@polebird travels: 🍁 Gorgeous autumn colors in the Great Smoky Mountains 🍁

Because I love the outdoors, I spent this past weekend exploring the Great Smoky Mountains National Park aka the Smokies. This awesome mountain range is located in Tennessee and North Carolina. The beauty of the mountains is truly augmented by the season change where shades of yellow, orange, and reds pop from the landscape.

The Smokies are named after the fog that is often present in the tops of the mountain range. The feel of the landscape changes quickly as the wind blows the fog and cloud cover through the mountain range. I like how the smoke gives the mountain a bit of a mysterious vibe.

This park is known for their population of black bears and also abundance of many other species of animals. Unfortunately, I didn’t see any bears. Instead I did see a lot of wild turkeys! Here's a cute new friend that came right up to the car.

I hiked the Chimney Tops trail which was just reopened after closure due to a fire back in November 2016. There is a new observation point 0.25 miles before the rock scramble to the top of the peak (original ending point which is still closed at this time). The trail is pretty steep, 1,400 feet in 2 miles. Tree pose for the trees!

A travel tip if you are headed to the Smokies: It is pretty crowded, especially at this time of the year. It is best to arrive early in the morning to avoid A LOT of traffic going into the park.

What's your favorite place to enjoy fall colors? Let me know if you have any suggestions to put on my travel list! Hope you have a great rest of the day!

-JESS