Despite the fierce competition year after year, Great Smoky Mountains National Park becomes the most popular national park in the United States in 2024. Just like the Grand Canyon, national parks like Yellowstone and Zion are undoubtedly numerous and enduring popularity, which is well deserved.
The park’s sublime mountains showcase the greatest beauty of the Appalachian Mountains in the eastern United States, while the convenient location between Tennessee and North Carolina prevents it from reaching millions of visitors in the nearby area.
However, as it should be deserved, the high level of visits in the park also brings some troubles. Although park officials have proposed Useful Tips for Beating Traffic and Parking Headache in the Notorious Great Smoky Mountainslarge crowds will still cause congestion on the roads and trails.
Tennessee’s tourist gateway town, Gatlinburg may have many free and fun activities. However, traffic still creates more stress than you would expect when you relax your natural vacation. add, Redevelopment projects in popular areas such as the Laurel Falls Trail It may cause more trouble for visitors.
But there yes Some good news. Not every part of Great Smoky Mountains National Park is suffocated by tourists like the most popular areas. Despite the everlasting popularity of the park, you able Find hidden parts that aren’t as crowded.
One of the best secret treasures of Smoking is the all-encompassing remote areas and the scenic surroundings near Mount Balsam. Although it didn’t attract the attention of Lekent Hill, the newfound gap or Gatlinburg, Heintooga Spur Road is arguably the best place in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park to avoid crowds.

Related
Heintooga Spur Road is one of the secret drives of the Great Smoky Mountains
This road is a lovely and immersive side pursuit of nearby Blue Ridge Parkway
Heintooga Spur Road It is an ideal destination for park visitors looking to combine scenic drives and rugged outdoor treks in the most remote areas of the Great Smoky Mountains.
Also known as “Balm Mountain Road“Thanks to its crossing the Smoky Mountains, Heintuga’s thrilling road follows a nine-mile paved route to eastern North Carolina in the east of the park.
The area is located opposite the park on the increasingly crowded Gatlinburg side of Tennessee, so a better chance to deliver some much-needed loneliness along Heintooga Spur Road! Not that you will miss the most famous attractions in the park – Heintooga Spur Road does have beautiful views of the popular mountains Like Kuwohi and Leconte Mountains.
Ironically, despite the rather long road, it links two of the most popular websites managed by the National Park Service! Just 11 miles from the entrance to the Heintooga stimulating road Blue Ridge Park Avenue.
Although Great Smoky Mountains are the most popular country garden In the United States, Blue Ridge Park Avenue In 2024, more tourists will eventually rank second in NPS visits, second only to Kinmen National Entertainment District.
Heintooga Spur Road is a critical link between the two giants of the National Park Service. Not only does it provide a “secret entrance” to the popular national park, it also offers memorable smoke travel without the annoying transportation of Gatlinburg.
However, once you reach Heintooga Spur Road, the Great Smoky Mountains and Blue Ridge Parkway’s statistical visibility may disappear, while the quiet loneliness in the heart of the Great Smokies forest. However, you may end up meeting some animal friends in the process, as Heintooga Spur Road is one of the best places in the Great Smoky Mountains Viewing the park’s residents elkWoolen cloth

Related
Heintooga and Balsam Mountain include the most underrated attractions in the park
Your remote area will receive a reward for scenic picnic areas, overlooking and uncrowded trails
Once you enjoyed about 9 miles along the paved but solid road, you will eventually arrive Heintooga picnic area. The Heintooga picnic area does offer modern amenities, at least with a beautifully modern amenities in regards to the picnic table and toilet facilities. There is also an entrance to the road Famous Masonic Stone Monument Dating back to 1938, it contains stones from all over the world!
Unless you accidentally find it The Secret of the Great Smoky Mountains and the Legend of Atagasi Lakeit’s hard to find a less crowded picnic spot in the park than the Hatoga picnic area. Once you have a picnic in the park’s virgin forest, burn calories by hiking on some of the small visiting trails near the picnic area.
Flat Creek TrailFor example, it’s an excellent 5.1-mile route that ends up overlooking with the breathtaking Heintooga. Here you can relax on a free bench and enjoy the stunning views of Mount Balm, Heintuga Bald and other gorgeous smoky hilltops. The trail also runs through Flat Creek Falls, one of the best hidden waterfalls in the entire park.
The Heintooga picnic area is closed seasonally between October and May. Visitors should check current closure and parking conditions before travelling.
If you (and your car) are facing a bigger challenge, you can continue your scenic road trip on the longer Heintooga Round Round Road Road landscape drive. This 17-mile route will take you through more remote areas of the park before leaving the Qualla Cherokee Indian border.
Heintooga circular route landscape drive is not suitable for RVS or trailers.

Related
Great Smoky Mountain National Park has many other hidden gems
Even though the park continues to be known, you can still find secret attractions to beat the crowds
Heintooga Spur Road is one of the best places in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park that avoids crowds, but that’s not the only one. If you know where to look, you can find more areas in the park that will hardly attract its most popular areas.
this Cataloochee Valley On Heintooga Spur Road, especially near the magnificent Balsam Mountain. Like Heintooga Spur Ridge Road, it’s a great place to see elks while also offering stunning views of less access to picnic areas, trails and numerous popular mountains.
Cosby area Nestled on the northeast corner of the park, along the coast of lovely Cosby Creek, and one of the most charming old breeding hardwood forests in the park.
Like Heintooga, the Cosby area is picnic areas, campgrounds, and even historic cemeteries. In spring, the Cosby area is one of the best places to watch wildflowers in the park!
Fontana Area It is one of the few incompletely natural areas of the park as it is located on an artificial reservoir built by the nearby Fontana Dam.
Nevertheless, Lake Fontana is a lovely lakeside escape, enjoying the rich scenery of the Great Smoky Mountains in the background. Since there are fewer visitors anywhere else in the park than almost anywhere, it is the perfect place to relax in the distance away from the annoying crowds!
There is a park spanning multiple states and tens of thousands of acres without having to fall into tourist traps and bottlenecks. Instead, venture into the unknown and enjoy the “secret” side of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.