The Smokies get more visitors than Yellowstone, Yosemite, and Grand Canyon combined. And yet there are places in this park where you won’t see another soul all day.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park at a Glance
That contradiction is the whole story of this park.
We’ve spent years exploring every corner of the Smokies. Here are 15 things worth doing, organized by area so you can plan your days without crisscrossing the park.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park covers 522,427 acres across the Tennessee-North Carolina border. Entrance is free. A parking tag ($5/day or $40/year) is required for anyone parked more than 15 minutes. The park sees 12+ million visitors per year, making it the most visited national park in the country.
Things to Know Before Visiting Great Smoky Mountains National Park
- Entrance is free! Anyone parking for more than 15 minutes will need a parking tag ($5/day or $40/year).
- Here’s our favorite guide book & map for the park.
- Expect crowds, especially on weekends from June through October. The Cades Cove loop can back up for 2+ hours on a Saturday morning.
- Don’t feed or approach wildlife. Seriously. There have been fatal incidents. And in many cases, the animals involved have to be euthanized.
- Best time to visit: Fall. Visitation declines a bit, wildlife viewing is excellent, and the fall foliage is some of the best found anywhere in the world. Peak color is typically mid-to-late October.
- Cell service is extremely limited throughout the park. Download offline maps before you go. We use the NPS app and Google Maps offline.
Where to Get Gas, Food, and Supplies
There are no gas stations, restaurants, or stores inside the park. Stock up before you enter.
Gatlinburg (TN side) Full-service tourist town right at the north entrance. Gas, restaurants, grocery, gear shops. Walking distance from the Sugarlands entrance. Expect traffic on weekends.
Cherokee (NC side) Gateway town at the Oconaluftee entrance. Gas, restaurants, and the excellent Museum of the Cherokee Indian. Smaller and quieter than Gatlinburg.
Townsend (TN side) The “quiet side of the Smokies.” Small town near the Cades Cove entrance. Gas, a few restaurants, and a welcome lack of tourist kitsch.
Bryson City (NC side) Closest town to Deep Creek and Fontana Lake. Small, charming, and a good base for the southern half of the park.
Parking reality: Clingmans Dome lot fills by 10am on weekends. Cades Cove entrance backs up by mid-morning on Saturdays. Grotto Falls trailhead lot (Roaring Fork) fills by 9am. The single best thing you can do in this park is start early.
Hit Cades Cove on Wednesday morning when the loop road is closed to cars. From roughly June through September, the 11-mile loop opens exclusively to cyclists and pedestrians on Wednesday mornings until around 10 AM. Rent bikes in Townsend.
Great Smoky Mountains Itineraries
One Day in the Smokies
Sunrise at Clingmans Dome (get there before the road gate opens or right at opening). Walk the 0.5-mile paved trail to the observation tower. Drive to Newfound Gap Overlook on the way down (5-minute stop). Afternoon: Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail with a stop at Grotto Falls (2.6 mi RT). If entering from the NC side instead, start at the Oconaluftee Mountain Farm Museum and Mingus Mill, then drive up to Clingmans Dome.
Two Days in the Smokies
Day 1: Same as above. Day 2: Cades Cove. Arrive right at sunrise for the fewest cars and best wildlife viewing. Budget 2-3 hours for the 11-mile loop. Stop at the Cable Mill and John Oliver Cabin. Afternoon: hike Chimney Tops (4 mi RT, strenuous) off Newfound Gap Road on the drive back.
Three Days in the Smokies
Days 1-2 same as above. Day 3: Drive to Cataloochee Valley for early morning elk viewing (allow 40 min on the gravel road from I-40). Spend the morning exploring historic structures. Afternoon: Deep Creek area near Bryson City for waterfall hikes (Juney Whank Falls 0.6 mi RT, Tom Branch Falls within the first half mile). If you have energy left, hop on the Blue Ridge Parkway between Cherokee and Asheville for one of the best drives in the Southeast.
Planning your visit to the Smokies? Here’s our favorite hotel to stay in the Great Smoky Mountains.
Newfound Gap Road Area
Newfound Gap Road (US-441) is the main artery through the park, connecting Gatlinburg, TN to Cherokee, NC. Most of the park’s signature stops are along this corridor or a short drive off it. You can hit all of these in a single day if you start early.
1. Ascend Clingmans Dome
Distance 1 mi RT Time 30-45 min Difficulty Easy but steep Vehicle Any car Drive from Gatlinburg 50 min
At 6,643 feet, Clingmans Dome is the highest point in Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the state of Tennessee. The observation tower provides sweeping 360-degree views. On clear days, you can see over 100 miles in any direction.
The paved path to the tower is about half a mile. Fair warning, it’s steep. We’ve seen plenty of folks underestimate it.
