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Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Sugarlands Visitor Center

1420 Fighting Creek Gap Rd

Gatlinburg, TN 37738

Phone: 865.436.7318

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-Gatlinburg Entrance-

Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Clingmans Dome
Clingmans Dome Rd
Sevier County, TN 
Phone 865.436.1200

-Newfound Gap Road Entrance-

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Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Cades Cove Visitor Center

686 Cades Cove Loop Rd

Townsend, TN 37882

Phone: 865.436.7318 

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-Townsend Entrance-

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Oconaluftee Visitor Center

Oconaluftee River Trail

Cherokee, NC 28719

Phone: 828.497.1904

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-Cherokee Entrance-

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"The Smoky Mountains are a rare jewel...Why not have a place where you can still see the stars? There is value to keeping things primitive". James Dawson

Things to see and do in the park...

  •  Auto Touring: Touring Booklets Available at the Visitor Centers:

    • Cades Cove Loop Road​

    • Cataloochee Valley

    • Newfound Gap Road

    • Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail

    • Upper Tremont Road​​​

  •  Auto Touring: Off-th-Beaten Path Destinations: 

    • Foothills Parkway East or West

    • Blue Ridge Parkway

    • Rich Mountain Road​​

  •  Historic Buildings: The Best Places  to  visit these historical buildings (Auto tour booklets are available at each place to enhance your visit on the history  of these  historical sites):

    • Cades Cove

    • Cataloochee

    • Oconaluftee

    • Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail​​

  •  Fall Colors: Autumn Drives and Hikes:

    • Drive: Roaring Fork Motor Nature  Trail

    • Hike: Grotto Falls

    • Drive: Blue Ridge Parkway

    • Hike: Appalachian Trail

    • Hike: Inspiration Point on Alum Cave Trail​​

    • Hike: Oconaluftee River Trail

    • Look Rock Tower

    • Sutton Ridge Overlook

  • Wildife Viewing

    • Cataloochee Valley

    • Cades Cove Meadows

    • Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail

  •  Horseback Riding: Guided Tours, Hayrides, Carriage Rides, Wagon Rides:

    • Cades Cove Stables

    • Smokemont Riding Stables

    • Sugarlands Riding Stables

  •  Picnicking: Pavilions Available:

    • Collins Creek

    • Cosby

    • Deep Creek

    • Greenbrier

    • Metcalf Bottoms

    • Twin Creeks

  •  Bicycling : Only Park Trails on which bicycles are allowed:

    • Gatlinburg Trail

    • Oconaluftee River Trail

    • Lower Deep Creek Trail​​

  •  Fishing: Visit one of the Visitor Centers for more information or check out the website  for additional information.​​

  •  Burial Landscapes: Stop by one of the Visitor Centers for more information on these sites.​​

  •  Camping: Park offers several different types of campsites:

    • Backcountry

    • Frontcountry

    • Group Campgrounds

    • Horse Camps​​

  •  Ranger-led Programs: Historic Mills:

    • Mingus Mill

    • Cable Mill

  •  Popular Destination Hikes:

    • Charlies Bunion

    • Alum Cave Bluffs

    • Andrews Bald

    • Rainbow Falls

    • Chimney Tops​​

  •  Waterfalls:

    • Abrams Falls

    • Grotto Falls

    • Hen Wallow Falls

    • Juney Whank Falls

    • Laurel Falls

    • Lynn Camp Prong Cascades

    • Mingo Falls

    • Rainbow Falls

    • Ramsey Cascades

  •  Picnicking: Year-Round:

    • Cades Cove

    • Deep Creek

    • Greenbrier

    • Metcalf Bottoms

  •  Wildflowers and Blooming Shrub: Wildflower Walks:

    • Oconaluftee River Trail

    • Deep Creek Trail

      • Indian Creek Waterfalls​

      • Tom Branch Waterfalls

    • Gregory Ridge Trail

    • Kanati Fork Trail

    • Schoolhouse Gap Trail​​

    • Little River Trail

    • Middle Prong Trail

    • Cove  Hardwood Self-Guiding Nature Trail

    • Porters Creek Trail

    • Appalachian Trail

  •  Fall Colors: Early to Mid-October the best views of the fall colors:

    • Clingmans Dome Road

    • Blue Ridge Parkway

    • Foothills Parkway​​

  •  Ranger-led Programs: Stop by a Visitor Centers for more information on ranger-guided programs or/and register for a program(s) or visit the website for the Park's special Events Schedule.. A variety of programs are avilable from spring to fall.

    • Guided Hikes

    • Summer Camps

    • Family Adventures

    • Naturalist Workshops

    • Programs on synchronous fireflies, butterflies, wildflowers, salamanders, elk, bears, tracking, the Cherrokees, and so much more.​

  •  Waterfalls You can drive to:

    • Megos Falls

    • The Sinks

    • Place of a Thousand Drips 

  •  Picnicking: Closed for the winter:

    • Big Creek

    • Chimneys

    • Collins Creek

    • Cosb

    • Heintooga

    • Look Rock

    • Twin Creeks

The above information has been compiled from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park's website. Check out their website below for more information before your next visit. Also, stop by any of the Visitor Centers  for  information on their programs and schedules  of upcoming special events. Visit the bookstore for tour booklets and souvenirs.
Image by Div Pithadia
Image by Andy Staver

Great Smoky Mountains National Park parking tag program:

Pay It Forward!

As of March 1st, 2023...All visitors are required to have a parking tag on their vehicles in order to park their vehicle at any given parking area within the boundaries of the Park for more than 15 minutes. All parking tags are available online or onsite. 

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Daily ($5) Weeky ($15) Annual ($40)

Experience the Smokies...

From $99.00
Lowest Price Guaranteed.

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