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Jan 17, 2024 · Explore America's most visited national park, famous for its biodiversity, mountains, and culture. Find out how to plan your visit, get parking tags, check closures, and more.
- Plan Your Visit
From black bears to salamanders, old-growth forests to...
- Things to Do
Feel the cool spray of a waterfall. Camp under the stars....
- Maps
Vehicle Navigation Systems and GPS units may provide...
- Camping
The park offers several different types of campsites:...
- Closed Roads & Trails
Road & Facility Delays or Closures Temporary Closures and...
- Nearby Attractions
Cumberland Gap National Historical Park. Attractions in...
- Current Conditions
Primary roads such as US-441 (Newfound Gap Road), Little...
- Calendar
In addition to the programs listed below, daily milling...
- Plan Your Visit
Great Smoky Mountains National Park is an American national park in the southeastern United States, with parts in North Carolina and Tennessee. The park straddles the ridgeline of the Great Smoky Mountains, part of the Blue Ridge Mountains, which are a division of the larger Appalachian Mountain chain.
- 522,419 acres (2,114.15 km²)
- 14,137,812 (in 2020)
- Natural: vii, viii, ix, x
- National Park Service
- Address: U.S. Route 441. Half Day to Full Day. TIME TO SPEND. Also known as notches or passes, gaps are the low points in a mountain ridge.
- Address: 1420 Fighting Creek Gap Rd. Free, Tours. TYPE. 1 to 2 hours. TIME TO SPEND.
- Address: Cherokee Orchard entrance to the national park. Free, Hiking, Recreation. TYPE. 2 hours to Half Day. TIME TO SPEND.
- Address: 10042 Campground Dr. Natural Wonders, Free, Hiking, Recreation. TYPE. Half Day to Full Day. TIME TO SPEND.
- Climb The Park's Tallest Peaks
- Trek A Portion of The Appalachian Trail
- Embrace The Charm of A Roadside "Quiet Walk"
- Hike to A Waterfall
- Dig Into The Park's History and Local Legends
- Take A Drive Amid Orange Sunsets and Foliage
- Explore A Centuries-Old European Settlement
- Canoe, Kayak and Fish The Park's Waterways
- Book A Stay at Leconte Lodge
- Explore Beyond The Park in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge
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Amid the Smoky Mountains' landscape, three peaks reign supreme – Clingmans Dome (6643ft), Mt Guyot (6621ft) and Mt LeConte(6593ft). You can summit them all, each with its own picturesque rewards waiting at the top. Clingmans Dome has a paved but super-steep half-mile finale to its peak, where the brave are treated with vistas for 100 miles on a cle...
From Maine to Georgia, the Appalachian Trail is a nearly 2200-mile bucket list hike for outdoor enthusiasts, and more than 71 miles of it zigzags through Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Starting in the south at Fontana Dam – a kayaking hot spot with a quiet lake – the trail stretches northeast within the park to Davenport Gap. In between, you ...
Dotting many of the park's roads – including the principal Newfound Gap Road thoroughfare – you'll see periodic "Quiet Walk" or "Quiet Walkways" signs with quaint parking lots. There is a certain rural charm to it all – in total, there are 14 quiet walks in the park, each no longer than a half-mile and giving visitors a quick taste of the woods. A ...
The misty splash of a waterfall sure feels nice come spring and summertime in the Smoky Mountains. Particularly in the spring, the mist has a refreshing chill given the melting snow trickling down from nearby peaks. For families, the Laurel Falls hike is a 2.6-mile round-trip and follows a primarily asphalt path. The hike to Ramsey Cascadesis a bit...
While the four visitor centers within Great Smoky Mountains National Park will give you a good insight into its terrain, wildlife and history, you can dig even deeper at nearby museums. This area is rich in Cherokee Indian, architectural and geological history. Hit the Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center in Townsend to learn more, including a vis...
Driving in Great Smoky Mountains National Park has its perks. Not only is it a seamless way for navigating some of the more popular loops – like Cades Cove and the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail – but it provides a bird's-eye view of the green spruce and fir-draped mountains come springtime and vivid red-and-orange foliage in September and October...
You'll hear Cades Cove mentioned as a hot spot for a drive – around the Cades Cove Loop – or a hike, for weaving to Abrams Falls. Should you find yourself in this western portion of the park, take some time to explore its historic settlement, too, which has buildings and remnants dating back to the 1820s. This was when the first European settlers a...
Great Smoky Mountains National Park has more than 2100 waterways spanning quiet creeks to fast-flowing rivers. For the canoeing crowd, Fontana Lake – in Bryson, North Carolina – is loaded with turns without rocky hindrances. Kayakers should head to the Nantahala Gorge, south of the park in North Carolina, where white water opportunities abound. Fis...
Want to stay in the park but hate camping? LeConte Lodge is your only option, and you'll have to hike to get there. In terms of altitude, it's the highest guest lodge in the Eastern USA, perched on the upper tier of Mt LeConte. Planning tip:The grounds consist of three multi-room lodges and seven cabins, making for limited availability. You'll need...
If you're looking to balance nature with modern pizzazz, there are numerous Smoky Mountains gateway towns for a fix, particularly in East Tennessee. These options include Gatlinburg, which has dueling zip lines at Anakeesta Mountain, moonshine tastings at Sugarlands Distilling Co and Ole Smoky Moonshine, and eight Ripley's Believe It or Not spots, ...
Discover the best experiences in the US's most-visited national park, from hiking peaks and waterfalls to driving scenic roads and exploring history. Learn about the park's wildlife, foliage, trails, museums and nearby attractions.
Mar 28, 2019 · Learn about the park's origins, attractions, and wildlife in this comprehensive guide. Discover the best trails, visitor centers, and events for your trip to the most visited park in the U.S.
