Trying to observe the geology in Great Smoky Mountain National Park can be rather difficult at times, due in part to the diversity of plant species. Many trees and plants cover and grow over rock exposures, and broad road cuts and rock outcrops are rare. To help guide you through the geology of the park, I highly recommend picking up a copy of A Roadside Guide to the Geology of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park by Harry L. Moore. The guide describes the parks history and geology, and offers five road guides and five hiking guides of the parks geology. I found it to be an invaluable tool in my visit to the park. The book can be purchased at the Sugarlands and Oconaluftee visitor centers.
I hope this background is useful for any future (or former) visits to Great Smoky Mountain National Park. The park is the most visited of the national parks; so expect lots of other visitors to the park. Entrance to the park is free.
References: A Roadside Guide to the Geology of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park, Moore, Harry L., University of Tennessee Press, 1988.
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