>> The Sugarlands Visitor Center is on the Tennessee side, just south of Gatlinburg, inside the park boundaries. >> Does My Parking Tag Guarantee Me a Parking Spot? GSMNP has 384 miles of well-maintained roads most are paved, but some are gravel. A destination in itself, Gatlinburg is a supremely popular place to stay in the Smoky Mountains. There are two main entrances to Great Smoky Mountains National Park: Sugarlands and Oconaluftee. Maybe easier access to Laurel Falls trailhead, but its debatable if its faster. It sees as many visitors as the next 3 most visited national parks combined (2022 data). Please return to AARP.org to learn more about other benefits. With abundant wildlife and plant life, naturalists love to explore this area. Where to stay when visiting Great Smoky Mountains National Park. For times when you want a hotel that isn't competing with your to-do list. Our most popular newsletter for destination inspiration, travel tips, trip itineraries, and everything else you need to be an expert traveler in this beautiful world, Where to Eat, Play, and Stay, in Delray Beach, Florida, The Best Camping Spots in Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks, These Amtrak Train Routes Make Stops at Some of America's Most Scenic National Parks, Whats New at the Jersey Shore This Summer, This Summer's Most Exciting Hotel Openings, The Best Places to Stay Near Acadia National Park. Cozy up at Sky Ridge Yurts, located just across the river from rafting outfitters like Nantahala Outdoor Center. receive communications related to AARP volunteering. Ideal if you have grandkids in tow: Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies, where a penguin cam keeps an eye on the tuxedo-clad charmers. National park annual passes cover entry fees, not additional/extra fees, and GSMNP doesnt have an entry fee. There are gates on this road that could close access, but the National Park map doesnt label this as a road that will close every winter. It's a good idea to start your visit at the Sugarlands center, just 2 miles from the Gatlinburg entrance, for a 20-minute orientation film that will give you a nice overview. The first tip is to avoid Cades Cove at all costs. Four visitor centers are located within the national park at Sugarlands, Oconaluftee, Cades Cove, and Clingmans Dome. Chartered by Congress in 1934 and officially dedicated by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1940, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP) offers near-endless outdoor fun from hiking (you can find trails for all ability levels) to boating, cycling, fishing and horseback riding. Erected in the late 1800s for George Vanderbilt, grandson of Cornelius Vanderbilt, the lavish country home sits on a 125,000-acre tract south of town. At Maryville, stay on US-321 North/TN-73 East. Want to go really gonzo and test your grit? Preserved late 19th-century and early 20th-century structures including two churches, a schoolhouse and several cabins reveal this history. Hen Wallow Falls is a popular day hike, located just 2.1 miles from the Cosby Picnic Area. There are over 800 miles of hiking trails. How to Safely Install a 50 Amp RV Plug at Home, 10 Best Places for Free Camping in West Virginia, The Best RV Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS), This is the Best RV Surge Protector on the Market. This road will take you through Sevierville and Pigeon Forge into the park. TYPE. From the south, youll follow US-74 West/US-441 North to exit 74, where youll merge onto US-441. Check Out This Back Door Entrance Into Great Smoky Mountains National Park No, GSMNP parking tags are neither transferable nor refundable. At Maryville proceed on US-321 North/TN -73 East through Townsend. At Exit 74 merge onto US-441. Gatlinburg Entrance To Smoky Mountains National Park - Family Travel Path Revisit the 18th century at the Oconaluftee Indian Village amid re-creations of traditional Cherokee dwellings, sacred ritual sites and workshops. The park is open 24 hours per day, allowing you to get an early . I travel the world and report back all the details, like itineraries, packing lists, and real life budgets, so you can plan, save, and go on a vacation, too! You'll find restroom facilities at visitor centers, campgrounds, picnic areas, Newfound Gap and Clingmans Dome. Plan Your Visit Directions & Transportation Directions Driving Directions Airports Public Transportation Download maps of the park and surrounding region Directions to Main Entrances Gatlinburg, TN entrance From interstate highway I-40 take Exit 407 (Sevierville) to TN-66 South. The following are all in isolated sections of the park that dont connect to the rest of the parks main roads. Then youll take exit 11A onto US-129 South. Getting stuck in crowds and waiting in lines probably isnt what you had in mind. The streets that wind through Gatlinburg can be congested, but theres a reason most visitors stop here. Here you can pick up a park map or newspaper, have your questions answered by a ranger, and purchase