Visiting the Great Smoky Mountains
A range of old, rounded mountains, forested right to the summit, straddling Tennessee and North Carolina. In the morning a blue haze rises from the valleys and gives the park its name. It is the most visited national park in the United States, and one of the few that stays free: you only pay to park.
Two worlds turn their backs on each other. On the Tennessee side, Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge line up theme parks, dinner shows and log cabins. On the North Carolina side, Cherokee and Bryson City live to the rhythm of the river and the Cherokee nation. Between them, a single road crosses the ridges. You come for the hiking, the black bears and the autumn colours, not for the quiet of a remote park.
You will love it if
- You like forest walks to waterfalls and viewpoints
- You want to see bears, deer and elk in the wild
- You are travelling as a family and want both nature and attractions
Give it a miss if
- You are after alpine peaks and rocky landscapes
- You hate crowds: in October the park roads are jammed
- You do not want to drive: nothing works without a car
The must-sees
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An open valley in the middle of the forest, with wooden churches, mills and pioneer cabins. An eleven-mile one-way loop circles it, and deer graze by the road. Come at opening time, or on a summer Wednesday, when the loop is kept for cyclists and walkers.
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2 Kuwohi, formerly Clingmans Dome
The roof of the park, at 6,643 feet. A concrete ramp leads to an observation tower from which the ridges roll away to the horizon. The access road closes in winter, from December to March. Go up at sunset, when the haze fills the valleys.
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A narrow one-way road that leaves Gatlinburg and winds between streams, abandoned farms and an old mill. The Grotto Falls and Rainbow Falls trails start from its car parks. It closes in winter, and RVs cannot use it.
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4 The Museum of the Cherokee Indian
In Cherokee, the story of the nation that lived in these mountains long before the settlers, up to the Trail of Tears. Masks, everyday objects and recorded stories. In summer, stay on for the open-air theatre next door, which tells the same story.
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5 The Alum Cave trail Hiking
The finest climb in the park: a stream, a rock arch, then an ochre overhang clinging to the cliff. The bravest carry on to Mount LeConte and its lodge, reachable only on foot. Park before 8 am: the car park is full by mid-morning.
The classic trap
Turning up at 11 am at the start of the best-known trails, such as Grotto Falls or Alum Cave. The car park is full, the queue spills onto the road, and the waterfall is shared with hundreds of people. Set off at dawn: the trails are empty, the light is soft and the bears are still about.
Our itineraries in the Great Smoky Mountains
| Length | Itinerary | What you see |
|---|---|---|
| 3 days | Gatlinburg › Cades Cove › Kuwohi | The Tennessee trails, the pioneer valley, the summit |
| 1 week | Townsend › Gatlinburg › Newfound Gap › Cherokee › Bryson City | Both sides, Cherokee culture, the river |
| 10 days | The whole park, then Cataloochee and the Blue Ridge Parkway | The elk, the eastern ridges and the scenic road |
Start on the Tennessee side, with Townsend and Cades Cove, then Gatlinburg for the trails. Then cross the park on the Newfound Gap Road to Cherokee, stopping at the top. Got ten days? Add the Cataloochee valley and its elk, then a few hours on the Blue Ridge Parkway, which starts at Cherokee.
When to visit the Great Smoky Mountains
| Appeal | Season | In the valleys | On the ridges | Crowds and prices |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WinterDec. to Feb. | 0 to 10°C | -8 to 2°C | Low | |
| SpringMar. to May | 8 to 22°C | 2 to 14°C | Medium | |
| SummerJune to Aug. | 18 to 30°C | 12 to 21°C | High | |
| AutumnSept. to Nov. | 6 to 24°C | 0 to 15°C | High |
Our advice
Aim for late April and May, when wildflowers carpet the undergrowth and the waterfalls are full. Autumn is the star season, with colours peaking in late October: come midweek, because October weekends block the roads. Summer is hot, humid and stormy in the afternoon: walk in the morning.
Getting to the Great Smoky Mountains
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By plane to Atlanta or Charlotte The simplest
Direct flights link London with Atlanta and Charlotte in nine to ten hours; from the rest of the United States, it is a domestic hop to Knoxville. From Atlanta or Charlotte, allow three and a half hours' drive to Gatlinburg or Cherokee. Coming from abroad? Apply online for your ESTA before you leave: 40 dollars.
