Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Few realize that this park, which straddles Tennessee and North Carolina, is the salamander capital of the world. Families can learn about the bears, birds and bugs in the park — and the salamanders — at the Smoky Mountain Field School. For a fun trip, the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad runs Raft n' Rail excursions into the park, bringing families into the park on a 22-mile train ride before heading back on a two-hour whitewater raft trip.