I live in Florida. I am new to backpacking but am really intrigued and excited by it. After just a few hours of making this account I have already gained some real insight that I am really pumped on:
I learned things like not being so gung-ho at the start to where I go drop $600 on gear before I need to, to get a good handful of day hikes under my belt before I tackle an overnight, and other mistakes that beginners make. However, one thing I have not found insight on is where exactly I should go.

Obviously, Florida is not very conducive to the kind of sights I want to see. I can do some of my shorter day hikes here, but I want mountains, waterfalls, and the like. I travel to the North Carolina/Tennessee area with somewhat regularity and don't mind the drive at all. Ideally, I would like to do my first real overnight in this region. I really just need suggestions or some sort of direction. Not a newbie to google, I have spent a couple days searching for beginner/moderate difficulty trails with campsites but nothing seems to jump out at me! If you guys have any recommendations on where I should go I would love to hear it.

Note: After navigating my way through some blogs and websites, a lot of people rave about the GSMNP as a great place to backpack despite fees and potential crowding. However, I seem to get mixed reviews on whether or not there are trails in the park that are okay for a beginner to traverse. Its like as soon as I get excited about trying to map out an itinerary for an overnighter, I read someone say the smokies are tough to backpack through. Any feedback on whether or not certain trails in the GSMNP would be a good fit is much appreciated!