Fly Fishing, Llama Treks and Tree Tents, Oh My! ‘GMA’ Campout in Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Jesse Palmer explored Tennessee’s wilderness for the NPS centennial.
— -- The National Park Service is turning 100 and "Good Morning America" is celebrating taking trips to parks across the country.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park straddles the border of North Carolina and Tennessee and spans over 800 square miles in the southern Appalachian Mountains.
Nearly 11 million people visited the park’s 850 miles of hiking trails, 2,000 miles of streams and much more last year alone, setting a record, spokesperson Dana Soehn told ABC News.
“GMA” sent special correspondent Jesse Palmer to the Smokies to explore the great outdoors and camp out in Tennessee’s wilderness. Check out the top three moments from his trip below.
1. Fly Fishing
Palmer tried his hand at fly fishing. Thankfully, Palmer, a total beginner, hooked up with local guides Ian and Charity Rutter of R&R Fly Fishing who showed him the ropes and helped him score his first catch, a Rainbow trout.
2. Llamas on the Trails
Little known fact: llamas haul supplies in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. You can hike through the stunning mountains to see the beautiful Grotto Falls and hang out with llamas. Charles Trippy, the Guinness World Records holder for most consecutive YouTube vlogs, and his fiancee Allie Wesenberg, also a social media celebrity, took a walk with the llamas with "GMA."
3. Tree Tents
Palmer slept in a tree tent, a portable tree house made by Tentsile that’s a hybrid of a hammock and a tent hangs between trees slightly above the ground.
Related Stories
ABC News Live