Getting there

Planes

The Smokies are easier to get to than you might think. Knoxville’s McGhee Tyson Airport ¬– 20 minutes’ drive from the mountains– plays host to regular direct flights from Chicago | New York | Denver | Dallas | Washington and other state hubs.

Trains

The railways running through the mountains exist for novelty and nostalgia rather than getting around.

Automobiles

As with most rural pockets of America | a car (or | more dramatically | a motorbike) is by far the best way of getting around. You can hire one from Hertz (www.hertz.com) | which has a branch at the airport.