Key Info
Details
- Hiking, Parks and Gardens Type
- More than Full Day Time to Spend
Scorecard
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Value5.0
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Facilities4.0
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Atmosphere5.0
Read about how we rank Things to Do.
One of only a few national parks that do not charge an admission fee, Great Smoky Mountains National Park is also the most visited, welcoming more than 10 million travelers annually. The 522,427-acre park is shared by Tennessee and North Carolina with the border running through the center. In addition to hiking, biking and horseback riding trails, the park offers historical exhibits, including original Appalachian cabins, and scenic drives to popular spots like Cades Cove and the waterfalls on the Roaring Fork Motor Trail. If you love seeing wildlife in its natural habitat, Cades Cove is a great place to spot deer and black bears. Start at the Sugarland Visitor Center to get an overview of the area's history and pick up trail maps, or head to what is known as "the locals entrance" at Greenbrier a little more than 2 miles east of Gatlinburg. Trailheads to Ramsay Cascades, Porter's Creek and Injun Creek start here, and it's often much less crowded than other areas of the park.
Recent visitors raved about the Roaring Fork Motor Trail, describing it as "a must-see" with awesome views. The one-way, narrow road can be crowded in peak seasons (summer and the month of October), so reviewers advised going early in the morning, especially to hike the many trailheads that originate along the way. Many visitors recommend hiking to Grotto Falls (stop No. 5 on the Roaring Fork Motor Trail) and most were also excited to see bears and other wildlife along the route. Recent visitors also said the Cades Cove Loop is a great place for viewing wildlife, but they advise packing a lunch and drinks and to be prepared to spend a half-day or more exploring the historic cabins and sites along the way. As with the Roaring Fork Motor Trail, traffic can be heavy during peak times.
The park is open 24 hours a day and is always free to enter, although some visitor centers, the historic grist mills and campgrounds close during the winter. Of the four visitor centers located inside the park, Clingmans Dome is the only one not open year-round. The others, including the popular Sugarlands Visitor Center, are open daily, except for Christmas Day. The city trolley offers service to the Sugarlands Visitor Center and Elkmont on the "Tan/National Park" route during the summer and fall for $2 round trip. For more information, check out our Great Smoky Mountains National Park travel guide.
