The Great Smoky Mountains
National Park
Know Before You Go!
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the most popular in the U.S.
While it's beautiful and makes for an economical vacation (no entrance fee), it's also close by. The Smoky Mountains are within a day's drive of 1/3 of the American population.
The park is an oval-shaped wilderness covering 800 square miles. It straddles the Tennessee/North Carolina border and traces the Appalachian Trail.
The Smokies are the highest mountains east of the Rockies. With that and so many great reasons to visit the Smokies...hiking, camping,
wildlife,
wildflowers
...here's what you need to know before you go.
Getting In
Come anytime! The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is open 24/7 and there's no entrance fee!
There are 3 entrances to the park:
*Gatlinburg, TN- most popular entrance
*Townsend, TN- least used entrance
*Cherokee, NC
How to Get There
*Gatlinburg entrance
-Take I-40 to exit 407 to TN-66 South
-Continue straight onto US-441 South
-Drive through Sevierville and Pigeon Forge until you enter the park
*Townsend entrance
Coming from the north:
-From I-40 in Knoxville take exit 386B to US-129 South
-At Maryville, you'll take US-321 North/TN-73 East through Townsend
-Continue driving straight on TN-73, which will take you into the park
Coming from the south:
-From I-75 take exit 376 to I-140 East
-Merge onto I-140 East via exit 376B towards Maryville
-Turn on US-129 South at exit 11A
-Turn on TN-35 to US-321 heading north
-Continue on US-321 North/TN-73 East through Townsend following it straight on into the park
*Cherokee entrance
Coming from the north:
-From I-40, take exit 27 to US-74 West
-Turn on US-19 following it through Maggie Valley
-Turn on US-441 North at Cherokee and continue through to the park
Coming from the south:
-Take US-441/US-23 North
-Merge onto US-74 West/US-441 North at Dillsboro
-Merge onto US-441 at exit 74
-Continue on US-441 through Cherokee into the park
Getting Oriented
There are 4 visitor centers within the Great Smoky Mountains National Park:
*Sugarlands:
-located on Newfound Gap Rd. (US-441) 2 miles south of Gatlinburg
-open year-round except Dec. 25
-historic exhibits, free 20-minute film about park, bookstore, gift shop
*Cades Cove:
-located at half-way point along Cades Cove Loop Rd.(one-way)
-open year-round except Dec. 25
-mountain life exhibits, Cable Mill, bookstore, gift shop
*Oconaluftee
-located on Newfound Gap Rd. (US-441) 2 miles north of Cherokee
-open year-round except Dec. 25
-Mountain Farm Museum, bookstore, gift shop
*Clingmans Dome
-located at end of Clingmans Dome Rd., 7 miles off Newfound Gap Rd. (US-441)
-open April-November
-bookstore, gift shop
Driving
The best way to get around the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is by car. Make sure you get gas before you enter because there are no gas stations within the park. There's also no public transportation.
Newfound Gap is the main road that runs through the park. You'll definitely feel like a tourist as all the locals whiz by you! This 2-lane, paved, scenic highway is 33 miles long. There are mile markers along the way, starting in Gatlinburg. Newfound Gap is the busiest road and runs all the way through the center of Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Other roads in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park:
Clingmans Dome Road:
-7 miles long
-open April 1- Nov. 30, 2011
Cades Cove Loop Road:
-11 miles long
-one-way
-open year-round
-closed sunset to sunrise
-on Wed. and Sat. mornings until 10 am it's open only to bicyclists and pedestrians (May 11- Sept. 21, 2011)
-scenic, offers views of valleys, meadows, wildlife, historic sites
Cove Creek Road (Old NC-284):
-near Cataloochee
-first 7 miles is mostly paved and 2-lane, becomes gravel as you enter the park
-use caution as it's winding, hugs the mountainside, requires you to pull over at spots and let other cars by, and has steep drop-offs
Here's some more helpful info to make your trip to the Smokies even better.
Check out the links below!
Be Bear Aware!
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