books and guides to the park. The theme park has state-of-the-art roller coasters, musical performances, and a museum with artifacts from Partons career, including her former tour bus with a custom-made bathtub. You can reach this entrance from Gatlinburg in about an hour. Train tickets include admission to the Smoky Mountain Trains Museum, which has over 7,000 model train engines and cars. Their sole purpose is to defray the cost of your wear-and-tear on the parks roads, trails, and other infrastructure. Dont ruin your trip to Great Smoky Mountains National Park by entering at the busiest entrance. At the main intersection in Sevierville, continue straight onto US-441 South. PHOTO BY: Sean Pavone / Alamy Stock Photo. Just remember, you're in the mountains, so be prepared for many twists and turns, plus occasional steep inclines and declines. Now that you are familiar with some of the major entrances to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, youll be ready to hit some of the parks famous hiking trails! Enjoy Your Visit to Great Smoky Mountains National Park! The trail begins 3 miles into the park from the Cherokee Orchard entrance, a little more than a mile east of the Sugarlands center. If youre looking for lots of things to do and want entertainment during your visit, this entrance may be the best one for you. Explore a historic mill. **You really should reserve at least 4 hours (or more in summer or fall) just for Cades Cove. You might be tempted to fly into Nashville, TN (BNA), but thats a 4 hour drive to the Sugarlands entrance to the park. Titanic Museum features a replica of the doomed ship, while the Alcatraz East Crime Museum lets visitors get up close to Ted Bundys VW Beetle and OJ Simpsons White Bronco. Day-trippers can break here for lunch as well. Its address may be Waynesville, but trust usthe mountaintop lodge feels like its own universe, bordering national park property along the Cataloochee Divide. The ever-present fog circling the range prompted the Cherokee to name the mountains shaconage, which translates to place of blue smoke. Euro-Americans later dubbed them the Great Smoky Mountains. Why No Entrance Fee? - Great Smoky Mountains National Park (U.S Lets take a look at a handful of other options to make your trip an enjoyable experience! Since Gatlinburg is packed with shops, restaurants and attractions, it is easy to grab a meal or pick up some last minute hiking gear before heading into the park! Cherokee, NC entranceFrom the north: From interstate highway I-40, take Exit 27 to US-74 West towards Waynesville. Updated: 1/24/2023 New - 2023 Park it Forward Program New for 2023, Visitors parking for more than 15 minutes in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park will require a Parking Pass. Required fields are marked *. And the Great Smoky Mountains National Park preserves Southern Appalachian culture with historic structures and a visitor-friendly Cherokee Indian reservation. Each gateway town has its own personality, but most don't get as much press as well-known Gatlinburg. Child under 2 must either sit in laps or in seats: There are children in rooms without an adult, Please select a trip duration less than 28 days, There must be at least 1 traveler (age 12+) for each infant in a lap. PHOTO BY: Richard Ellis / Alamy Stock Photo. Youll also find a number of smaller entrances into the national park that may feature ranger stations, but no visitor centers. Grand Bohemian Hotel Charlotte, Autograph Collection. When the October peak season overruns the roads in other park sections, Swafford recommends this area for leaf-peeping and wildlife viewing. Home Blog Great Smoky Mountains National Park Top 3 Entrances to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. You'll also find vending machines at visitors centers. During fall-foliage season, avoid the crowds by visiting on a weekday and focusing on the quieter North Carolina sector. The Smokies have more than 700 fishable rivers, including the Little River, that can be visited with Townsend-based Little River Outfitters. Directions to The Great Smoky Mountains National Park | Entrances Not having a plan is a recipe for disappointment. Here are . What Are Studded Tires, And Are They Overkill? Atlanta is 175 miles southwest. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement and Your California Privacy Rights. 