Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee and North Carolina draws some 11 million visitors a year, the most of any national park. For an unforgettable vacation, recommend your clients rent a car and drive on Newfound Gap Road, which runs 33 miles through the middle of the park. Exit the park on the south and they’ll come out at the entrance to the Blue Ridge Parkway, one of America’s most popular scenic drives. The parkway runs through mountains and meadows, from Great Smoky Mountains National Park to Shenandoah National Park in Virginia.

The reason for the area’s popularity is obvious. Both the park and parkway offer leisurely drives on winding, two-lane ridge-top roads that show off the splendor of the Smoky and Blue Ridge mountains. Both drives include frequent turnouts at overlooks.

For jaw-dropping colors, fall is the best time to see the half-million acres of forest transformed into a patchwork quilt of red, yellow and gold, interspersed with the green stands of fir and spruce. The leaf-peeping season begins mid-September and lasts through mid-November.

In summer, visitors can enjoy attractions in the towns of Sevierville, Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, home of Dollywood. These towns also provide a variety of lodging options.

The only lodging within the national park is LeConte Lodge, on top of Mount Le Conte. The lodge is reached by a five-mile, one-way hike, and reservations often must be made a year in advance. The park also has 10 campgrounds.

The most popular destination in the park is Cades Cove, which has an 11-mile, looping, one-way drive through a mountain valley with stops at the log homes, churches and graveyards of pioneer families. Clingmans Dome also is a must-see for first-time visitors. A concrete observation tower at the summit provides a 360-degree view of the park and the surrounding five states.