Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Great Smoky Mountains National Park is an outdoor activity in Gatlinburg, TN, part of the Gatlinburg & the Smokies guide. Cost: free.

107 Park Headquarters Rd · Gatlinburg, TN

Why you should go…

The park covers 522,419 acres along the ridgeline of the Great Smoky Mountains, split between Tennessee and North Carolina. You come for scenic vistas, more than 100 prominent waterfalls and historic buildings left by early settlers, such as those in the Cades Cove Historic District. The Appalachian Trail runs 71.6 miles through the park, and Kuwohi tops out at 6,643 feet. There is no entrance fee, but a parking tag is required if you park longer than 15 minutes.

#national park
#hiking
#waterfalls
#scenic drive
#camping

What's around here?

The closest stops to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

Sightseeing
Outdoor Adventure
Newfound Gap
Free
The lowest drivable pass across the Smokies, straddling the Tennessee-North Carolina line.
Right next doorSwitch it up: Sightseeing
Sport & Outdoor
Outdoor Adventure
Clingmans Dome
Free
The highest point in the Smokies, with a 360-degree observation tower above the treeline.
5.3 mi awayMore like this
Sport & Outdoor
Outdoor Adventure
Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail
Free
A quiet 5.5-mile loop past waterfalls and preserved log cabins deep in the national park.
6.2 mi awayMore like this
Sightseeing
Iconic
Gatlinburg Space Needle
Under $25
A 407-foot observation tower with a glass elevator ride to a 360-degree viewing deck.
8.4 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing
Museums
Quirky Fun
Ripley's Believe It or Not! Odditorium
Under $25
Ten rooms of oddities, shrunken heads, and optical illusions on the Gatlinburg strip.
8.5 mi awaySwitch it up: Museums
Sport & Outdoor
Family Favorite
Ober Mountain
$25–$50
An aerial tramway ride up to alpine coasters, a ropes course, and mountaintop views.
8.6 mi awayMore like this