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After watching the launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on April 21^st, we traveled through northern Florida to Georgia, with a stop in Atlanta on Earth Day, April 22, on the way north to Great Smoky Mountains, the next stop on our electric road trip to all 51 National Parks in the Lower 48 states.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park was established in 1934.  Both North Carolina and Tennessee donated land for the park, which straddles the ridgeline of the Great Smoky Mountains, which are part of the Blue Ridge Mountains.  The Blue Ridge Mountains are, in turn, a division of the larger Appalachian Mountain chain.  The Appalachian Trail runs through the center of the park.

Great Smoky Mountains is the most visited National Park in the United States, with about 14 million visitors in 2021. 

Great Smoky Mountains is the most visited National Park in the United States, with about 14 million visitors in 2021.  And it’s not even close—Zion is the next most popular National Park at 5 million visitors.

But the park is also large—the 11^th largest in the Lower 48 states and the largest in the eastern United States.

The downside of Great Smoky’s popularity is that there are crowds on the most popular trails a large part of the time, and there is car traffic on the main road that intersects the park from Cherokee in North Carolina in the east to Gatlinburg in Tennessee to the west.  But the park is also large—the 11^th largest in the Lower 48 states and the largest in the eastern United States.

The other downside of the park’s popularity is that the gateway towns at the entrances—Cherokee in the east, Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge in the west—are incredibly touristy. 

Once you get into the park—and especially off the roads and onto the trails—it is a beautiful place with some of the best trails you will find in any National Park. 

But once you get into the park—and especially off the roads and onto the trails—it is a beautiful place with some of the best trails you will find in any National Park.  The trails are well constructed, maintained, and marked, with restrooms at the trailheads, and the views are spectacular.  There is also a variety of wildlife to the observed, including black bears and wild turkeys.

Arriving in the early afternoon of April 23, we stopped for lunch in Cherokee, North Carolina, and then, as always, headed to the Visitor Center.  The Ranger at the Oconaluftee Center suggested a number of “warm-up” hikes, including some that promised wildflowers in late April.

Driving east to west across the park from the entrance near Cherokee to the Sugarlands Center near Gatlinburg—a 29-mile journey on Route 441—proved to be a great way to orient ourselves to the park. 

Driving east to west across the park from the entrance near Cherokee to the Sugarlands Center near Gatlinburg—a 29-mile journey on Route 441—proved to be a great way to orient ourselves to the park.  The road passes most of the trailheads to popular hiking trails as well as some great vantage points.

A few miles into the park we stopped to do a 4-mile warm-up hike on the Kanati Fork trail.  There were some wildflowers along the way, as well as some mountain vistas.

About halfway across Route 441 we stopped at the Newfound Gap overlook—which offers a commanding view to both the east and the west sections of the park.

About halfway across Route 441 we stopped at the Newfound Gap overlook.  In addition to a commanding view to both the east and the west sections of the park, the overlook features a large parking lot and restrooms, as well as some interesting history.  Although Great Smoky Mountains National Park was established in 1934, President Franklin Roosevelt officially dedicated the park at Newfound Gap in 1940.  John D. Rockefeller, who had donated money to help establish the park in honor of his wife, was also there for the occasion.

After our visit to Newfound Gap, we traveled the rest of the way through the park, passing through Gatlinburg, the park’s gateway town in the west, and onward through Pigeon Forge, home of Dollywood, to Berry Springs Lodge in Sevierville, where we would spend the next four nights.

Clingman’s Dome, the highest point in the park, offers a commanding view of the park from a location right on the North Carolina-Tennessee border from its observation tower.

The following day, we did a couple of the premier activities in the park.  In the morning, we traveled back east on Route 441 to the seven-mile road up to Clingman’s Dome, the highest point in the park.  After a steep half-mile hike up the hill, you reach the observation tower, which has a commanding view of the park, from a location right on the North Carolina-Tennessee border.

Though lower in elevation than Clingman’s Dome, Andrews Bald has great views of the area and was a wonderful spot for a picnic lunch.

At the same parking area we found our destination for the afternoon, the trailhead for the four-mile round-trip hike to Andrews Bald.  Though lower in elevation than Clingman’s Dome, Andrews Bald has great views of the area and was a wonderful spot for a picnic lunch before returning to the parking lot.  This is one of the top-recommended trails, and we agreed with that assessment: a very pleasant trail, and our first introduction to the high quality of the trail maintenance at Great Smoky Mountains.

The combination of Clingman’s Dome and Andrew Bald didn’t quite fill the day, so we decided to try another recommended hike—Rainbow Falls, in the western area of the park near Gatlinburg.  This is a beautiful trail through the woods along LeConte Creek to the 80-foot falls.  The full round trip is 5.4 miles, but we decided we had enough hiking after the first mile or so—saving some energy for the next day’s hike.

For our second full day at the park, we targeted the top-rated, but challenging hike to the top of Mount LeConte. 

For our second full day at the park, we targeted the top-rated, but challenging hike to the top of Mount LeConte.  There are multiple ways to reach the peak, but we choose the most popular route, starting at the trailhead to Alum Cave on Route 441.  This trail leads first to Alum Cave, about halfway through the hike, and from there to the summit of Mount LeConte.

Mount LeConte proved to be a difficult hike.  It is an 11-mile round trip, with an elevation gain of more than 3,000 feet.  But the views from the top are well worth the effort.

Mount LeConte proved to be a difficult hike.  It is an 11-mile round trip, with an elevation gain of more than 3,000 feet.  But the views from the top are well worth the effort. 

When first arriving at the top, hikers encounter the Mount LeConte Lodge, which accommodates hikers for overnight stays in rustic cabins.  The staff lives up there for the summer, and supplies reach the lodge by helicopter lifts at the start of the season, supplemented by llama trips up the trails during the summer.  The lodge provides meals only to overnight guests, but does have a small store that offers sack lunches.  The store features one must-purchase item—t-shirts labeled, “I Climbed Mount LeConte.”  There are also picnic tables to use for eating lunch in a comfortable spot.

After reaching the top of Mount LeConte, make sure you don’t end your journey at the lodge.  There is another additional .2-mile trail to the summit. 

After reaching the top of Mount LeConte, make sure you don’t end your journey at the lodge.  There is another additional .2-mile trail to the summit.  And although your tired legs might balk at the prospect of more uphill hiking at this point, the additional effort pays off with spectacular panoramic views of the valley below.

