I visited Great Smoky Mountains National Park last weekend, and I frequently heard that the park was the "most visited national park in the United States." When I finally pressed one of the rangers about this and asked how visitors were counted, did they count those passing thru on a main transit road between NC and TN, how long did visitors remain in the park, etc., I realized that its a very misleading statement.

Unlike, say Grand Canyon or Yellowstone NPs, where many visitors spend several days, many (probably in the several millions) of the so-called visitors to Great Smokey Mountains NP are "just passing through" on their drive from eastern TN to NC.

I did see black bear on the Cades Cove loop (and have now seen polar, grizzly and black bears in the wild), but not much else.

Also, it must have been a motorcycle weekend, since the park was packed with bikes (with loud tail pipes -- which I still don't understand).

It is misleading; it's not like you have to purchase a park pass to enter GSMNP. And every time we've visited there we saw lots of motorcycles. If they ever did have a bike week, OMG!

Loud Pipes save lives.....

But do the tail pipes need to be so loud that they can be heard three city blocks away? Are there regulations on the decibels a bike can emit? Seems too loud to me, especially in a national park, where many visit to enjoy the solitude.

Actually the fact that the motorist IS driving through the national park allows it to be added to the count. You can find these inequities in many things but those people are using that road and driving through the park for whatever reason.

Aren't the Smokies beautiful tho - I love it when the mist is on the mountains.

They are beautiful, but I wouldn't count someone who stops in to use a restaurants bathroom as a visitor to that restaurant. But, in order to make the park sound much more appealing, they count those that merely pass through. Moreover, the park is not one that would be, at least to a non-camper, as appealing for a multi-day visit (unlike Grand Canyon, Yellowstone or the Utah parks), and by advertising the Great Smoky Mountains NP as the "most visited park", some may be duped into thinking its the best, favorite, most scenic, most popular, etc. park. If I was an overseas visitor planning a trip to visit the US's national parks, I would be very unhappy if I planned time in the Great Smoky Mountains NP, especially if it took away from time out west (where the parks are far more impressive, in my opinion).

And while it was very nice, especially the mist, I couldn't see spending more than a day driving the main road (and Cades Cove), plus a hike into the woods.

Odd....if someone just passes through Yellowstone does that visit not count?

If you are passing through a place how can you say you aren't "visiting" it?

I think we do not KNOW how this statistic is arrived at, and it is equally misleading to post that it is as the OP says. It is a well known statistic that GSMNP IS the most visited park, and there are breakdowns as to "recreational visitors" and "otherwise". STILL the most used park because it is so accessible to a most populous part of the country.

"But, in order to make the park sound much more appealing, they count those that merely pass through."

I think advertising it as the most visited park would make it less appealing. Most people don't go to the parks to see vast herds of people. They might put up with crowds in places like the Grand Canyon and Yellowstone as the scenery/wildlife is spectacular, but I have yet to hear anyone say "Let's go to this park because I've heard lots of people go there."

By the way, the average visit to the Grand Canyon is under 3 hours. Probably not much longer than it takes someone to "pass through" GSMNP.

I personally, love the sound of loud pipes, it's much nicer than listening to children screaming and crying!!

Most parks are open year round but The GSMNP being so far south seldom lacks for a flock of visitors all year because of the good weather and open roads. It is extremely rare to find the road over the top or to Cades Cove closed because of the wx. Granted some of the facilities are not open but the scenery is Great anytime.. A lot of day trippers from the surrounding area as well. I drive north/south several times a year from Florida to Ohio and we always drive thru the park, been doing this for years. Yes we are visiting. We are in no hurry and enjoy the differences the various seasons have to offer.....I don't worry about the motorcycles or the loud pipes, the scenery is what I am there for..

Along with the most visited park, I've also heard that more people live within 500 miles of the Great Smokies, which probably makes it one of the easiest to visit.

We talked to a ranger in Yellowstone and they said the average stay in the park was only 2 hours! So those tourist were only driving threw!

Utahtea