Into The Blue is about finding joy in simple pleasures. One of those pleasures is the enchanting Smoky Mountains.
“The Smokies have a heart of their own. It’s the way the water flows, the way it sounds, the way it feels when you get in it. I don’t know if it’s just because it’s my home—but I really don’t think so. I think it’s just one of those special places that God put here for us to enjoy.”
Majestic. That’s the word that comes to mind when I think of the Great Smoky Mountains. Majestic. The traditional Cherokee name for the Smokies is Shaconage, the “place of the blue smoke,” which evokes the distinctive mist that hovers over these mountains and lends them their magical quality.1
The region, straddling Tennessee and North Carolina, is a treasure. At its heart is Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which (at least for now) protects 800 square miles of this sacred land. This is one of the few great wild places left on the east coast of the United States, with trees so big, wildlife so plentiful, ecosystems so diverse and unique, it steals your breath away. It is so lush now that it’s hard to believe the logging industry had clear cut 80 percent of this land in the 30 years before it became a national park in 1934.2
Encountering the Smokies
Myself, I first laid eyes on the Smokies in 2003, and it was love at first sight. The place is breathtaking, ridgeline after glorious ridgeline of abundant forest. Rivers, streams, creeks seemingly rushing everywhere, carrying the pristine water of life down from the high mountains. This is a camping, hiking, rafting, nature watching paradise. This is a refuge for over 22,744 species of life, including 1,000 new to modern science.3
But it is more than that. The whole area expanding outward from the park is a jewel of southern Appalachian culture and charm. We have loved spending time in places like Asheville, Brevard, and Hendersonville. The BBQ alone is worth the trip! And if you are in need of some turbocharged tourism, there is Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge. You can also find plenty of amazing spots to try your hand at white water rafting!
My first visit was on one of my family’s early camping trips. Even after decades of subsequent excursions across the United States and in Europe, it remains one of our absolute favorites. So much so that we’ve returned to the area multiple times, and are always looking for another opportunity to do so!
We love Elkmont Campground on the western side of the park. That first time, we had one of the best campsites of our lives, nestled up against a mountain stream. We spent hours sliding off the rocks into that ice cold water and letting it carry us down the way. Even the dog joined in the fun! And the sound of that rushing water tucked us into bed and carried us into a deep slumber every night.
The hiking too was unparalleled. Dense forests, gorgeous mountainside views, amazing encounters with salamanders and bears. At the valley of Cades Cove on the Tennessee side, you can explore a fascinating ghost town area and see plenty of deer and small wildlife, sometimes even a bear.4 In the Cataloochee and Balsam Mountain regions on the North Carolina side, you will find yourself overcome with awe by the sight of elk grazing at sundown.
Trust me, no one is ready to return home when it comes time to say goodbye to the Smokies. This place will have you under its trance.
What About You?
How about you? Have you been to the Smokies or nearby jewels like Pisgah before? Perhaps you even live there? What are your favorite things about the area? Please share in the comments.
A Short Meditation
O LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
God, the Heavenly Artist, the Master Designer, created the sun, the moon, the stars in all their vast and glorious array (8:1-3). He formed the haze-tipped Smokies and the abundant plant and animal life within.
But consider this: of all his wondrous creation, the object on which he has set his particular love and devotion is you and me (8:4). You see, God is not just the Lord. He is our Lord.
Don’t you know? You are his beloved child. He has held nothing back. He has given his very self on the cross for you.
Things are not as they seem. You may be a pauper, and yet you are crowned with glory and honor (8:5). You may be a servant, and yet you are charged to exercise unimaginable power (8:6-8). You see, it is by the faith of mere children that the Lord overturns the oppressors of this world (8:2; Matthew 21:12-17).
Does that not overturn how you see yourself? Does that not make your heart sing?
Consider the majesty of the heavens and the earth. Consider the majesty of the love of Christ. Let it seize your thoughts, let it thrill your heart.
Then you too will be ready to join the children in taking up the psalmist’s refrain.
“How Did the Great Smoky Mountains Get Their Name?” Smokymountains.com, November 15, 2021, https://smokymountains.com/park/blog/great-smoky-mountains-get-name.
“Great Smoky Mountains,” EBSCO, 2024, https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/environmental-sciences/great-smoky-mountains.
“Park Statistics,” Great Smoky Mountains National Park, June 2, 2025, https://www.nps.gov/grsm/learn/management/statistics.htm.
It is well worth delving into the rich history of Cades Cove during a visit. For example, this community was notable in being anti-slavery before the Civil War and in remaining pro-Union even during the war.