Thanks to the well-maintained trail, the trip back down the mountain was much easier and quicker.

During our hikes in Great Smoky Mountains, we noted the large number of rhododendrons along many of the trails.  Unfortunately, they were not yet in bloom at the time of our visit in early spring.  But this would be a highlight for visitors to the park in June and July.

There are lots of signs in the park commenting on the effects of air pollution on the trees and the water quality in the streams. 

There are lots of signs in the park commenting on the effects of air pollution on the trees and the water quality in the streams.  And you can see the impact in the form of many dead trees—made worse by some invasive pests.  As the highest mountain chain in the east, the Great Smokies capture a large share of the air pollution from vehicles and other sources.  The air pollution causes acid rain, affecting both the trees and plants and the animals that live in the streams.  Another good reason to accelerate the transition to an electric economy powered by clean and abundant energy from the sun.

The day after our Mount LeConte hike we experienced the first bad weather of the trip—an entire day of rain.  But we welcomed the opportunity for a break and to rest and catch up on writing articles describing the parks we had visited previously.

If we had one more day in the Great Smokies, we would have visited the other major area of the park—Cades Cove. 

If we had one more day in the Great Smokies, we would have visited the other major area of the park—Cades Cove.  That is a very large, picturesque meadow with a number of early homesteads and its own visitor center.  There are some short hikes both around the cove and up the surrounding mountains.  We had spent the day there in 2017 to observe the solar eclipse, so we didn’t feel bad about missing it during this visit.

Overall, Great Smoky Mountains is a great National Park with some of the best trails we have seen and beautiful mountain views.  As the largest park in the east, it is also a popular one, so you can expect to see other cars on the roads and other hikers on the trails.  But the size of the park, combined with the multiple access points, keeps the crowds from becoming oppressive, at least in the spring when we visited.  The other manifestation of the park’s popularity is the touristy nature of the gateway towns.

Lodging

During the planning of our electric road trip to all 51 National Parks in the Lower 48 states, we spent a fair amount of time trying to find the best lodging option for Great Smoky Mountains.  We had visited the park previously in 2017 for the solar eclipse and stayed in a very nice, upscale cabin complex just outside Gatlinburg.  We were tempted to stay there again, but they didn’t offer EV chargers, so we looked elsewhere for other options.

At the time of our visit, there were no lodging options with chargers in Cherokee and very limited options in Gatlinburg.  But there were a number of options in Pigeon Forge, which is further to the west beyond Gatlinburg.  Over the past year, those options have grown and now include chargers at several national hotels, including the Holiday Inn, Courtyard by Marriott, and Tru by Hilton.  Those are in the touristy area dominated by Dollywood, which is part of a strip development along Route 321.

We elected to stay further to the west in Sevierville.  We choose Berry Springs Lodge B&B, which offers beautiful views of the unspoiled countryside.

We elected to stay further to the west in Sevierville.  We choose Berry Springs Lodge B&B, which has a Tesla Destination Charger and a Level 2 charger.  The name is descriptive because it is sort of a cross between a lodge and a B&B.  The rooms are clean and spacious, and they offer beautiful views of the unspoiled countryside from private balconies, which include hot tubs along with the view.  The lodge also offers a great breakfast in the morning, but it starts at 8:00, so we couldn’t take advantage of it on the days when we left early for long hikes in the park.

The charging setup at Berry Springs was excellent, with both a Tesla Destination Charger and a Level 2 charger that either a Tesla or other EV could use.

The tradeoff of the quiet, country location offered by Berry Springs is a longer travel time to the park, which took 20-25 minutes each way.  The furnishings in the lodge could also use some modernization.

Dinners were a highlight of our visit to Great Smoky Mountains.   Both the proprietors at the Berry Springs Lodge and online reviews gave high ratings to Seasons 101 and the Local Goat. 

Dinners were a highlight of our visit to Great Smoky Mountains.   Both the proprietors at the Berry Springs Lodge and online reviews gave high ratings to Seasons 101 and the Local Goat.  We agreed and loved all our meals at both places, returning a second time to each one. 

Seasons 101 was one of the best restaurants we have experienced on the trip, offering both excellent food and service and a wonderful atmosphere, including an option for outdoor seating.  It is also in the old section of Sevierville, away from the busy highway.

Local Goat was also an excellent dinner spot.  It was much larger and more crowded than Seasons 101, but they move the waiting list along quickly.  And the food was excellent, with portions large enough for a doggy bag.

Charging

Traveling from Florida to Great Smoky Mountains National Park was uneventful due to the Destination Charger at our stop along the way at the Hilton Garden Inn in Tifton, Georgia, and the availability of Tesla Supercharging stations all along the route.  We stopped to Supercharge three times on the way to Atlanta, and once on the trip from Atlanta to the Great Smokies.

After leaving Atlanta, we stopped at the Buford Supercharger north of the city, and then took back roads the rest of the way to Great Smoky Mountains.  We were getting low on battery by the time we reached Cherokee for lunch.  There is a Destination Charger at the welcome center, but we decided we had enough charge and went on after lunch to start the drive through the park. 

The remainder of the trip was downhill from Newfound Gap to Gatlinburg and we experienced the benefits of regenerative braking as the electric motor used the energy captured from going down hill to generate electricity and return it to the battery—rather than lose it to heat from braking friction. 

By the time we reached Newfound Gap, the highest point on the road from Cherokee to Gatlinburg, we were down to 61 miles of remaining range and starting to wonder if we should have topped off in Cherokee.  Fortunately, the remainder of the trip was downhill from the Gap and we experienced the benefits of regenerative braking as the electric motor used the energy captured from going down hill to generate electricity and return it to the battery—rather than lose it to heat from braking friction.  By the time we had traveled the remaining 15 miles to Gatlinburg, our range had actually increased from 61 to 78 miles, plenty to get to our lodging destination in Sevierville.

As another option, there is also a Tesla Supercharger in Pigeon Forge.  But with a Destination Charger at Berry Springs, we did not need to use the Supercharger.  When available, Destination Chargers are always the preferred choice because they are typically free, save time by charging overnight rather than during the day, and allow a full charge when needed.

