theUnderarches Into The Smokies

Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee/North Carolina, USA

While many Australians have not heard of it, Great Smoky Mountains National Park is one to add to your bucket list. Straddling two states, it attracted 13 million visitors in 2022, with visitors flocking to admire its ancient mountains, pristine mountain streams, wildlife, waterfalls, rivers and its Southern Appalachian Mountain culture. Scientists are still discovering and identifying plant and animal species that are hidden within its depths, with ridge upon ridge of forest to explore. There is 1,370 km of walking trails, 112 of them on the legendary Appalachian Trail. The park has 80 preserved log cabins, churches, grist mills and historic landscapes that tell the stories of the Scottish and Irish settlers who came here in the early 19th century.

A spectacular and luxurious way to get to Moab is on the Rocky Mountaineer ‘Rockies to the Red Rocks’ journey, which is a two-day trip between Denver, Colorado and Moab, with an overnight stay in spa heaven – Glenwood Springs –on the way.