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By plane to Knoxville The closest
Knoxville airport, in Alcoa, is forty-five minutes from Townsend and an hour from Gatlinburg. It is reached with a connection in the United States. On the North Carolina side, Asheville airport is an hour from Cherokee.
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By car from Nashville On a road trip
The park fits well into a trip through the South: four hours from Nashville, three and a half from Atlanta, and just an hour from Asheville, the nearest city on the North Carolina side.
Rent a car at the airport: there is no public transport in the park, and the two sides are an hour's drive apart. Allow for the parking tag, compulsory to park for more than fifteen minutes in the park: 5 dollars a day, 15 dollars a week.
Getting around the Great Smoky Mountains
A car is essential. A single road crosses the park, the Newfound Gap Road, which links Gatlinburg and Cherokee in an hour over the pass. The other roads are narrow, winding, often one-way, and partly closed in winter. Outside the park, the Parkway through Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg crawls on summer and October weekends.
Good to know
A UK or European driving licence is enough to rent and drive in the United States, and an International Driving Permit, cheap to get before you leave, avoids any discussion at a roadside check. Mobile signal disappears across much of the park: download the map before you set off, and never stop in the middle of the road to watch a bear.
What to eat in the Great Smoky Mountains
- Biscuits and gravy: soft scone-like rolls smothered in a white sausage gravy, the Appalachian breakfast.
- Pancakes: Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge have dozens of pancake houses, full from 7 am.
- Mountain trout: caught in the streams, served fried or smoked, especially on the North Carolina side.
- Barbecue: pulled pork smoked for hours, with a vinegar sauce on the North Carolina side.
- Apple butter: a slow-cooked apple spread, sold at roadside farms.
- Moonshine: the corn spirit of the old bootleggers, now legal and poured at tastings in Gatlinburg.
To eat like the locals, leave the Parkway and look for a roadside diner in Townsend or Bryson City, where the coffee is refilled without asking. For a picnic in the park, shop before you go in: there is almost nothing to buy once you are under the trees.
Where to stay in the Great Smoky Mountains
| Area | What for | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Gatlinburg | Trails, Roaring Fork, evenings out | Right at the park entrance |
| Pigeon Forge and Sevierville | Dollywood, shows, families | The most choice, the most traffic |
| Townsend and Walland | Cades Cove, quiet, the river | The peaceful Tennessee side |
| Cherokee and Bryson City | Cherokee culture, the river, the train | The North Carolina side |
| Cosby and Maggie Valley | Elk, Cataloochee, solitude | Few hotels |
Read the full guide: where to stay in the Great Smoky Mountains
How much does a trip in the Great Smoky Mountains cost?
| Trip | Length | Budget per person |
|---|---|---|
| Budget (camping or motel, shared car, diners) | 7 days | €900 to €1,300 |
| Comfort (cabin or hotel, car, restaurants) | 7 days | €1,600 to €2,400 |
| Luxury (luxury lodge, fine dining, guide) | 7 days | €3,500 to €5,500 |
- Entry: the park is free, but the parking tag is compulsory, 5 dollars a day or 15 dollars a week.
- Cabins: for four or six people, a rented cabin often costs less per head than a hotel, with a kitchen for meals.
- October: prices climb with the autumn colours, especially at weekends; book months ahead if you cannot come midweek.
- Attractions: Dollywood and the Pigeon Forge dinner shows quickly weigh on a family budget.
- Camping: park campgrounds cost little, but are booked online and full in summer.
Traditions and way of life in the Great Smoky Mountains
These mountains are first of all the land of the Cherokee. In 1838 most were driven to Oklahoma along the Trail of Tears; a few hundred hid in the valleys, and their descendants still live around Cherokee. Then came the pioneers, who cleared Cades Cove and Cataloochee, built churches and mills, and distilled their moonshine far from the tax men.
The park was created in 1934, partly bought with donations from schoolchildren and families who wanted to save the forest from the sawmills. Appalachian music, bluegrass and ballads, still rings out at village festivals, and Dolly Parton, born in the county, has her statue in Sevierville. Passing through in late May? The Elkmont fireflies then flash in unison, a sight so rare that places are drawn by lottery.