Destination Charger at Hilton Garden Inn-Tifton, GA

Supercharging at Okehumpka, FL (34 kWh @ $0.34)   $11.56

Supercharging at Valdosta, GA                                                           $4.01

Supercharging at Macon, GA                                                   $5.17

Supercharging at Buford, GA                                                  $8.63

Total Supercharging for the trip                                                        $185.05

Hiking Trails and Other Activities in the Parks

The highlights of our visit to Great Smoky Mountains were the drive through the park and the highly recommended hikes we enjoyed.  If you have limited time in the park, the combination of Clingman’s Dome and Andrews Bald makes a great day.  And if you’re up for a challenge, Mount LeConte is a great experience with a super view at the top.

Kanati Fork Trail                                      3.7 miles

Clingman’s Dome                                     1 mile

Andrews Bald                                           3.8 miles

Rainbow Falls Trail                                 2 miles

Alum Cave Trail to Mount LeConte   11 miles

Total Hiking Miles for the trip                         53.7 miles

Impressions

Great Smoky Mountains felt familiar to us, because it is similar to Shenandoah, but on steroids.  Instead of a ridgeline, it is a large mountain chain with more depth.  The hikes on the well-maintained trails were a highlight, along with the beautiful views of the mountains.  We visited in early spring, and it may be better in late spring and early summer, when the rhodos are in bloom, or in the fall, when the leaves turn.

The gateway towns are a little touristy for our tastes, but our lodging choice allowed us to get away from the crowds.  And the real secret to enjoying the park—like most National Parks—is to get out of the car and onto the trails.

Visit Duration: We planned a visit of three and a half days to Great Smoky Mountains, and that was about right for us.  The first half day was just the right amount of time to travel the road through the park, make a couple of orientation stops, and take a short hike.  Two full days were perfect for the premier hikes—Mount LeConte and Clingman’s Dome plus Andrews Bald.  Add a third day for Cades Cove, Rainbow Falls, or other areas of the park, and you’ve covered most of the highlights.

On the morning of April 27, we left Berry Springs Lodge B&B and Great Smoky Mountains, heading west and north through Tennessee to Kentucky for our next National Park, Mammoth Cave.

On the morning of April 16, we left Key West, continuing our electric road trip to all 51 National Parks in the Lower 48 states.  We headed back up the Florida Keys to Homestead, which would be our base for visits to the other two National Parks in southern Florida: Everglades at the southern tip of the state, and Biscayne in the waters south of Miami.

Homestead, with Biscayne to the east and Everglades to the west, served as the centrally located home base for our visit.

The two parks, located only a few miles from one another, can be considered a pair, allowing a single hotel as a base for visiting both.  Homestead, with Biscayne to the east and Everglades to the west, served as the centrally located home base for our planned five-night, four-day visit.

Arriving in the early afternoon, we headed first to the Biscayne Visitor Center to orient ourselves to the park.  It turns out that the Visitor Center is almost the only part of the park on land—95 percent of the park is water.

The key to enjoying Biscayne is to get out on the water, and the key to that is to visit the Biscayne National Park Institute center, located in the same building as the Visitor Center. 

The key to enjoying Biscayne is to get out on the water, and the key to that is to visit the Biscayne National Park Institute center, located in the same building as the Visitor Center.  The institute is a non-profit organization that provides all the organized boat trips in the park, devoting part of the proceeds to support the park, which has no entrance fee.  The people working in the center provided lots of useful information on the different types of boat trips, and we made reservations for later in our visit.

We then headed over to Everglades, with a stop at the Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center at the Homestead entrance.  A very helpful Ranger there gave us great tips on what to see in the park.

We started our visit to Everglades in the mid-afternoon with a car trip on the main road that runs 38 miles through the park to its southern tip at Flamingo—a great way to get a feel for the park. 

We started our visit to Everglades in the mid-afternoon with a car trip on the main road that runs 38 miles through the park to its southern tip at Flamingo.  This was a great way to get a feel for the park, and there are several places to stop along the way for short hikes to spots of interest.

The Ranger had promised that we would see alligators on the Anhinga Trail, and it did not disappoint. 

Our first stop, highly recommended by the Ranger, was the Anhinga Trail at Royal Palm.  This is an easy .8-mile walk on a boardwalk through typical Everglades terrain.  The Ranger had promised that we would see alligators on the Anhinga Trail, and it did not disappoint.  The trail also features a variety of birds, including the Anhinga.

At Pa-hay-okee Overlook, a short walk takes you to a beautiful overlook where you can see a good representation of the “river of grass” that constitutes the heart of the Everglades.

Traveling further down the road, we stopped at the next recommended spot, the Pa-hay-okee Overlook.  A short walk takes you to a beautiful overlook where you can see a good representation of the “river of grass” that constitutes the heart of the Everglades.

The Mahogany Hammock is like a small rain forest in the middle of the Everglades. 

Further down the road, we stopped at Mahogany Hammock.  Hammocks are islands of high ground within the Everglades that harbor large trees.  The Mahogany Hammock is like a small rain forest in the middle of the Everglades.  A highlight was seeing a Barred Owl peering down on us from a tree overhead.

We had hoped to see manatees at Flamingo, the southern tip of Everglades, but were disappointed to miss them.  We later learned that the manatee population has suffered an 11 percent decline over the past year.

Our trip continued to Flamingo, the southern end of the park, where there is another Visitor Center—currently closed for renovation.  The area also has a marina and campground on the tip of the Florida peninsula, overlooking the Florida Bay.  We had hoped to see manatees here, but were disappointed to miss them.  We later learned that the manatee population has suffered an 11 percent decline over the past year as a result of slower sea grass growth caused by algae blooms stimulated by fertilizer runoff into the local waters.

Our return trip got us back to Homestead before sunset, making the road to Flamingo the perfect first half day in Everglades.

Shark Valley, at the north end of the park, is the base for a 15-mile bike loop that runs through the Everglades.

The following day we drove to the north end of the park to an area called Shark Valley, which is a strange name because it is not a valley and there are no sharks.  This is the base for a 15-mile bike loop that runs through the Everglades.  The Visitor Center there rents bikes for the day.  The bikes are not much to look at, and they have only one gear and no hand brakes, but they are perfect for this trip.

The bike loop was the highlight of our Everglades visit.  We saw lots of alligators, Great Blue Herons, and cranes, and the trip gives you a good feel for the vastness of the Everglades. 

