The United States is blessed with so many amazing National Parks. People flock to them by the millions every year and, every year the park that ends up having the most visitors is Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It isn’t really even close. In 2019 the Grand Canyon came in second place with just under 6 million visitors. The Smokies were first at over 12 million, over twice that of the second place park.

There are a lot of factors that are at play with those numbers. It is on the east coast where there isn’t as much competition for other parks. It is located by a couple of really big tourists towns in Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg on the Tennessee side, and Cherokee and Bryson City on the North Carolina side. But, the real reason why so many people go to this park year after year is because it is just a beautiful place with a ton to do. We recently went on a trip to the Smokies and had a blast. Here is all you need to know to have a great time on your visit.

About Great Smoky Mountains NP

The Smokies are a mountain range located on the border on North Carolina and Tennessee. The park is home to a very diverse plant and animal life. Because there is so much variation in elevation, rainfall, and temperature there are so many different types of plant – there are over 1600 different flowering plants alone! As far as wildlife, the Smokies are a great place to see black bears (over 1500 live here), elk, deer, wild turkeys, coyotes, and salamanders. We love searching out animals on our trips and the Smokies are a great place to do this.

The park has two main entrances that are connected by the Newfound Gap Road. This road is the main road for the whole park connecting the Gatlinburg, TN entrance to the Cherokee, NC entrance. This is a super scenic road and if you are just in the park for a day or two you will want to stick to this. There are other entrances to the park, and you will actually need to drive around the outside of the park to access many of the areas of the park. Look Rock, Abrams Creek, Twentymile, Cataloochee, Big Creek, and Greenbrier are all best (and sometimes only) accessed by leaving the park and driving around.

Where To Stay

There are plenty of campsites located throughout the park. If you like to backpack, tent camp, or park an RV or Skoolie, there is a spot for you. Most people however, opt for one of the awesome mountain towns surrounding the town.

The towns of Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge are a tourist lovers dream. There is anything and everything you could want or imagine. Plenty of great local and chain restaurants. Tons of hotels, cabins, apartments, and Airbnbs. A variety of nightlife, shows, aquariums, and museums. And for the shopper – everything from outlet malls to high end retailers. And of course, you can’t miss the most important thing from that area of Tennessee – Dollywood.

The North Carolina side is a lot quieter but they have plenty as well in Bryson City and Cherokee. Both of these towns are great to stay in and will keep you busy. A really great part of staying on this side is the amount of waterfalls that are available to you right outside of the park gates. Mingo Falls, Soco Falls, Indian Creek Falls, Juney Whank Falls, and Tom Branch Falls are all located on the North Carolina side of the park.

Great Smoky Mountains Visitor Centers

There are four visitors centers located throughout the park. Sugarlands, Oconaluftee, Cades Cove, and Clingmans Dome. You can get a National Park passport stamp at each one of these locations. Two of the centers are at the main entrances. The other two are a little off the road, but are major areas that you will want to visit.

Sugarlands and Oconaluftee (ask a Park Ranger how to say it and then enjoy saying it the rest of the day) are the two main entrance visitor centers. Sugarlands is on the Tennessee side at the Gatlinburg entrance. This is the most visited visitor center because it is so close to the more touristy towns of Tennessee. There is a nice gift shop and a pretty cool museum. Oconaluftee is a pretty new visitor center and has a really cool topographical map of the park as well as a great gift shop. In addition, there is a fantastic mountain farm museum that you can walk through and learn how families lived a 100 years ago.

The other two visitors centers are located in Cades Cove and Clingmans Dome. There isn’t too much to these two centers. Cades Cove is actually an open air structure that kind of looks like a giant bus stop and Clingmans is like an old camp canteen. They do have food and souvenirs to purchase at both places, but the real reason a National Park lover needs to go is for the passport stamp.

A bonus, the Clingmans Dome center has a passport stamp for the Appalachian Trail because it passes right through there. We were thrilled by that because we had just been to Harpers Ferry, West Virginia a couple of weeks before which is the halfway point of the AT. When we were there, all of the places to get the stamp were closed because of Covid and they didn’t have any out. Lucky for us, Clingmans Dome had them!