Parking: Large lot, fills by 10am on weekends. Get there early.
Note: Clingmans Dome Road is closed December through March.
Skip the midday crowds and come for sunrise instead. We’ve done it half a dozen times and the mist rolling through the valleys below is genuinely one of the most beautiful things we’ve ever seen. Most people don’t realize you can do this. Now you do.
2. Newfound Gap Overlook
Distance Roadside pulloff Time 15-30 min Difficulty Easy Vehicle Any car Drive from Gatlinburg 30 min
Newfound Gap Overlook sits at 5,046 feet, right on the Tennessee-North Carolina state line. It delivers the sweeping, layered mountain scenery that makes this park famous.
Get here in the morning and watch the mist roll through these old hills and you’ll see why they’re called the Great Smoky Mountains. In fall, this overlook is a feast for the eyes with brilliant reds, yellows, and oranges nearly everywhere you look.
Parking: Limited. Right off US-441. Fills up fast. If the lot is full, don’t block the road. Come back in an hour.
3. Walk the Appalachian Trail
Distance Variable (day hike sections from 1-10+ mi) Time 30 min-full day Difficulty Easy-Strenuous Easiest Access Clingmans Dome parking lot or Newfound Gap
The Appalachian Trail stretches 2,200 miles from Georgia to Maine, passing through 14 states. It cuts through the heart of the Smokies and there are a number of places to hop on for even a short walk.
Easiest access point: Clingmans Dome parking lot. You can walk a stretch of the AT heading either direction with minimal effort.
Other access points: Newfound Gap, Fontana Dam, Davenport Gap
You don’t have to be a thru-hiker to experience the AT. Even a 20-minute walk from Clingmans Dome puts you on one of the most storied trails on the planet. That’s a bragging right worth having.
4. Hike to Andrews Bald
Distance 3.6 mi RT Time 2-3 hrs Difficulty Moderate Elevation Change 1,200 ft Trailhead Clingmans Dome parking lot
Named after an 1840s cattleman, Andrews Bald is a grassy ridge top offering spectacular views. Take Forney Ridge Trail from the Clingmans Dome parking lot.
The way back is uphill the whole way, so come prepared. But the reward at the top, a wide open bald with wildflowers in summer and panoramic mountain views, is genuinely special. In June, the flame azaleas here are some of the most beautiful we’ve seen anywhere.
5. Hike Chimney Tops
Distance 4 mi RT Time 2.5-4 hrs Difficulty Strenuous Elevation Gain 1,400+ ft Trailhead Chimney Tops trailhead on Newfound Gap Road
Think the Angels Landing of the eastern United States. Chimney Tops is one of the most popular trails in the park with legendary status as a must-do.
Is it a must-do with the crowds? Honestly, not in peak season. But if you come in the offseason it’s worth checking out if you’re up for a challenge.
Important: The final quarter mile is closed due to the devastating 2016 fires. You can’t summit Chimney Tops any longer, but you can enjoy the adventure along the way while still getting great views from the barricade point.
Cataloochee Valley is where the elk are, and almost nobody goes there. It is on the far eastern edge of the park, accessed via a winding gravel road from I-40. Show up at dusk. The elk herd grazes in the open fields around the historic buildings, and you might be one of 20 people there while Cades Cove has 2,000.
Cades Cove Area
Cades Cove is a wide, grassy valley surrounded by mountains on the western side of the park. It’s the single most popular destination in the Smokies, with its 11-mile one-way loop road, historic cabins, and abundant wildlife. Access it from Townsend, TN (about 25 minutes from the Sugarlands entrance).
6. Drive (or Bike) Cades Cove
Distance 11 mi one-way loop Time 2-4 hrs by car, longer by bike Difficulty Easy Vehicle Any car or bicycle
The beautiful misty mountain valley of Cades Cove is the most popular spot in the park, with its historic cabins and abundant wildlife, including black bears. In summer and fall, cars line up by the hundreds to enter this loop road.
The park service opens the road at sunrise and it typically takes 2 to 4 hours to complete the loop depending on traffic and how many times you stop. Every Wednesday from May 1 to September 25 the loop is car-free, so you can hike or bike your way through free of traffic and noise. We think the Wednesday experience is actually the better one.
Parking: Lot at the start of the loop. Fills by mid-morning on weekends.
Best time: Arrive right at sunrise for the fewest cars and best wildlife viewing.
We know Cades Cove is going to get pushback from people who’ve sat in two hours of bumper-to-bumper traffic. And honestly, we get it. But if you come at sunrise on a weekday, before the tour buses arrive, this valley is absolute magic.
