Quote:
Originally Posted by xzmattzx
Are there any gateway towns for the national parks in the Upper Midwest? Parks like Isle Royale, Voyageurs, Badlands, Theodore Roosevelt, Wind Caves, and Mount Rushmore?
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The gateway to the Black Hills and Badlands is basically Rapid City, SD. However, it's more of a small city than a gateway town. Still feels very western and has a charming downtown.
Bayfield serves as the gateway to the Apostle Islands in WI. It's very small and pleasant.
The Smokies, as others have said, are definitely worth a visit, even with the weirdness of Gatlinburg. There are few mountainous regions in the east that impress me, but I love the Smokies with the lush greenery, waterfalls galore, and hovering clouds. In some ways Asheville is also a gateway town, and is fantastic, of course.