Cades Cove

Cades Cove is one of the coolest spots you can check out when you go to the Smokies. You can get to it from the entrance outside of the park off of Highway 73, but our favorite way to access the area is by taking Fighting Creek Gap and Little River Gorge Roads from the Gatlinburg entrance. The Little River section is one of the most beautiful drives we have ever been on. This drive is one of the highlights of the park. Take your time, make some stops, and enjoy.

Cades Cove is a peaceful valley area that was settled in the 1800s. It is an 11 mile loop road that takes you through a ton of awesome stops. You can get out and hike to waterfalls (Abrams and Laurel) and see a bunch of fantastic historic buildings. There is a church for every denomination as well as tons of historic homesteads. They make for a great place to explore.

What makes Cades Cove so special though is the wildlife. We definitely recommend going early in the morning or right before the sun sets. You can see black bears, deer, wild turkeys, coyotes and so many other awesome animals. This is such a fun place to slow down and take it easy.

This drive can take up to 2 hours on some days because it can get so crowded. Come prepared and pack a lot of patience if you are there on one of those busy days. Make sure you prepare for that. It also takes a while to get here, so plan on at least a half a day.

Take A Hike In The Great Smoky Mountains

Great Smoky Mountain National Park is the home of some incredible hikes for all different skill levels. There are far too many to name here, but we did want to point out a couple of the best ones.

The AT

The Appalachian Trail goes right through the park. There are a couple of really great places to hop on the trail and hike. Maybe the best is the hike from Newfound Gap to Charlie’s Bunion. It is a four mile one way hike with a little bit of elevation change. There are some tough spots, but the views along the way are well worth it.

Rainbow Falls

Rainbow Falls is perhaps the most popular of all of the trails in the smokies. Parking is tough here so try and get here early. This trail follows LeConte Creek at the beginning and crosses through some beautiful vegetation before getting to the falls. Rainbow Falls is an 80-foot waterfall that is just stunning (when the water is flowing). The main parking area is off of Historic Nature Trail Drive in Gatlinburg.

Gatlinburg Trail

An easy and fun hike for just about anyone is the Gatlinburg Trail. This trail is located right by the Gatlinburg entrance. You can actually get on it from downtown (or the Sugarlands visitor center). This is a 3.9 miles trail that takes you by the Little Pigeon River. You can hike on this for as long as your kids legs can handle. There is a really beautiful bridge over the river. A great place to take some pictures. There are plenty of stops along the way where you can learn about the history of the park. You can also take a spur trail to Cataract Falls from this trail. This is a relatively easy, flat trail that most beginning hikers will be able to hike.

Abrams Falls

Abrams Falls is another great hike. This one is located in the Cades Cove area of the park. Abrams Falls is not a giant waterfall, but it is usually pretty full with some swift water. This trail is a 5.2 mile hike that takes you through some pretty scenery. We read somewhere that this is the 9th most dangerous hikes in all of the United States. We thought that was crazy.

There are so many other amazing hikes in the Smokies. Gregory Bald, Alum Cave, Mount LeConte and so many more. For the best hike for your ability and family, we definitely recommend stopping by one of the visitors centers and talking to a Park Ranger. They can point you in the right direction for a great time with your group.

Clingman’s Dome

Clingman’s Dome is the highest point in the Smokies and at one point was thought to be the highest point east of the Mississippi. Now it ranks third behind Mt. Mitchell and Mt. Craig. This mountain is over 6,600 feet tall and has an incredible viewing tower at the peak. It is a fun spiral walkway up to the top. On a clear day you can see up to 100 miles, but it is the Smokies so those days are few and far between. Either way, there are plenty of great views no matter the weather.

To get to Clingmans Dome take the Newfound Gap Road (Hwy. 441) to Clingmans Dome Road. It is pretty much right between Gatlinburg and Cherokee. From the parking lot it is about a half-mile trail to the summit. It is a pretty steep trail. There are a ton of places to stop and sit on benches, all with spectacular views. The road does close during the winter, so if you come during that time you will need to hike up (and that is miles and miles!). You can’t miss Clingmans Dome on your visit to the Smokies.

