historic flight
Ohio
Cuyahoga Valley National Park (Bedford) ~~ This is a vast area surrounding the Cuyahoga River south of Cleveland with hiking trails, the Erie Canal and many other things to enjoy the area.
Pennsylvania
Flight 93 National Memorial (Stoystown) ~~ Dedicated to the people who gave their lives sabotaging the hijackers' efforts to fly a plane into the Nation's Capitol
Fort Necessity National Battlefield (Farmington) ~~ The beginning of the French & Indian War and a young George Washington given the task of telling the French to leave
Gettysburg National Military Park (Gettysburg) ~~ Confederate and Union forces clash in one of the battles of the Civil War
Tennessee
Smoky Mountains National Park ~~ The Smoky Mountains hosts 28 monuments, including the grave sites of two signers of the Declaration of Independence