The bike loop was the highlight of our Everglades visit.  We saw lots of alligators, Great Blue Herons, and cranes, and the trip gives you a good feel for the vastness of the Everglades.  There is an observation tower at the mid-point of the loop, which gives a great view of the area.  The alligators are so numerous that you eventually stop stopping to take photos.  But we were glad we stopped for one that had six babies swimming nearby.

The Everglades are the only area of the world where both alligators and crocodiles live together, but we saw mostly alligators.

Following our bike tour, we drove to the northwest corner park, Big Cypress Swamp Center.  We didn’t find anything particularly noteworthy there, but were glad we checked it out to make sure we didn’t miss anything.

Our first trip at Biscayne—paddle boarding among the Mangrove trees—proved to be the highlight. 

The following day we turned our attention to Biscayne National Park, taking advantage of the reservations we had made two days earlier at the Biscayne National Park Institute.  Our first trip—paddle boarding with our guide, Byron, among the Mangrove trees—proved to be the highlight of our time in Biscayne.  An eight-mile boat trip across Biscayne Bay took us to Jones Lagoon, which is now one of the uninhabited Keys at the outer edge of the park.

We paddled between the land areas and through Mangrove tunnels, enjoying a perfect sunny day and views of several stingrays.

The preserved state of the northern Keys—and indeed Biscayne National Park itself—are a lasting legacy of several benefactors, but none more interesting and important than Lancelot Jones.

The preserved state of these northern Keys—and indeed the park itself—are a lasting legacy of several benefactors, but none more interesting and important than Lancelot Jones, who sold his family land in the area to the National Park Service rather than see it developed into a southern extension of Miami.

Mangrove trees and the sea grasses that grow in the bay provide valuable protection against storms and a nursery for the fish and other sea creatures.

The preservation of the northern Keys—together with their Mangrove trees and the sea grasses that grow in the bay—also provides valuable protection against storms to the mainland and a nursery for the fish and other sea creatures that spend their first few years sheltered and nourished by the Mangroves.

For our second day in Biscayne National Park we took another Institute boat trip—this time a morning snorkeling trip to the outer keys and to the reefs beyond. 

For our second day in Biscayne National Park we took another Institute boat trip—this time a morning snorkeling trip to the outer keys and to the reefs beyond.  After the eight-mile boat trip across the bay, we first snorkeled within a shallow area protected by Elliot Key, the longest of the northern chain in the park.  Then we traveled two miles beyond the Keys to a reef.  Unfortunately, the water was a little rough as the winds were starting to pick up.  We were disappointed not to be able to go to one of the wrecks in the area—especially one of the favorites, the Mandalay—but we were fortunate to be the last trip to the reef for the rest of the week due to increasing winds.

We hadn’t planned anything for the afternoon, but as we were eating our lunch at the Visitor Center after the snorkeling trip, we noticed another boat preparing for the Heritage trip to the outer keys and on to Boca Chita Key at the northern end of the park.  Even though the trip was sold out, our guide from the morning snorkeling trip, Frank, got us on the boat.  His helpfulness was typical of the Institute staff, which operate as a team working to give visitors a positive experience.

We enjoyed the three-and-a half-hour Heritage trip.  It was a great boat ride and another chance to learn about the interesting history and environmental importance of the park. 

We were glad we had a chance to enjoy the three-and-a half-hour Heritage trip.  Not only was it a great boat ride on a perfect afternoon, but it was also another chance to learn about the interesting history and environmental importance of the park.  The end point of the trip was a brief stop at Boca Chita Key. 

The lighthouse at Boca Chita provides a commanding view of the area.

Unlike the other Keys in the park, Boca Chita is not in its natural state, having been developed by Mark Honeywell (yes, that Honeywell) as a site for parties for his wealthy friends.  The Key eventually became part of the park system and is now a great stop on a tour of the park.  Its (non-functioning) lighthouse provides a commanding view of the area.

Overall, Everglades and Biscayne both proved to be unexpected high points of our electric tour of the National Parks.  Of course, it helped that we had spectacular weather every day of our visit.

Lodging

Homestead is centrally located for a visit to Everglades and Biscayne National Parks.  We stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn-Homestead and were pleased with our choice.  The room was spacious, clean, and quiet.  The location was convenient, and the staff was helpful.  The only downside was that the hotel did not have EV chargers, although Hilton Garden Inn hotels in other locations do.  At the time of our visit, no hotels in the area offered Destination Chargers or other Level 2 chargers, which is a major deficiency.  That made us totally dependent on the Tesla Supercharger station in nearby Florida City (see below).

We never found great places to eat in Homestead.  We tried a couple of highly rated Mexican restaurants, which were both disappointing, and we ate our last dinner at the Ocean Grill at Black Point, which was only okay.  Sadly, our best dinner was the one we got at the Chipotle near our hotel. 

Charging

Our previous stop in Key West to visit the Dry Tortugas demonstrated the value of destination chargers at hotels.  In contrast, our stay in Homestead demonstrated the inconvenience of not having chargers at hotels.

Our stay in Homestead demonstrated the inconvenience of not having chargers at hotels.

We made our trip from the Keys to Homestead without needing access to a Supercharger, but once we arrived in the area our only charging option was the Supercharger in Florida City, which is adjacent to and south of Homestead.

Without access to a Destination Charger, we had to stop at the Supercharger in Florida City while eating lunch before heading to the Visitor Centers at Biscayne and Everglades.  That was not particularly inconvenient since we had to stop for lunch anyway.  But due to the size of Everglades and the need to drive from one area to another, we ended up using the Supercharger three times during our stay and once more the morning we left Homestead to head north.  All those stops could have been avoided if our hotel had a Destination Charger or other Level 2 charger for overnight charging.

Supercharging at Florida City (35 kWh @ $0.38)           $13.30

Supercharging at Florida City (29 kWh @ $0.38)           $11.48

Supercharging at Florida City (24 kWh @ $0.38)           $9.33

Supercharging at Florida City (41 kWh @ $0.38)           $15.81

Supercharging at Florida City (22 kWh @ $0.38)           $8.50

Total Supercharging                                                       $155.68

Hiking Trails and Other Activities in the Parks

The activities at Biscayne and Everglades National Parks include boating experiences at Biscayne, courtesy of the wonderful Biscayne National Park Institute, and a range of hiking, biking, and wildlife observation activities at Everglades.  We felt like we had covered all the highlights in our day and a half at each park.

