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The 1980 Ronnie Milsap song "Smokey Mountain Rain" mentions Gatlinburg and nothing about NC. Also, its harder to access the park from the NC side since I-40 passes through more windy and rugged terrain to reach it; whereas from the TN side, you're in a valley right up until just before you enter the park.
This is the answer. We have Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg on our side of the Mountains and for that reason and that alone is why I believe Tennessee is more associated with the Smoky mountains than our neighbors to the east are.
The North Carolina side is beautiful and more quiet. Maggie valley, Cherokee and Bryson City are all good places to base out of to explore their side of the park.
Yep, this is definitely the reason that the Tennessee side is more popular, overall.
Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg and Sevierville have massive tourist attractions, and draw so many people from all over, just to see those towns and resorts and attractions.
On the North Carolina side, Cherokee is the most touristed "smokies" town, but pales in comparison to any of the big 3 Tennessee resort towns, and is more of a pass through area.
Also, the super popular "Cades Cove" part of the Great Smokies is in Tennessee.
One of these states has a large influence over pop culture and media that in a way changes how the nation can perceive certain things about the people who live there.
NC has divided interests when it comes to vacations. Tennessee has no beaches.
The overall tourism culture for NC mountains vs TN mountains are also different niches
Asheville, and Boone have more of the "hipster in the mountains" vibes. Blowing Rock, Banner Elk, West Jefferson and Highlands are geared towards upper-middle-class to wealthy retirees.
Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge/ Sevierville is selling the "come cosplay as a hillbilly" version of Disneyworld
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