Interested in Visiting Cades Cove? Check out 15 Things to See in Cades Cove (Helpful Guide + Map)
Roaring Fork Area
Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail is a 5.5-mile one-way loop accessed from Gatlinburg. It’s the gateway to some of the park’s best waterfall hikes and a beautiful drive in its own right. Closed in winter. No RVs or trailers allowed.
7. Drive the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail
Distance 5.5 mi one-way Time 1-2 hrs (driving only) Difficulty Easy Vehicle Cars only (no RVs/trailers) Access Historic Nature Trail Road, Gatlinburg
The Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail is a 5.5-mile one-way loop through beautiful forest dotted with historic buildings. Cascading streams, a historic grist mill, and plenty of serene nature. Several hiking trails along the road lead to scenic waterfalls. This is one of the best ways to experience the park if you only have a few hours.
8. Hike to Grotto Falls
Distance 2.6 mi RT Time 1.5-2.5 hrs Difficulty Moderate Trailhead Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail (Trillium Gap Trail)
Grotto Falls makes you feel like you’ve stepped into another world. The trail winds through an old-growth hemlock forest to a 25-foot waterfall that you can actually walk behind. It’s the only waterfall in the park where you can do that.
Parking: Very limited at the trailhead. Arrive before 9am or you’ll be circling.
If you’re lucky, you might see the park’s llama pack train on this trail. The park service uses llamas to haul supplies to the LeConte Lodge. Seriously. It’s one of those only-in-the-Smokies moments that makes for a great story.
The Foothills Parkway West gives you Smokies-quality mountain views without any of the Smokies traffic. It connects Chilhowee to Walland and offers sweeping ridgeline panoramas. Almost no one drives it. Pair it with a Townsend entrance to avoid the Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge chaos entirely.
Cataloochee
The most remote major valley in the park. Far from the hustle of Gatlinburg, this is where you go to see elk and step back in time. The gravel road in takes about 40 minutes from I-40 and is not suitable for RVs or trailers. That’s the point.
9. Explore Cataloochee Valley
Distance Variable (valley exploration) Time 2-3 hrs Difficulty Easy Vehicle Any car (narrow gravel road) Drive from I-40 40 min
Cataloochee was formerly home to a small mountain community before the park was established. Now you can explore the remaining historic homes and buildings and take in the peaceful mountain charm that once made this an ideal place to settle.
A herd of elk can commonly be seen grazing the pastures. You can also spot wild turkeys and other wildlife in this quiet corner. Most people skip Cataloochee and we think that’s a mistake.
Best for: Elk viewing at dawn and dusk, especially during the fall rut (September-October)
Parking: Small lots near historic structures. Rarely crowded.
10. View the Elk
Best Spots Cataloochee Valley, Oconaluftee Visitor Center fields Best Time Early morning / late evening Peak Season Fall rut (Sept-Oct)
A lot of people don’t realize you don’t have to head out west to see elk. Thanks to the National Park Service, these magnificent mammals are once again roaming the forests and meadows of the Smokies. The initial 2001 reintroduction of 25 elk from Land Between the Lakes has expanded to a healthy herd of 200+.
Safety: Maintain at least 50 yards distance. These are big animals and they will charge.
Pro tip: Call the park (865-436-1200) and ask a ranger where the elk have been most active recently. They’re incredibly helpful and it will save you a lot of guesswork.
Oconaluftee Area (NC Side)
The southern entrance from Cherokee, NC. The Oconaluftee Visitor Center area packs a surprising amount into a small area and makes a great starting point if you’re coming from Asheville or the Blue Ridge Parkway.
11. Tour Mingus Mill
Distance Short walk Time 20-30 min Difficulty Easy Cost Free Season Mid-March through late November
The historic Mingus Mill was built in 1886 and continues to churn to this day. Step inside and learn about the mill’s operations from a National Park Service interpreter. In winter, you might notice smoke coiling out of the old mill from the wood fire crackling inside.
Location: Near the Oconaluftee Visitor Center (south entrance, NC side)
12. Visit the Oconaluftee Mountain Farm Museum
Distance Short walk Time 30-60 min Difficulty Easy Cost Free Location Oconaluftee Visitor Center, Cherokee, NC entrance
The museum is actually a cluster of preserved historical pioneer buildings, including a blacksmith shop, a cabin, a barn, and others. Walk through the history of the area while the scenic Oconaluftee River rushes along just behind the treeline.
This is also a great spot to see some of the park’s elk. They’ve been known to congregate in this area in the early morning, particularly in fall.
Southern Park (Deep Creek & Fontana)
The southern edge of the Smokies is the least visited section. Deep Creek near Bryson City offers easy waterfall hikes and summer tubing. Fontana Lake marks the park’s southern boundary and offers genuine solitude.