Mingus Mill

The Smoky Mountains and surrounding areas are full of historical buildings. These buildings tell the story of the different people that settled in this area through the years. An important part of life in those days revolved around mills. Many of the old mills have been restored, none better than Mingus Mill.

The Mingus Mill parking area is located on the North Carolina side of Newfound Gap Road near the Oconaluftee Visitor Center. It is a short walk over a beautiful little creek to get to the mill that was built way back in 1886. This is still a working mill today and it is staffed with millers who will be able to educate you on all things dealing with mountain life. We sat and talked with them for a while about mountain music – some are pretty great musicians.

Throughout the year they offer special programs. They have everything from educational programs to bluegrass concerts on the porch. This is a great place to relax, go on the nearby trail, or have a picnic.

Wildlife Viewing

Roaring Fork

There are so many great places to check out wildlife throughout the park. Many of the places you can view from the comfort of your own car. The Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail is a super fun one-way 5.5 mile loop road. There are plenty of historic buildings, cabins and mills, beautiful streams, and an old looking forest. This is a great place to see animals in the wild.

Cataloochee

Cataloochee is a favorite for people looking for elk. They were reintroduced into the Smokies in 2001 and they have thrived. If you want to see elk, try and get there first thing in the morning or at sundown. They are so fun to watch and listen to. The easiest way to get there is to take I-40 at NC exit 20, just follow the signs to Cataloochee from there. If you want a more adventurous route, come in from Tennessee on Highway 32. Just don’t do it if you get car sick easily.

Cades Cove

Cades Cove is probably the best place to see black bears. There are a bunch in the area. The key to seeing them is to be patient and to be there in the morning or right before the sun goes down. Find a good pull off spot in a valley and see if you can see them running around. Also, black bears in the mountains are often found in the trees. So, make sure you look up as much as you look down.

Newfound Gap Road

Another really great spot to see elk is the valley by the Mingus Mill parking area on Newfound Gap Road. We were just driving by and saw a huge herd right before it got dark. There were Park Rangers directing traffic and answering questions. It was a great experience. The Rangers said they are out there just about every day, so make sure you plan to be there around sundown.

Newfound Gap

The Newfound Gap parking area is located near mile marker 15 along the Newfound Gap Road. This is a great place to relax and take a lunch break with some incredibly scenic views. You can climb the Rockefeller Overlook that towers over the parking area. Great views from the top. The Appalachian Trail crosses right through this area. You can get on the trail here and hike for a couple of miles just to say you have been on it. This is also the state line of North Carolina and Tennessee, always fun to be in two states at once.

Great Smoky Mountains Packing List

You should always be prepared when heading to a National Park! Click here to sign up for our newsletter and receive our packing list for any trip we go on. For the Smokies, we wanted to highlight a couple of items that will help you have the best experience as possible.

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• Hiking boots – with all of the hiking in this park, you will need to have a good pair of boots, these are the ones that we use and we love them!
• Backpack – this pack is a little more on the expensive side for a day use pack, but it is lightweight with plenty of storage.
• Water bottle – always pack a water bottle that can be reused. This is a good one.
• Scope – we always carry a pair of binoculars but recently got a scope and have been able to see animals up close and personal. When we went to Yellowstone the people who had a scope had much better views of wildlife. If you can invest in one and go to parks a lot, go for it. These can go into the high hundreds, might want to start cheaper and see if you use it.
• Fanny pack – you read that right, fanny packs are back! This one is great for going into the woods for a couple of hours. You can hold a water bottle, some snacks, your phone, and you are good to go!

We hope you have a blast visiting Great Smoky Mountain National Park! We know we did, can’t wait to go back! What are some of your favorite places to visit while in the park? Leave a comment below and let us know.

For more guides to National Park units, check out our posts on Pipestone National Monument, Congaree National Park, Cape Lookout National Seashore, Big Thicket, Tuskegee, Gettysburg, or Canaveral National Seashore.

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