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We live less than two hours from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Create in 1934 the park is 800 square miles, it's highest peak Clingmans Dome is 6643 feet high. There are over 1500 black bears in the park, but also numerous structure built before the park was created: mills, houses, churches. It's the most visited National Park in the United States but also one of the most polluted. 850 miles of trails right in our backyard and yet in 6 years I've only been there once, right after our wedding. It was time to make up for it!
![Un Week-End Dans Les Smokies Un Week-End Dans Les Smokies](http://media.paperblog.fr/i/357/3578373/week-end-smokies-L-2.jpeg)
We followed I-40 with a goal of spending two nights in a campsite owned by the national park and two hikes without getting attacked by bears. On our way we went by the Foothill Parkway, an introduction to the national park.
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The campsite entrance is autonomous, there are information for the campers, maps that can be purchases. There is an office but we saw no one there during our stay. The rangers however do go around the campsite several times a day to make sure everything is going well.
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And how do you pay then? Well if you didn't make reservations all you have to do is put the money in the envelop and slide it in. I've seen some who had it at at attached to the pole in front of their campsite too.
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Since we had made reservations (on recreation.gov) all we had to do was pick up our form and attach it to the emplacement marker.
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Our awesome camping spot in the wood: a perfectly flat space for the tent, a picnic table and to the right a metal fire ring equipped with a grill.
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I love those tents that get put together in no time, nothing like the ones of my childhood. We slept with the "windows" opened.
![Un Week-End Dans Les Smokies Un Week-End Dans Les Smokies](http://media.paperblog.fr/i/357/3578373/week-end-smokies-L-8.jpeg)
Shoes, soap and a good book, what else is there to ask for?
![Un Week-End Dans Les Smokies Un Week-End Dans Les Smokies](http://media.paperblog.fr/i/357/3578373/week-end-smokies-L-9.jpeg)
The evening while waiting for the sausage to cook we played Uno, well mini-Uno.
![Un Week-End Dans Les Smokies Un Week-End Dans Les Smokies](http://media.paperblog.fr/i/357/3578373/week-end-smokies-L-10.jpeg)
Ci-dessous la section groupes.
The campsite does not have showers but there are several building with bathrooms and sinks, and well the creek isn't far for the bath.
Below the group section.
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There is also an amphitheater next to the entrance and enough parking places for day hikers.
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2)réputé comme moins visite, donc plus calme. Nous avions des gens autour de nous car on etait proches des sentiers mais ca allait. Il y avait des sections complètement vides.
3)plusieurs jolies rando a proximité.
The campsite we picked was Cosby, Eastern part of the park, for several reasons:
1)not too far from Asheville, 1h20 if you don't get lost.
2)known to be less crowded, therefore less noisy. We had people around us because we were close to the trail but it wasn't too bad. There were huge empty sections.
3)several beautiful hikes nearby.