My brother in law hiked the whole dang thing from Georgia to Maine when he was younger. Now he's a major in the Marines. I have hiked about half of the Smokies.
I used to hike the Smokies a lot but a ranger really ticked me off one time. He got smart about us making sure that we camped where he said to camp and that he WOULD be coming through to check and see if we were where we were supposed to be, etc. I am woodsman enough to know that if I chose to I could camp anywhere I dang well pleased and he'd never find me. In fact I think he actually came looking for us as we fished up the stream towards camp. He "checked" my friend, including having him empty his pack. I saw him 3 times and he never spotted me. Even today I rarely rest on the trail. I'll step a few yards off and sit back and watch.
His attitude ticked me off so much that I have never backpacked in the smokies since. I go to North and South Cherokee and camp where ever I dang well please and rarely see anyone else. It also makes for some good scouting which would be pointless in the park.