Anhinga Trail                                            .8 miles

Pa-hay-okee Overlook                            .2 mile

Mahogany Hammock                              .4 mile

Shark Valley bike loop*                          15 miles

Total Hiking Miles                                    32.2 miles

* They were one-speed bikes, so we’re counting these miles!

Impressions

Everglades and Biscayne are “twin” parks, allowing a central lodging location for both parks and giving flexibility on which park to visit each day.  We enjoyed both of these parks were a pleasant surprise.  Everglades is a unique environment, and the car trip down the road to Flamingo, combined with the bike ride at Shark Valley, allowed us to appreciate the vastness of the area and the diversity of the wildlife.  And there isn’t another place on Earth where you can see the diversity of wildlife you can see at Everglades.  Biscayne is the perfect complement to Everglades, allowing visitors to alternate time on the water boating and snorkeling with time spent on the hiking and bike trails available at Everglades.

Visit Duration: We had planned to spend five nights and four full days plus a half day when we arrived in the area.  We found that three and a half days were enough to see all the highlights.  We felt like we had taken full advantage of Biscayne in our day and a half there.  There were other things we could have done in another day at Everglades, such as the airboat rides in the northern section of the park, but we felt that a day and a half were sufficient to experience the park.

We got lucky and saw our first rocket launch at the Kennedy Space Center.

On the morning of April 20, we left Homestead, heading back north up the Florida coast.  We used the bonus day we gained from cutting short our stay at Everglades and Biscayne to stop back at Titusville to try to catch the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launch scheduled for April 21.  This time, we got lucky and saw our first rocket launch at the Kennedy Space Center from the grandstands right in front of the launch pads used for the Apollo and Space Shuttle missions—one of which was occupied during our visit by NASA’s new Space Launch System that will return astronauts to the Moon in a couple of years.

After the launch, we traveled to Georgia and then to Atlanta the following day on the way north to our next National Park, Great Smoky Mountains.

After cutting short our visit to the flooded Congaree National Park, we left Columbia, South Carolina, on the morning of April 12^th to head south on I-26 and I-95 to the three National Parks in southern Florida.

Florida is a long state, measuring about 400 miles from Jacksonville in the north to the Keys at the southern tip.  The long drive necessitated a stop in the middle of the Florida coastline on the way to Key West for our boat trip to the Dry Tortugas.

The long drive through Florida necessitated a stop in the middle of the Florida coastline on the way to Key West for our boat trip to the Dry Tortugas.  We chose to stop in Titusville, near the Kennedy Space Center, in the hope that we might happen to see a space launch during our stop.

We chose to stop in Titusville, near the Kennedy Space Center, in the hope that we might happen to see a space launch during our stop.  We didn’t have that much luck, but we did have dinner at Shiloh’s Steak and Seafood Restaurant with a great view across the Indian River Lagoon to the launch facilities, where NASA’s new moon rocket was on the launch pad undergoing testing.  And we held out hope that a SpaceX Falcon 9 launch may coincide with our northbound return trip.

Key West is the launching point for trips to Dry Tortugas National Park, the fourth destination in our electric road trip to all 51 National Parks in the Lower 48 states.

After a stay in Titusville on the night of April 12^th, we continued our trip south to the Keys on April 13.  Because we were still a day ahead of schedule, we chose to stop for the night in Marathon, in the middle of the Keys, breaking in half the 113-mile Overseas Highway trip to Key West.  The following morning, we enjoyed a half day at the beach in Bahia Honda State Park on Big Pine Key before completing our journey to Key West, the launching point for trips to Dry Tortugas National Park, the fourth destination in our electric road trip to all 51 National Parks in the Lower 48 states.

Located 70 miles west of Key West in the Gulf of Mexico, the Dry Tortugas have a rich maritime history, becoming a National Monument in 1935 and a National Park in 1992. 

The Dry Tortugas have a rich maritime history, becoming a National Monument in 1935 and a National Park in 1992.  Located 70 miles west of Key West in the Gulf of Mexico, the park is one of the least visited National Parks because of its isolation, averaging about 63,000 visitors in recent years.

Visitors to Dry Tortugas National Park come on the Yankee Freedom III ferry, which transports about 175 visitors each day for a two and a half hour trip out, about fours on the island to explore, and a mid-afternoon return trip to Key West.

Almost all visitors to Dry Tortugas National Park come on the Yankee Freedom III ferry, which transports about 175 visitors each day for a two and a half hour trip out, about fours on the island to explore, and a mid-afternoon return trip to Key West, arriving at 5:00.  Though most of the time is spent on the ferry, the trip is quite enjoyable, both because of the beautiful waters traversed during the voyage and because the crew is so eager to please and provides lots of helpful information during the voyage.

The park encompasses about 65,000 acres, almost all of them under water, except for the 104 acres on the seven islands.

The islands were first charted in 1513 by Spanish explorer Ponce de Leon.  During his visit, his crew captured 160 sea turtles, which were an excellent source of food for a vessel on an extended voyage—hence the original name, Las Tortugas. 

The islands were first charted in 1513 by Spanish explorer Ponce de Leon.  During his visit, his crew captured 160 sea turtles, which were plentiful at the time and were an excellent source of food for a vessel on an extended voyage—hence the original name, Las Tortugas.  British mariners subsequently named the islands the Dry Tortugas on their charts to designate the lack of fresh water.

The highlight of the park is Fort Jefferson, which dominates Garden Key’s 14 acres and the entire area.

The highlight of the park is Fort Jefferson, which dominates Garden Key’s 14 acres and the entire area—which indeed it was built to do.  The fort was part of the U.S. defense strategy of the era—building a network of coastal fortifications to compensate for a Navy that could not compete in strength during the 19^th century with the major European nations that still had colonies and interests in the Western Hemisphere.

Though seemingly in the middle of nowhere, the Dry Tortugas were actually a key maritime location.

Though seemingly in the middle of nowhere, the Dry Tortugas were actually a key maritime location.  They offered a natural deep-water harbor and safe haven from storms.  They also sat astride a chokepoint for ships traveling in and out of the Gulf of Mexico due to the ocean currents that pass along the keys and subsequently up the east coast of the United States.

Fort Jefferson was the third largest and the most powerful in a network of coastal fortifications built by the United States in the 19^th century.

