Celebrate the Outdoors at Great Smoky Mountains National Park

When this post was published in late 2015, the National Park Service was getting ready to celebrate their 100th birthday, and kicking off the Find Your Park initiative.  The campaign was  not only about national parks, but "state parks, local parks, trails, museums, historic sites and the many ways that the American public can connect with history and culture, enjoy nature, and make new discoveries.” Great Smoky Mountains National Park definitely fits the bill as a place to connect with all of the above. As part of the Appalachian Mountains, known to be some of the oldest mountains in the world, there are over a dozen peaks in the park with an elevation over 5,000 feet. Besides the expansive views, things to do at Great Smoky Mountains National Park include hiking, exploring historic structures, and viewing cascading waterfalls, along with searching for wildlife like elk and black bears. Each time we have visited over the years, we have discovered something new.  

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Updating this post for 2024 brings a new opportunity to encourage park visitors to join the #RecreateResponsibly movement, as more time is spent outdoors on America’s public lands. This is especially true at Great Smoky Mountains National Park. With a 2022 visitation reported at over 12.9 million, the park often takes the top honor as the most visited national park. This makes it more important than ever for visitors to make thoughtful decisions and apply Leave No Trace principles while they are visiting. Keep reading to start planning now for a future trip to responsibly enjoy and celebrate the outdoors at Great Smoky Mountains National Park.    

Things to Do at Great Smoky Mountains National park

This 800 square mile park straddles the North Carolina and Tennessee borders, and has several entrances to make it more easily accessible from several directions.  To get started with planning, here’s some suggestions of things to do. Use the park website for the most up to date information on trail closures, ranger events, maps, and 2024 parking pass information before you go. Keep in mind that internet service is often spotty at best, and non-existent in most cases at many parks. 

• Start at a Visitor Center: One of the best ways to get acquainted with the park is to stop at one of the handful of Visitor Centers scattered at the various entrances to the park. There are also a few information centers located outside of the park, near Gatlinburg, Sevierville, and Townsend. Chatting with the park rangers and asking questions about trails is always worth the time. If you enter the park in Cherokee, the only main entrance in North Carolina, stop at the highly rated Oconaluftee Visitor Center. Kids will enjoy the Mountain Farm Museum and it’s a great place to look for wildlife. Consider a visit to the nearby Museum of the Cherokee Indian to learn more about the history of the Cherokee people who can trace their heritage in the area back over a thousand years. Be sure to check the website for the most current visitor center hours of operation.
• Hike to a Waterfall:  With consistent rainfall and plenty of elevation changes, the waterfalls in the park are worth seeing. For a moderate-rated hike from the Gatlinburg parkway side of the park, many visitors take the trail to Rainbow Falls. It’s about 5.4 miles roundtrip to hike and the views of the waterfall at the end are rewarding. We did this hike in a few hours, and were rewarded with this beautiful view at the end. The waterfall hikes are popular, but there are plenty of places in the park to find cascading water near the trail. Explore the list of waterfall hikes at Great Smoky Mountains National Park, or use this park resource to find easy, kid-friendly hikes. And keep your eyes open for one of the 30 species of salamander as you hike through what is known as the “Salamander Capital of the World.”

• Enhance your Drive with an Auto Tour: Pick up a one of the auto tour booklets from the visitor center (or find online), including the popular Cades Cove Auto Tour.  Learn about park history or wildlife facts as you are driving between park destinations.  The popular 11 mile Cades Cove Loop is one of the best places in the park to see wildlife like deer, black bears and turkey. The National Park App also includes a Cades Cove Driving Tour. Another idea is to purchase and download the Guide Along tour (formerly GyPSY Guide), which provides active, location-based commentary and is like having a local guide driving along with you (download the tour while you have cell service).  We purchased a tour on the Road to Hana in Maui and really enjoyed learning local history and hearing stories along the way. 
• ​Explore Historic Buildings Around the Park. The park is home to over 90 historic structures, including some on the National Register of Historic Places. Many of these log buildings were abandoned by landowners in 1934 when the park was established. Explore the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail, which offers a glimpse at old grist mills and log cabins. Cades Cove is probably the top spot for historic buildings in the park.  
• Drive to Clingmans Dome. If you enter the park from the Cherokee entrance, it’s about a 25 mile drive to Clingmans Dome, the highest peak in the Smokies. From the parking area, take the steep, paved trail about .5 mile to the observation tower. If the sky is clear, the view from the observation platform is spectacular. Because the visitor center sits at roughly 6,300 feet, it’s often chilly, even in the summer. Be sure to visit the exhibits in the visitor center to learn some of the history of the area along with learning about the forest ecosystem. The road leading to the observation tower is closed seasonally during the winter.  

Be sure to pick up a Smokies Guide Newspaper for detailed information about all the activities available in the park for each season. In addition to the regular Junior Ranger program, the park offers the Not So Junior Ranger Program, for kids 13-130. Just attend 3 ranger led programs and turn in a special signed card at the visitors center and you’ll earn a free patch. 

Helpful Tips & Resources for Great Smoky Mountains National Park

• Use the National Park Service app, and be sure to save the park for offline use while you have cell phone service. 
• Be sure to make any camping reservations well in advance. There are currently 10 locations for camping (not including backcountry camping).
• Before you go, educate yourself about the black bears found in the park. Explore the interactive map and learn what to do if you see a bear. 
• Check out the Off the Beaten Path page prior to your visit. We have always been big believers in getting out early when visiting a national park for numerous reasons.  Even an extra hour in the morning can have a big impact on your day.  This park in particular is extremely popular and crowds are an issue. 
• Explore our National Park Inspiration Pinterest board to find other resources for things to do in Great Smoky Mountains and other national parks. Create your own national park board to save all your ideas in one place. 
• Rent a cabin in one of the nearby towns like Gatlinburg or Pigeon Forge to use as a base for day trips. Many of the cabins in this area are well equipped, with game rooms and hot tubs along with spectacular mountain views. On our trip to Tennessee, we enjoyed our stay in the Brothers Cove community. The road to our cabin was steep, but the views from the top were breathtaking. ​

​A note about the crowds. As I mentioned earlier, Great Smoky Mountains National Park is one of the most popular national parks, and has experienced a surge in visitation in recent years. The most popular months for visitors are typically June and July, with October not far behind. This large influx of visitors has often led to crowded trails, congested parking areas, and damage to the park.  Read about their efforts for improving the visitor experience here. For the latest information and updates, check the park website and Twitter often before you head out.