Visit Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Tennessee’s Great Smoky Mountains National Park is known as one of the best national parks of the Southeast, encapsulating a misty and foggy mountain wilderness in the center of the Appalachian Mountains. For outdoor lovers, you’ll never want to leave! Here's a quick guide to help you plan your next visit to this natural wonderland.

A Sugarlands Welcome

Head to the Sugarlands Visitor Center, located within 2 miles south of hotels in Gatlinburg, to view exhibits and displays and to watch a short film about the park’s history. You can also stretch your legs with a short stroll along the 15-minute trail from the visitor's center to Cataract Falls. Don't leave the center without a map, though—cellphone service and GPS coverage aren't reliable inside the park.

Doing the Loop

From old homesteads and farmhouses, to catching a glimpse of the local wildlife, the Loop is a great way to experience some of the best Great Smoky Mountain sights.

Wave goodbye to the visitor’s center and take Little River Road to Laurel Creek Road and drive into the green wonderland of the Cades Cove Loop. This self-guided auto tour follows an 11-mile loop, circling 6,800 acres of Cherokee hunting grounds and 19th-century Tennessee farmsteads. If biking's your thing, the Cades Cove Campground store rents bikes and helmets for a small fee.

A Day on the Water

Sample some new scenery at the Fontana Dam on the park's North Carolina end. Towering at 480 feet, this engineering marvel is the tallest dam east of the Mississippi. Walk across it to complete a section of the Appalachian Trail, or climb the observation tower and see Fontana Lake stretch 17 miles to the park's outmost reaches. Then head for Lake Marina, rent a pontoon boat and enjoy a family day on the water. If you want to test Lake Fontana's reputation for excellent bass fishing, you can purchase a fishing license online at the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission site.

Try Hoofing It

Saddle up and see the sights from a new perspective at the Smokemont Riding Stable near the town of Cherokee. It's one of four park concession stables providing guided-trail rides from mid-March through mid-November. You and your new, trusty partner will trudge along woodland trails that line the Oconaluftee River. If your kids are too young to ride, the stable's riverside wagon ride makes for a relaxing alternative the whole family can enjoy.