2 reviews 3 helpful votes Which entrance 14 years ago Save Hello, We have never gone to the park and we have 5 days for a visit. For dinner, book a table at The Greenbrier Restaurant, a converted log cabin that serves dry aged steaks and seafood. Another one of the entrances to Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the Townsend entrance, which is located about 25 miles west of Gatlinburg. Because there are so many entrances to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, you wont have difficulty finding your way in. If you're coming from Asheville, carve out time to tour the opulent Biltmore Estate before leaving the city. You can also take Wears Valley road in to Townsend and go in the park that way too. Good to Know: Dont confuse this with the Greenbrier entrance in the northeastern part of the park. Located south of Lake Junaluska and the ski slopes of Maggie Valley, Waynesville is convenient to both the scenic Blue Ridge Parkway and the Cataloochee entrance to the national park, where elk famously roam every fall. For something budget-friendly, settle into one of the basic rooms (breakfast included) at the Greystone Lodge on the River, where you can use the town's trolley to easily access Gatlinburg's attractions (there's a stop across the street from the lodge). It has some of the best hiking, fishing and wildlife viewing you'll find in the U.S. We're sharing the inside scoop with you so you can plan your next trip to the Smokies. No, there are no reservations for entering Great Smoky Mountains National Park. There are plenty of fun things to do here, but the crowds and traffic are awful for pretty much every holiday and every season but winter. Treat yourselves to an outdoor couples massage with Maggie Valley Wellness Center, set up on a deck that overlooks Jonathan Creek and the mountains beyond. When youre feeling peckish, Nabers Drive In is like stepping back in time, complete with carhop service and a simple menu featuring burgers and hot dogs. Follow US-321 North/TN -73 East through Townsend. About 23 miles from Gatlinburg is the small off-the-beaten-path town of Cosby, Tennessee. Blue Ridge Parkway, another NPS site, begins a half mile south of the Oconaluftee entrance. Map of Region Shows major highways providing access to the national park. The Mountain Farm Museum is also here and includes a large cleared field that elk love to graze in. A Tennessee classic, Dolly Parton's Dollywood amusement park thrills with all the twists, turns and spins expected all served with a heaping side of country music. Why is There No Great Smoky Mountains National Park Entrance Fee Once in Cherokee, youll turn onto US-441 North to go into the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Townsend is called the peaceful side of the Smokies for a reason. Clingmans Dome is the 3rd tallest peak east of the Mississippi River and has stunning panoramic views on a clear day, if you can make the daunting trek up the hillside. Then you can enjoy the rest of the day once the lines start forming. From the south, youll take exit 376 off I-75 to I-40 East via 376B. The second most-visited park behind GSMNP (which we will use in this article for brevity's sake) is Zion National Park, which saw five million visitors last year.Zion charges $35 per car. History At Dillsboro merge on US-74 West/US-441 North. Pack a picnic lunch and enjoy your food right where you are. Parking tags can be purchased online ahead of your visit, but you must print it out and have the physical copy on your dash while parked. Clingmans Dome is the highest peak at 6,643 feet, and there are 16 peaks over 6,000 feet. >> The Oconaluftee Visitor Center serves the North Carolina entrance on the southern park border. Find out What Are The Most Dangerous Creatures in the Smoky Mountains? The hotel's wooden buildings were originally part of a private home but opened to the public following the 1982 Worlds Fair. Full of souvenir shops, craft stores, restaurants and kitschy attractions (think . Euro-Americans later dubbed them the Great Smoky Mountains. If youre staying in the Pigeon Forge or Sevierville areas, this entrance may be the fastest way into the Great Smoky Mountains to avoid traffic. Thirty miles west of the Sugarlands center, scenic beauty and abundant wildlife make Cades Cove the park's most popular area. Merge onto I-140 E via Exit 376B towards Maryville. This is How to Plan an RV Trip to the Smoky Mountains. Or take it easy and sightsee from the comfort of your car on highways and motor trails (one-way scenic loops) that showcase park highlights. Great Smoky Mountains National Park is an American national park in the southeastern United States, with parts in North Carolina and Tennessee. AnaVista Tower in downtown Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Check out our. Roll the dice at Harrah's Cherokee Casino. Year after year, this National Park welcomes more than 11 million visitors. Should You Use a Separate Hose for Your Black Water Flush? Follow this road through Townsend into the park. From Sevierville and Pigeon Forge: Stay straight on US-441 South and continue into the park. >> How Long Does It Take to Drive Through GSMNP? Known more to locals than to tourists, this is one of the least used entrances at Great Smoky Mountains National Park. This national park also has several secondary park entrances. The Cosby entrance is about a mile south of TN-32 on Cosby Entrance Road. 0:00. With no park entry fee to help offset costs, GSMNP has been forced to consider alternate methods of addressing the upkeep issue.
Concerts Virginia 2023, Craigslist North Mississippi, Signs You're A Backup Plan, Should A Bpd Have Custody, Articles E