I spent 5 days in the Great Smoky Mountains with just a backpack. Here are 9 items I'm glad I packed and 1 thing I didn't need.

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel, Business
A composite image of a white sheet behind everything the author packed: toiletries, books, clothing and tech gear, and the author smiling in front of a mountain on a foggy day
A backpack was all Business Insider's reporter needed for a five-day trip to the Great Smoky Mountains.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

The highlight of my trip to the Great Smoky Mountains was finding an epic ride to my Airbnb while stranded in the rain

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel, Business
A composite image of an aerial tram above trees on a foggy day, and the author with an umbrella
Business Insider's reporter didn't expect to find a tramway above the Great Smoky Mountains.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

I went to the Great Smoky Mountains for the first time. 8 surprises made my trip harder — and better — than I expected.

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel, Business
A composite image of During her first trip to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Insider's reporter was surprised by historic settlements and an epic tram ride.
During her first trip to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Business Insider's reporter was surprised by historic settlements and an epic tram ride.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

I explored an abandoned resort town in the Great Smoky Mountains, where the wealthy vacationed 100 years ago

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel, Business
A woodsy scene with cabins peering behind trees
Business Insider's reporter explored a 1900s resort town full of historic cabins that were abandoned by the end of the century. After restoration by the National Parks Service, 16 cabins are now open to the public.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

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