Great Smoky Mountains National Park had a record number of visitors in 2018.

In all, more than 11.4 million people visited the Smokies last year – up slightly from the year before.

Park Superintendent Cassius Cash said some of that could be attributed to the new section of the Foothills Parkway that was completed in November, granting visitors access to new areas and greater views. Cash called it “a spectacular scenic driving destination.”

Nearly 200,000 people visited the new section in the final two months of the year. That figure alone represents a record number of visitors for that time period.

Cash said the new addition is really something to see and added he hopes people will “take the time to explore it across the seasons.”