Fort Jefferson represented a major effort by the United States to assert its presence in the region.  Construction started in 1847 as part of a defense strategy favoring coastal sea forts, and continued for four decades.  It was the third largest and the most powerful in a network of such fortifications, built to hold out on its own for up to a year.  As a result, it is massive, something that is best appreciated when you are inside the fort or on top of the walls.

Fort Jefferson was also used as a prison.  Its most famous inmate was Dr. Samuel Mudd, who had treated John Wilkes Booth’s injured leg after he assassinated President Lincoln.

The fort was about half finished at the time of the Civil War.  During the war, it served as a base for the Union blockade of Confederate ports.  It was also used as a prison.  Its most famous inmate was Dr. Samuel Mudd, who had treated John Wilkes Booth’s injured leg after he assassinated President Lincoln.  Dr. Mudd was imprisoned in Fort Jefferson until 1869, when he was pardoned after controlling an outbreak of yellow fever in the fort.

Everything used in the construction of Fort Jefferson, including 16 million bricks, had to be imported by ship to the island, from as far away as Maine.

The fort itself is a marvel of engineering, even though it was never fully completed.  Virtually everything used in its construction, including 16 million bricks, had to be imported by ship to the island, from as far away as Maine.

The staff of the Yankee Freedom does a fantastic job of conveying some of the history of the fort and the islands.

The staff of the Yankee Freedom does a fantastic job of conveying some of the history of the fort and the islands, and we especially enjoyed the 20-minute talk in and about the fort by Hollywood, the director of the Yankee Freedom crew.  All of the staff are helpful and friendly, and they work hard to make the trip an enjoyable experience for all.  If you go, please tip them generously for the efforts at the end of the day.

The trick for the best snorkeling experience, as explained by the Yankee Freedom crew, is to figure out which way the current is flowing.

During our four hours on the island, we enjoyed the brief history talk, followed by a little exploring of the fort, and then eating the lunch provided by the Yankee Freedom under a palm tree.  We still had about an hour and half to snorkel around the fort, following the outer wall from the north beach to the south beach.  The trick for the best snorkeling experience, as explained by the Yankee Freedom crew, is to figure out which way the current is flowing and then snorkel in that direction, rather than try to fight the current, as we initially did.

We had visited the island several years earlier, and the biggest change we noticed was the large number of seaplanes that now make the trip out to the islands.  We saw three or four land during our time on the island.  Those trips are much more expensive, and the time on the island is shorter, but I imagine you probably get a great view of the islands and the fort on the way in.  One reason people take the seaplanes is that the ferry has become very hard to book with the rising popularity and visitation to the National Parks.  So if you plan a trip to Dry Tortugas National Park, you will need to book months in advance, as we did.

Overall, we enjoyed our second trip to the Dry Tortugas, though the first time was probably more memorable.  We were fortunate to have a spectacular day, so the views of the islands and the blue-green waters around them alone are worth the trip.

Lodging

To visit the Dry Tortugas, you need to spend at least two nights in Key West—one the night before the trip out to the islands, and a second after your return in the late afternoon the following day.  There are many hotels in West Key, and most are expensive. 

We chose the Silver Palms Inn, which has two well-maintained Tesla Destination Chargers and good reviews.  It is about a 20-minute walk from the inn to the waterfront areas, including the terminal where the Yankee Freedom operates, but we enjoyed walking through the streets of Key West and seeing the interesting architecture.  Due to the early departure time of the ferry, we drove down to the waterfront on the morning of our trip to the park, which requires a parking fee of $40.  Overall, the Silver Palms Inn was quite pleasant and the staff helpful and friendly.  And they make a great breakfast omelet. 

Charging

Although the journey to Key West and Dry Tortugas National Park is long, we had one of our easiest charging experiences due to the availability of destination chargers at our hotels.

Although the journey to Key West and Dry Tortugas National Park is long, we had one of our easiest charging experiences due to the availability of destination chargers at our hotels.

We left Columbia, South Carolina, with a full battery, thanks to the Level 2 chargers at the Aloft Hotel we stayed in there.  On the way to our stop in Titusville, Florida, we stopped at two Superchargers—one in Hardeeville, South Carolina, where our Subway lunch took longer to eat than the charging, and a second one in Jacksonville, Florida.

At our overnight stop in Titusville, the Hampton Inn had both a Tesla Destination Charger and a Level 2 charger.  So we departed on the morning of April 13 with a full battery, requiring only one stop, in the Pompano Supercharger, on the way to our midway stop in the Keys at Marathon.

Leaving Marathon on April 14, we still had plenty of charge to make it the rest of the way to Key West, where Destination Chargers at the Silver Palms Inn awaited us.  But we had not yet seen the chargers at Silver Palms, and Tesla hasn’t installed a Supercharger on Key West, so we made a brief stop at the Supercharger on Marathon to add a few electrons to ensure we could make it back from Key West even if there were a problem with the Destination Chargers there.  In the end, that proved an unnecessary insurance policy as the Destination Chargers at the Silver Palms were in pristine condition and available for our use.

Leaving Key West on April 16, after our visit to the Dry Tortugas National Park, we had a full battery thanks to the Destination Chargers at the Silver Palms, giving us plenty of range for the journey to our next stop in Homestead, Florida.

Supercharging at Hardeeville, SC (43 kWh @ $0.31)    $13.33

Supercharging at Jacksonville, FL (40 kWh @ $0.36)    $14.76

Supercharging at Pompano, FL (55 kWh @ $0.42)         $23.10

Supercharging at Marathon, FL (13 kWh @ $0.38)        $5.00

Total Supercharging                                                                   $97.26

Hiking Trails and Other Activities in the Park

The activities at Dry Tortugas National Park include exploring Fort Jefferson and snorkeling in the waters around the fort.  The islands are also a preserve for a variety of migrating birds.

Total Hiking Miles            (Still) 15.8 miles

Impressions

As a maritime National Park, Dry Tortugas is a unique park, with a fascinating history and a picture-postcard location, as well as a special way to get there.  It offers something for history buffs, adventurers, snorkelers, and birding enthusiasts alike.  Many of the members of the Yankee Freedom crew love the location so much that they will spend their free time there, sailing to the islands or camping there.