13. Explore Deep Creek
Distance 0.6-3 mi RT (varies by waterfall) Time 1-3 hrs Difficulty Easy Vehicle Any car Drive from Bryson City 15 min
Deep Creek offers numerous hiking trails following streams and several waterfalls, including Juney Whank Falls (0.6 mi RT) and Tom Branch Falls (visible within the first half mile). One of the more underrated areas in the park.
Bonus: In summer, tubing on Deep Creek is extremely popular with families. Tube rentals are available in Bryson City.
Bikes: Allowed on portions of Deep Creek and Indian Creek trails.
Fishing: Grab a Tennessee or North Carolina license and try your hand here.
14. Fontana Lake
Distance Variable Time Half day minimum Difficulty Easy Vehicle Any car Drive from Cherokee 45 min
Fontana Lake marks the southern end of Great Smoky Mountains National Park and dips into Nantahala National Forest. The lake is a great spot for a picnic lunch away from the crowds. You can rent kayaks and boats from Fontana Village Resort.
The lake is a good distance from most other points of interest (about 45 min from Cherokee, an hour from Gatlinburg) so budget accordingly. But the tradeoff is solitude that’s genuinely hard to find elsewhere in the Smokies.
15. Drive the Blue Ridge Parkway
Distance Variable (469 mi total) Time Variable Difficulty Easy (driving) Speed Limit 45 mph Access Connects to US-441 near Cherokee, NC
The Blue Ridge Parkway begins (or ends) right at the Smokies. Why not hit the parkway when you’re done and wind your way toward Shenandoah National Park in Virginia?
At the very least, hop on for a few miles and enjoy the scenery. The stretch between Cherokee and Asheville is particularly stunning in October.
Note: Sections close in winter due to weather. Check the NPS road status map before you go.
Getting to Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Fly into McGhee Tyson Airport (Knoxville, TN) on most domestic airlines, then rent a car. Gatlinburg is a little more than an hour from the airport. Asheville, NC is about an hour from the Cherokee entrance on the south side.
Map of Things to Do at Great Smoky Mountains National Park
FAQ
Yes. Great Smoky Mountains is one of the few major national parks with no entrance fee. You do need a parking tag ($5/day or $40/year) if you park for more than 15 minutes.
On a summer Saturday, the 11-mile loop can take 3-4 hours by car. Arrive at sunrise on a weekday and you can do it in under 2 hours with far fewer cars. Wednesdays from May to September are car-free, bikes and hikers only.
Peak color typically hits mid-to-late October at lower elevations and early-to-mid October at higher elevations like Clingmans Dome and Newfound Gap. The park publishes weekly fall color reports starting in September.
Cades Cove has the highest concentration of black bear sightings. Early morning and late afternoon are your best bets. The park estimates there are roughly 1,500 bears in the Smokies, about two per square mile.
Gatlinburg (TN) puts you closest to most popular trailheads and Cades Cove. Cherokee (NC) is your best bet if you want to start with Clingmans Dome, the Oconaluftee area, or the Blue Ridge Parkway. Bryson City (NC) is great for Deep Creek and a quieter vibe.
Helpful Related Articles
Great Smoky Mountains NP Guide: Expert Guide to Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Best Hikes Great Smoky Mountains: 15 Best Hikes in Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Visiting Cades Cove: Cades Cove Visiting Guide (Helpful Tips + Map)
Tennessee National Parks: 15 AMAZING Tennessee National Parks Worth Visiting (Guide + Photos)
Best East Coast National Parks: Top 10 Best East Coast National Parks Ranked
Thank you for this!! I’ve been looking for a good list for a while and this one pretty much checks all the boxes. What time of year is best other than the fall (which I know is the time you recommend)? I’m planning a trip with my family and this is great. Do you have a printable version of this?
Hey Janice,
Thanks for dropping in! I’d say Spring is another great time to visit GSMNP just make sure to avoid spring break when all the schools are out! Waterfalls & blooms will be beautiful.
We’ll shoot you an email with a PDF!
Best,
Will
I would like to say that the road to Cataloochee is not as bad as they are describing. My family, who lives out west, makes an annual trip to GSMNT, and have been in every season love going to Cataloochee. We have always made sure to stay at least a day there and drive on the road both there and back. We used to drive in a beat-up minivan before we got our Jeep, and even in the worst weather we never had a problem. I will say that it is a very small one-lane road that for most of the time you are stuck behind some impossibly slow car but it is so worth it.
That’s a fair point coming from the west. We get a lot of comments from folks who are not used to bumpy roads so we lean on more caution is better. Really appreciate you sharing your insights as I’m sure it will be really helpful for everyone else considering.
Best,
Will
This is such a great overview of the Great Smoky Mountains! If you’re ever in Texas, consider checking out the RV parks in Midland, TX. They offer a fantastic way to relax and experience the beauty of the area while being close to local attractions. Thanks for sharing these tips!