The Great Smoky Mountains are known around the United States and the world for their natural beauty. In fact, the national park is the most visited in the greater USA and is a preferred vacation spot for folks in the south. Tennessee and North Carolina share the grand natural space, and folks have been known to travel from all over to come and see the craggy peaks of the Smokies for themselves. If you’re not up to making the trip or your billfold feels a bit too light to rent a cabin, you can take a virtual tour of the Smoky Mountains. We’ve included a direct link and everything you need to know about this fun experience below.

Thomas - Flickr The Great Smoky Mountains are known for their beauty and opportunity for adventure. There are miles and miles of hiking trails that crisscross the lush backcountry, and both locals and tourists alike are known to rent cabins during the chill of winter and heated months of summer.

Tim Lumley - Flickr The COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 required millions of people to quarantine in their homes, including a majority of the Volunteer State. While gathering with others was discouraged, GoogleEarth got creative - and launched a virtual experience.

Tim Lumley - Flickr All you have to do is follow along as GoogleEarth takes you through the heart of the famed national park…

smonkeymountainsnationalpark …from the lush beauty of Newfound Gap…

Zhans33/ Wikipedia …to the gushing heart of Laurel Falls…

Tim Lumley - Flickr ….and even to the historic Mingus Mill, which dates back to 1886.

Clingmans Dome

Daveynin - Flickr It’s easy to get out and about in nature from the comfort of your home, and you don’t even need to pack a snack! We’ve included a link to this neat virtual experience below, if it catches your fancy. Happy (free! easy! fun!) adventuring, Tennessee!

You can find the link to the GoogleEarth experience right here. If you’re looking for more fun experiences in the Volunteer State, though, here are some more cool facts about the Great Smoky Mountains.

Thomas - Flickr

The Great Smoky Mountains are known for their beauty and opportunity for adventure. There are miles and miles of hiking trails that crisscross the lush backcountry, and both locals and tourists alike are known to rent cabins during the chill of winter and heated months of summer.

Tim Lumley - Flickr

The COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 required millions of people to quarantine in their homes, including a majority of the Volunteer State. While gathering with others was discouraged, GoogleEarth got creative - and launched a virtual experience.

All you have to do is follow along as GoogleEarth takes you through the heart of the famed national park…

smonkeymountainsnationalpark

…from the lush beauty of Newfound Gap…

Zhans33/ Wikipedia

…to the gushing heart of Laurel Falls…

….and even to the historic Mingus Mill, which dates back to 1886.

Daveynin - Flickr

It’s easy to get out and about in nature from the comfort of your home, and you don’t even need to pack a snack! We’ve included a link to this neat virtual experience below, if it catches your fancy. Happy (free! easy! fun!) adventuring, Tennessee!

OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article.

Address: Great Smoky Mountains, United States

The OIYS Visitor Center

Virtual Tour of the Great Smoky Mountains July 22, 2022 Chris Dodge What are some other places to visit in the Great Smoky Mountains? Virtual tours are great and can offer an amazing view from your computer screen. Sitting on the couch can be awesome after a long day, but what about actually going and spending time in this beautiful park? Sure the picture of the Newfound Gap is pretty and the virtual tour does a great job, but there is nothing like getting out there and seeing it yourself. Standing on the line and looking out over the vast wilderness and the amazing views is enough to make you awe at this beautiful masterpiece. So how do you plan a visit to the Great Smoky Mountains? Well, let us give you some suggestions to inspire you to take an amazing adventure. We can start off small by doing a trip in the car. Cades Cove is a wonderful place to start without even stepping out of your car. You have a high chance of seeing wildlife and you can even explore a couple of historic buildings. Of course, you saw the virtual tour of Laurel Falls, But how about hiking the paved path leading up to this magnificent wonder. Alum Cave is a very popular trail as well, and for good reason. You can hike up to this incredible rock formation creating a steep open cave with a beautiful overlook. For an easy and simple hike, find Cataract Falls hidden behind the Sugarland visitors center. Or, spend some time exploring the many trails off the Roaring Motor Fork Trail. Grotto Falls is another amazing waterfall we highly recommend. You can walk behind it and feel the refreshing waters pouring down onto the rocks below. Or take a trip over to the Elkmont ghost town to explore the renovated buildings. The possibilities are seemly endless as you explore this wonderful park.

The OIYS Visitor Center

Virtual Tour of the Great Smoky Mountains

July 22, 2022

Chris Dodge

What are some other places to visit in the Great Smoky Mountains? Virtual tours are great and can offer an amazing view from your computer screen. Sitting on the couch can be awesome after a long day, but what about actually going and spending time in this beautiful park? Sure the picture of the Newfound Gap is pretty and the virtual tour does a great job, but there is nothing like getting out there and seeing it yourself. Standing on the line and looking out over the vast wilderness and the amazing views is enough to make you awe at this beautiful masterpiece. So how do you plan a visit to the Great Smoky Mountains? Well, let us give you some suggestions to inspire you to take an amazing adventure. We can start off small by doing a trip in the car. Cades Cove is a wonderful place to start without even stepping out of your car. You have a high chance of seeing wildlife and you can even explore a couple of historic buildings. Of course, you saw the virtual tour of Laurel Falls, But how about hiking the paved path leading up to this magnificent wonder. Alum Cave is a very popular trail as well, and for good reason. You can hike up to this incredible rock formation creating a steep open cave with a beautiful overlook. For an easy and simple hike, find Cataract Falls hidden behind the Sugarland visitors center. Or, spend some time exploring the many trails off the Roaring Motor Fork Trail. Grotto Falls is another amazing waterfall we highly recommend. You can walk behind it and feel the refreshing waters pouring down onto the rocks below. Or take a trip over to the Elkmont ghost town to explore the renovated buildings. The possibilities are seemly endless as you explore this wonderful park.

The OIYS Visitor Center

The OIYS Visitor Center

Virtual tours are great and can offer an amazing view from your computer screen. Sitting on the couch can be awesome after a long day, but what about actually going and spending time in this beautiful park? Sure the picture of the Newfound Gap is pretty and the virtual tour does a great job, but there is nothing like getting out there and seeing it yourself. Standing on the line and looking out over the vast wilderness and the amazing views is enough to make you awe at this beautiful masterpiece. So how do you plan a visit to the Great Smoky Mountains? Well, let us give you some suggestions to inspire you to take an amazing adventure. We can start off small by doing a trip in the car. Cades Cove is a wonderful place to start without even stepping out of your car. You have a high chance of seeing wildlife and you can even explore a couple of historic buildings. Of course, you saw the virtual tour of Laurel Falls, But how about hiking the paved path leading up to this magnificent wonder. Alum Cave is a very popular trail as well, and for good reason. You can hike up to this incredible rock formation creating a steep open cave with a beautiful overlook. For an easy and simple hike, find Cataract Falls hidden behind the Sugarland visitors center. Or, spend some time exploring the many trails off the Roaring Motor Fork Trail. Grotto Falls is another amazing waterfall we highly recommend. You can walk behind it and feel the refreshing waters pouring down onto the rocks below. Or take a trip over to the Elkmont ghost town to explore the renovated buildings. The possibilities are seemly endless as you explore this wonderful park.