With summer vacation season in full swing, it can be difficult to find a parking spot at many popular trailheads in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park on the weekend, despite the fact that many park visitors spend less than three hours outside of their car.
The National Park Service has surveyed visitors of the Smokies generally every ten years to see what park visitors were coming for, and with the last survey being in 2008 -- they hope to conduct a fresh one this year.
Hiking has always been a favorite activity in the park, but as the Fall 2008 found -- hiking was not on the top of the list.
The top reason: viewing scenery and taking scenic drives.
The Fall 2008 survey found that out of 754 visitor groups, 53 percent of respondents spent more than three hours outside their car during their visit to the Smokies, 16 percent two to three hours, 17 percent spent one to two hours, and 14 percent less than an hour.
The most popular activity by far was viewing scenery and taking a scenic drive with 94 percent of visitor groups. Viewing wildlife was the next most popular activity with 74 percent of respondents, and walking/hiking with nearly 62 percent.
"The last real data we have on how visitors explore the Smokies was in 2008 and through that survey we found that 62 percent of park visitors are spending some time out hiking or walking," GSMNP spokesperson Dana Soehn said. "Now what a walk means to somebody or a hike, they're probably nothing like five or 10 miles into the backcountry, but they certainly may be hiking a mile to a historic cabin or they may go to one of our popular waterfalls like Laurel Falls."
Though many associate the park with the outdoor activities accessible within its boundaries, leaders who played key roles in creating the National Park ensured that it could be enjoyed from the comfort of a car.
"We have 384 miles of scenic roadways that were designed with overlooks throughout that driving experience so people could get out and take a quick picture and just enjoy the scenery," Soehn said. "That was very thoughtfully done. Many of the creators of the park who led to movement did it because of wanting a driving experience. It was the 1930s when auto touring was becoming very popular and there were a lot of auto touring clubs. They wanted to provide that kind of experience for people in the Eastern U.S."
Though the park was designed to be enjoyed in part from the road, the growth in popularity has created congestion during peak tourist season.
Soehn recommends that those who want to avoid most of the crowds visit the park during the middle of the week, when possible, and to arrive early in the morning.