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Summer Parks
By Bryan Oettel

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Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Tennessee, North Carolina


This beautiful mountain park straddling the North Carolina and Tennessee borders is without a doubt the most visited in the system. During the summer, more than 2 million people per month hike the hundreds of miles of trails, fish the sublime streams, and romp among the vast flora and fauna that define the Great Smoky Mountains. But don't let that stop you. Eight hundred square miles of wilderness sanctuary make it one of the largest protected areas in the East. Within this vast acreage you'll find part of the Appalachian Trail, remnants of Appalachian culture, some of the best scenic driving to be had east of the Mississippi, and a collection of animal and plant life that has earned this park world renown. Don't worry. There is plenty of room to find a part of the park to call your own.

Move on to *Grand Canyon National Park

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