Redwood Creek: Top 25 Picnic Destinations

		GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAIN PARK: Higher Ground
		THE SETTING People come from all over the world to visit The Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Located in the Appalachian Highlands at the border of North Carolina and Tennessee, the 520,000-acre forested area is known for its diverse plant and animal life, its stunning ancient mountains and its remnants of American pioneer culture. It is one of the largest protected areas in the East and the most visited of all the country's national parks. Here you will discover 900 miles of complex trails, tracts of old-growth forest and breathtaking views of mountain ridges draped in "smoky" tendrils of fog, and more than 4,000 species of plants. Surrounded by so much natural beauty, it's not easy to select a picnic spot - but the park has tried to help you by setting aside specific sites for outdoor dining. Among them are the Chimneys, Deep Creek, Cades Cove and Cosby areas, which are open year-round. Other picnic sites include Greenbrier, Big Creek and Collins Creek.
		WHAT TO SEE AND DO There's plenty of outdoor adventure waiting for you in the Smokies. Go tubing in Little River, Deep Creek or the Oconaluftee River. Fish for trout in the backcountry. Take a bicycle or auto tour along the park's many scenic roads. And explore the old-growth forest by heading deep into the mountains toward Albright Grove, Buckhorn Gap or Ramsey Cascade. Examine the park's history by looking for remnants of the mountain people who used to live here -- deep in the woods you may find crumbling chimneys, rusty farm implements and old graveyards. Backpack on the Appalachian Trail or stay overnight in one of the park's campgrounds. If you like to hike, take the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail for an intimate journey past cascades, rapids and falls. Finally, hike a Smoky Mountain "bald," an expansive heath meadow high on a mountain peak.
		HOT TIPS Stop at one of the park's three visitor centers for information about area attractions. Permits are required for backcountry camping, and reservations are recommended for the campgrounds. Food and supplies are not available within the park, so pack lunch beforehand. Traffic is slow moving here, so figure about twice the time to drive a given distance that you would for normal highways. Gasoline is not sold in the park, so check your gauge.
		PHOTO OPS The Smokies boast more than 1,500 blooming plants, more than any other national park, so snap those hepaticas, dwarf irises and goldenrods until your heart's content. If you're taking some scenic drives, be sure to stop at some of the numerous turnouts that afford remarkable views. At the Newfound Gap parking area, for instance, you will witness some of the best high mountain vistas in the park. If you want to go still higher, drive up to the observation tower at the end of Clingmans Dome Road; here at the highest point in the park you'll get a 360-degree panorama of the Smokies. The most bucolic scenes are found along Foothills Parkway near Cosby, around the northeast tip of the park, where you can photograph beautiful farmland with the mountains rising in the background.
		LOCAL SPECIALTIES North Carolina is famous for the Moravian cookie, a tender-crisp brown treat spiced with cinnamon and cloves. Pack some in your picnic basket for dessert.