Things to Do in the Great Smoky Mountains
Hundreds of miles of trails, no entry fee, and more visitors than any other national park in the country — and most of them never leave the first overlook. Here's what our team tells guests to do with a day in the park.
Black Bears in the Smoky Mountains
One of the densest bear populations in the East — where to spot them safely, and what to do if one shows up at your cabin. Stay 50 yards back.
Cades Cove
Get the timing right and Cades Cove is the best half-day in the Smokies — get it wrong and it's a three-hour line of cars. You'll need a parking tag.
Fall in the Great Smoky Mountains
Color starts at the top in late September and reaches the valleys by early November — six weeks instead of two. Here's when to catch it where.
Foothills Parkway
The best mountain views in the Smokies without the traffic — a ridge road outside the park, no parking tag needed, a fraction of the crowds.
Great Smoky Mountain Elevations
The Smokies climb from 875 feet in the valleys to 6,643 at Kuwohi — pack a layer even on a warm day if you're headed to the peak.
Kid-Friendly Hikes in the Smoky Mountains
Five short trails under four miles — waterfalls, river walks, old homesteads, one that ends in downtown Gatlinburg. Matched to the right age.
Mount LeConte
No road to the top — every route is at least eleven miles round trip, and you walk up. Here's which of the four trails fits your day.
Newfound Gap
The highest point you can drive to in the park — 5,046 feet, twenty minutes from Gatlinburg, with a parking area straddling two states.
Picnic Spots in the Smoky Mountains
Five picnic areas in the park, most riverside, all better than anything you'll queue for on the Parkway. Pack from the cabin, drive fifteen minutes.
Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail
A 5.5-mile one-way loop past historic homesteads and the trailhead for Grotto Falls — no RVs or trailers, open April through November.
Scenic Drives in the Smoky Mountains
Five drives covering the Smokies — high ridges, open valley, close forest, riverside, and one outside the park entirely. No hiking required.
Sugarlands Visitor Center
Two miles south of Gatlinburg — buy your parking tag, get a real map, and ask a ranger what's actually open today. Twenty minutes well spent.
Sunsets in the Smoky Mountains
Five sunset spots ranked by effort, from your own cabin deck to a headlamp hike in the dark — plus the one overlook that costs nothing to reach.
Synchronous Fireflies in the Smoky Mountains
Access to see them is by lottery only, applications open in April for a few days. Here's how it works, and what to do if you don't get a pass.
The Sinks in the Smoky Mountains
A dramatic Little River Road waterfall with a genuinely dangerous recirculating current — look, photograph, and stay out of the water.
Waterfall Hikes in the Smoky Mountains
Five hikes from an easy paved walk to a strenuous climb, including the only waterfall in the park you can walk behind. Look, don't swim.