Visit Duration: There’s not much discretion about a trip to Dry Tortugas National Park.  It’s a day to get to Key West, a day at the park, and a third day to return from the Keys, with at least a two-night stay in Key West.  You can combine a trip to the Dry Tortugas with other activities in Key West, which we did previously, but for this trip, our two nights in Key West were just right.

There is also an option to camp on the island, taking the same Yankee Freedom ferry that transports day visitors.  But this option is limited in numbers and hard to reserve.

On the morning of April 16, we left Key West, heading back up the Keys to Homestead, which would be our base for visits to the other two National Parks in Florida: Everglades at the southern tip of the state, and Biscayne in the waters south Miami.

 

Leaving New River Gorge National Park on April 11^th, we traveled south on I-77 to the third park on our electric road trip:  Congaree National Park, near Columbia, South Carolina.

Established as Congaree Swamp National Preserve in 1975, Congaree became a National Park in 2003.  With about 146,000 annual visitors, the park preserves the largest tract of old growth bottomland hardwood forest remaining in the United States.

Congaree typically floods several times each year, and as fate would have it, the park was almost totally under water when we arrived.

Congaree typically floods several times each year, and as fate would have it, the park was almost totally under water when we arrived at about 4:00.  The park docent explained that the only trail above water was the upper section of the boardwalk.  The lower section of the boardwalk was under water, as were all the trails we had planned to hike during our stay at the park.  The canoe channels were also unusable because they were indistinguishable from open water.

We spent a couple of hours walking three miles on the boardwalk, getting a feel for the vegetation and feel of the park. 

We spent a couple of hours walking three miles on the boardwalk, getting a feel for the vegetation and feel of the park.  We saw a woodpecker and a snake and a few squirrels, as well as the signs for the flooded trails we had planned to hike the next day.

After a couple of hours in the park, we quickly realized that we had already seen everything there was to see under the current conditions.  So after checking into our hotel in Columbia—the nearest area where you can stay when visiting Congaree—we made some quick adjustments to our schedule and decided to leave the following morning for the Florida Keys, our next destination.

Fun fact about Congaree National Park: the speed limit inside the park is 27 mph—not 25, not 30, but 27.

Lodging

There is no lodging in or near the park, other than camping.  The nearest places to stay are in Columbia, South Carolina, about 30 minutes to the northwest.  We stayed at the Aloft Columbia Downtown Hotel and were very pleased with our choice.  The rooms were modern and clean, and the staff went out of their way to be helpful.  They also recommended the Blue Marlin restaurant across the street, and we enjoyed a great seafood meal, with excellent service.

The parking garage for the Aloft has Level 2 chargers, which a Tesla vehicle can use with a small adaptor plug supplied with the car, so we were able to charge overnight and leave for Florida in the morning with a full battery.

Charging

When we left New River Gorge National Park for Congaree, we started without a full battery because there are currently no Destination Chargers in Fayetteville.  So as we headed south on I-77 to Columbia, South Carolina and Congaree National Park, we knew we would need a charge fairly early in the day.  Before departing Fayetteville, we checked the Tesla Supercharger stations along I-77 and discovered that the Princeton, West Virginia, station has the new Version 3 Superchargers, which operate at 250 KWs.  We had used those during earlier road trips and had been impressed with their incredible speed.  So we decided to make that our first stop, even though the Tesla navigation recommended a stop further south on I-77 later in the morning. 

We learned our second lesson on fast charging—or should we say, relearned the same lesson: listen to what the Tesla navigation advises regarding charging. 

Here we learned our second lesson on fast charging—or should we say, relearned the same lesson: listen to what the Tesla navigation advises regarding charging.  Because we stopped early, the car did not precondition the battery.  As a result, the charging speeds at Princeton were disappointing relative to our expectations for a Version 3 station.  We ended up staying for about a half hour for 44 kWhs of charge.

Before we were done with our lunch, the Tesla app on our iPhone informed us that the car was charged and ready to go. 

Our second Supercharging stop for lunch, in Charlotte, North Carolina, was much more successful—and typical.  We stopped where the Tesla navigation suggested and found the station in a shopping area with multiple restaurants.  We walked to a nearby Five Guys and enjoyed some good burgers in an outdoor eating area on a beautiful afternoon.  Before we were done with our lunch, the Tesla app on our iPhone informed us that the car was charged and ready to go.  This is typical of electric car charging: you don’t stop to charge; you stop for some other activity, usually a meal or a rest stop, and charge while you do the other activity.

Supercharging at Princeton, WV (44 kWh @ $0.29)      $12.76

Supercharging at Charlotte, NC (45kWh @ $0.29)         $13.05

Total Supercharging                                                                   $41.07

Hiking Trails and Other Activities in the Park

Boardwalk Trail               3.0 miles

Total Hiking Miles            15.8 miles

Impressions

Congaree is not a typical National Park with grand vistas and iconic landmarks.  It is really more of a nature preserve that you can tour.  Because it is also a flood plain, and was flooded during our visit, we were quite limited in what we could do and see.  We also missed the annual Fire Flies event in May, which is apparently quite popular.

Visit Duration: We had planned to spend an afternoon and a full day at Congaree National Park.  With the flooded conditions, we ended up staying only two hours, enough to get a feel for the park.  If the park hadn’t been flooded, we had planned two longer hikes on the full day of our visit, but our impression was that they would have been similar to the areas we saw during our brief stay.

The next morning, we left Columbia to head south to Florida, the location of our next three National Parks: Dry Tortugas off Key West, Everglades at the southern tip of the state, and Biscayne Bay near Miami.

Leaving Shenandoah National Park on April 9^th, we enjoyed a quiet drive south on a snow-dusted Skyline Drive on the way to our next park, New River Gorge.  After exiting Skyline Drive, we traveled further south on I-81 and then west on I-64, and finally north on Route 19 to Fayetteville, West Virginia, the gateway town to New River Gorge National Park.

Established as a National River in 1978, New River Gorge was redesignated as America’s newest National Park in 2020.

Established as a National River in 1978, New River Gorge was redesignated as America’s newest National Park in 2020.  With about 1.2 million annual visitors, its primary feature is, of course, the New River and the deep gorge it has formed in the landscape.   For many years, coal mining was the primary industry, made possible by the railroads built along the river.  In more recent decades, coal mining moved to other regions of the country, and white water rafting started a new industry on the river.

The Park Ranger recommended two hikes trails that were already on our list—Endless Wall to Diamond Point on the north side of the river and Long Point on the south side.

