Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina, USA - map, photos and visitor information

Great Smoky Mountains National Park spans Tennessee and North Carolina, with entrances at Gatlinburg, Townsend, and Cherokee. Forest walks, historic valleys, and high overlooks offer very different visits. Choose your starting area before planning the day: driving across the mountains can involve slow traffic, seasonal restrictions, or weather closures.

Highlights of the Smokies

• Cades Cove: An 11-mile, one-way loop connects a mountain valley's historic buildings, trails, and wildlife-viewing areas.
• Kuwohi: The park's highest point has an observation tower reached by a steep paved walk when the access road is open.
• Oconaluftee: Explore the Mountain Farm Museum near the Cherokee entrance and watch for elk from a safe distance.
• Woodland walks: Choose a short accessible trail or plan a longer backcountry hike around current conditions.

Plan your Smokies visit

Fees, hours, and seasonal access

A storm-related announcement closed US 441/Newfound Gap Road from the evening of October 9, 2026, and also closed Balsam Mountain Campground. Confirm reopening with the park before relying on either. A seasonal operating schedule does not override a temporary closure.

Mountain roads, water, and bears

Expect narrow, winding roads, blind curves, and animals near traffic. Use designated pullouts to stop. Cell service is very limited, so download your route and carry what you need for delays.

Do not climb waterfalls or enter fast water. Wet rocks can be extremely slippery, and the park has no lifeguarded swimming areas. NPS does not recommend swimming or tubing. Carry rain protection, water, food, and navigation supplies even for a walk that looks straightforward.

Stay at least 50 yards (150 feet) from bears and elk. Increase that distance if your presence changes an animal's behavior. Never approach wildlife for a photograph.

Protect the park's habitats and historic places

Keep food and scented items secured. Backcountry campers must use the campsite or shelter's bear-cable system. Pack out everything you bring. Leave historic buildings, artifacts, and natural features undisturbed. Bring only certified heat-treated firewood into the park.

Pets are allowed in campgrounds, picnic areas, and along roads on a leash no longer than 6 feet. Only the Gatlinburg Trail and Oconaluftee River Trail allow pets on trails. Do not carry a pet onto other trails or leave it unattended in a vehicle. Trained service animals follow separate rules.

Parking tags and overnight bookings

A parking tag does not reserve a space. It must match your vehicle's license plate and be physically displayed; a phone image is insufficient. If you buy a daily or weekly tag online, print it before arrival. Review the parking tag instructions, especially if you will use a rental car.

Developed campgrounds require advance reservations. Your campsite booking covers parking at that designated site, but parking elsewhere still follows the tag rules. Backcountry camping requires both a permit and advance reservations. The standard charge is USD 8 per person, per night, plus a USD 6 nonrefundable permit fee. Use the backcountry planning page for the current booking system and route restrictions.

Maps and choosing an entrance

Gatlinburg provides the Tennessee approach on US 441. Townsend leads into the park on TN 73. Cherokee provides the North Carolina approach on US 441. Use the NPS entrance directions and a park map rather than accepting an unfamiliar mountain shortcut from navigation software.

Choose stops on the side where you are staying when weather or road closures interrupt travel across the mountains. Sugarlands is a useful starting point near Gatlinburg; Oconaluftee serves the Cherokee side. Ask a ranger about the day's road and trail conditions before a longer outing.

Nearby parks on the Tennessee side

• Seven Islands State Birding Park: A road-access option in Kodak, at 2809 Kelly Lane, for a stop beyond the northern gateway communities.
• Fort Loudoun State Historic Park: A regional outing toward Vonore, at 338 Fort Loudoun Road. The reconstructed fort overlooks Tellico Reservoir.

Valley touring and mountain walks

Allow time for Cades Cove rather than treating its loop as a quick drive. Traffic builds in summer, fall, and on weekends. Stop at historic homesites and churches along the route. Vehicle-free Wednesdays typically run from May through September; check the seasonal arrangement if you want to walk or cycle the loop.

Kuwohi, formerly called Clingmans Dome, rises to 6,643 feet. The tower walk is about 1 mile round trip and climbs steeply from the parking area. Pavement does not make it an easy or universally accessible route. Bring a jacket and expect cloud or fog to hide the view. Visit only when the approach is open.

At Oconaluftee, combine the visitor center with the Mountain Farm Museum. This makes a more compact outing than crossing the park to another valley. Mingus Mill is temporarily closed for rehabilitation, so do not build the visit around entering it.

For longer hikes, check the exact trail rather than assuming a popular route is available. Bullhead Trail has Monday–Thursday closures through November 19, 2026, except federal holidays. Several eastern backcountry routes also retain storm-damage restrictions.

Visitor centers, campsites, and lodging

Sugarlands and Oconaluftee visitor centers have accessible parking, restrooms, and single-level visitor areas. The Sugarlands Valley Nature Trail is an accessible woodland option. Paths at the Mountain Farm Museum are hard-packed gravel and may require assistance. Review the area-specific accessibility details when planning around mobility needs.

Developed campgrounds have cold running water, flush toilets, picnic tables, and fire grates. Potable water is available at several campground dump stations. There are no showers in the park. Most campsites lack utility hookups; some Look Rock sites provide water and electricity. Cades Cove and Smokemont operate year-round, while other developed campgrounds are seasonal.

LeConte Lodge is the park's hike-in lodging option and requires advance reservations. It generally operates from mid-March to mid-November. Hotels and rental cabins are available in communities outside the park. A lodge booking still requires checking the hiking route and weather.

About Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Human history in the mountain valleys

The Smokies preserve thousands of years of Indigenous history, followed by later settlement, farming, logging, and Civilian Conservation Corps work. Cherokee people used Cades Cove before European settlers arrived in the early 1800s. Buildings and cultural landscapes help explain how people lived and worked here.

Bears, elk, and smaller forest animals

Black bears, white-tailed deer, elk, and wild turkeys are among the park's visible wildlife. Its moist forests and streams also support many salamanders and native brook trout. Oconaluftee hosts one of the main elk herds, but sightings are never assured. Watch from a distance and keep roads clear.

Contact the park

Recorded visitor information: +1 865-436-1200. Headquarters address: 107 Park Headquarters Road, Gatlinburg, TN 37738. Use the official contact page for inquiries. Backcountry trip-planning questions can go to +1 865-436-1297. Call 911 for emergencies.