We enjoyed a white water rafting trip years ago, but this time our primary activity was hiking the trails along the ridge of the gorge.  At our stop at the visitor center in the late afternoon, the Park Ranger recommended two hikes trails that were already on our list—Endless Wall to Diamond Point on the north side of the river and Long Point on the south side.

During our first evening in Fayetteville, we enjoyed a great pizza dinner at Pies and Pints, one of the recommended restaurants, watching snow fall as we ate.

The highlight of the Endless Wall trail is Diamond Point, which affords the best view of both the wall and the river below.  

The Ranger had warned us that the parking lot for the Endless Wall trail tends to fill up by 9:00, so we got going early the next morning in 36-degree weather for a short drive to the parking lot—to discover only one other car there.  But our reward for getting going early was a quiet hike through the woods to the ridgeline along the river, and the sun gradually emerged as the morning progressed.  The “endless wall” is a long line of exposed rock wall that reaches down from the ridge toward the river.  The highlight of this trail is Diamond Point, which affords the best view of both the wall and the river below.  While there, we traded photography services with a young couple and their two children who are fellow travelers at our National Parks.  We hope to meet them again during our journey!

Rather than complete the circuit by walking along the road to our car, we doubled back along the trail the way we came, logging 5.5 miles toward our hiking goal.

We enjoyed lunch at the Catheral Café in Fayetteville.

We rewarded our morning efforts with a great lunch back in Fayetteville at the Cathedral Café.  Nothing like a good BLT sandwich!

The highlight of the Long Point Trail was, as you might expect, Long Point, which affords a panoramic view of the gorge, the river, and the New River Gorge Bridge. 

With beautiful sunny weather in the afternoon, we headed to our second hike, Long Point Trail.  The highlight here was, as you might expect, Long Point, which affords a panoramic view of the gorge, the river, and the New River Gorge Bridge.  At 3,030 feet long, the bridge is the longest steel bridge in the Western Hemisphere and the third highest in the United States.  Readers may have heard of this bridge because they close it to vehicle traffic every third Saturday in October so that mentally unstable people can BASE jump 876 feet off the bridge into the gorge below.

Fun facts about the New River:  ironically, it is one of the five oldest in the world and the only major river in the United States known to flow north.

Doubling back from Long Point to the trailhead parking lot, we completed our second hike in New River Gorge National Park, logging another 3.3 miles.

Lodging

The Morris Harvey House B&B in Fayetteville is definitely the place to stay for a visit to NRG. 

We spent our two nights in New River Gorge at the Morris Harvey House B&B in Fayetteville.  This is definitely the place to stay for a visit to NRG.  The house has a lot of charm, the hosts are gracious and attentive, and they offer a great breakfast.  Our room on the first floor was wonderful—and saved us from having to lug our over-packed suitcases up the stairs!

As an added plus, the owners are trying to get Destination Chargers installed, but are waiting to hear back from Tesla.  Come on, Tesla, respond to the request from Morris House B&B—New River Gorge NP needs chargers!

Charging

We used our first Tesla Superchargers on the way to Fayetteville, West Virginia, and New River Gorge National Park. 

Traveling down the mountain from Skyline Drive as we left Shenandoah, we gained some range back from regenerative braking—one of the best features of electric vehicles.  Regenerative braking uses the electric motor to slow the vehicle, recapturing some of the energy and sending it back to the battery, rather than wasting it as heat as an internal combustion engine vehicle would do.  Regenerative braking also minimizes the use of the brakes, extending their life.  And the slowing of the vehicle with regenerative braking when you let up on the accelerator also allows the possibility of one pedal driving—one of the great benefits of electric cars.

During our drive to New River Gorge, we learned our first lesson in electric road tripping with a Tesla: listen to the car when it tells you to stop for a charge.

But high speeds of 70-80 mph on the Interstate Highways—our Tesla likes to go fast—eat miles on the battery indicator much faster than the miles on the road.  This gave rise to our first lesson in electric road tripping with a Tesla: listen to the car.  We thought we had enough range to get all the way to the Mt. Hope Supercharger south of Fayetteville, but the car advised us to stop at the Lexington Supercharger on the way.  We ignored that advice and started traveling west on I-64 toward West Virginia.  However, it soon became clear that this would be calling it close and that we should have topped off the battery in Lexington.  A few miles down the road, we decided that we shouldn’t press our luck—and arrival in Mt Hope would be too late for lunch anyway—so we turned around and returned to Lexington for lunch and a charge.  First lesson learned, fortunately without serious consequences.

Knowing that there are no other chargers in the Fayetteville area, we topped off the battery at the Mt Hope Supercharger station 13 miles south of Fayetteville so we’d have plenty of juice for driving around the park and for the return trip to Mt Hope on the way south to Congaree National Park in South Carolina.

Morris Harvey House B&B, our lodging for New River Gorge, has applied to Tesla for a Destination Charger, but has not heard back from Tesla yet.  There aren’t any other chargers in the area, so if they are eventually successful with their request, that will make Morris Harvey an even more obvious choice as the place to stay at New River Gorge National Park.

Supercharging at Lexington, Virginia (37 kWh @ $0.33)         $12.21

Supercharging at Mt Hope, West Virginia (45kWh @ $0.29)  $13.05

Total Supercharging                                                                               $15.26

Hiking Trails and Other Activities in the Park

Endless Wall Trail           5.5 miles

Long Point Trail                3.3 miles

Total Hiking Miles            12.8 miles

Impressions

Come for the white water rafting—and maybe later in the spring when it’s not snowing.  Or come for the foliage in the fall.  New River Gorge used to be a National River, and in many ways it is still not a typical National Park.  You get to the hiking trails along the gorge by traveling through privately owned land, and the park area is limited to the preserve area along the gorge.

Fayetteville is a nice little town—definitely the place to stay while visiting New River Gorge—and we were very pleased with our choices of lodging at the Morris Harvey House B&B and our meals at Pies and Pints, Cathedral Café, and Wanderlust Creativefoods, where we ate dinner on our second night in Fayetteville.

Visit Duration: Without rafting, a late afternoon and evening after arrival plus one full day was enough for us to experience what New River Gorge has to offer as a National Park.

After a last breakfast at Harvey Morris House, we headed south via I-77 to Columbia, South Carolina, and our third National Park, Congaree.