Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the most visited national park in the country. Almost 13 million people visited the park in 2022. That’s nearly 3 times more than the Grand Canyon, which came in second. The park is located in Tennessee and North Carolina, and the Appalachian Trail straddles the border between the two states. I visited the park in April of 2023 and greatly enjoyed it. While I am sure fall is the perfect time to visit the Smokies, the fresh green leaves of the spring made the trees look beautiful as well. Here are 8 things to do in the Great Smoky National Park that I recommend.
8 Things to do in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park
1. Admire the views from Clingmans Dome
Our first destination on the tour of the Smokies was Clingmans Dome. It took us about 4 minutes to get there from Gatlingburg. The observation tower at the top of Clingmans Dome offers beautiful 360 degree views of the Smoky Mountains. At 6,684 feet, Clingmans Dome is the highest spot in the park. The key is to get here on a clear day. We actually made 3 attempts to see the views. Twice, the fog was too dense to see anything but finally one afternoon after sunset we were able to see the mountains enveloped in the famous blue mist.
2. Stop at Newfound Gap
Newfound Gap, or a mountain pass, as we in Washington refer to it, is another stop on the drive through the park that offers great views of the mountains. The Appalachian Trail runs right through it, so it’s quite easily to hike a section of it right from the parking lot. There is a Rockefeller Memorial situated at Newfound Gap which commemorates his generous financial contributions to help purchase the land for the national park. It was in fact at the Rockefeller Memorial where President Franklin D. Roosevelt dedicated the park in 1940.
3. Drive to Cades Cove
Cades Cove is a lovely valley surrounded by tree-covered mountains. It’s one of the more popular places in the park, so be prepared for a slow drive. I definitely enjoyed the scenery and as a bonus we saw a black bear grazing in the grass.
4. Enjoy the rivers
There are several rivers and many creeks in the park, and quite a few of them parallel the road. If you have time, pull over and enjoy the views. The rivers are definitely mountain rivers with lots of rocks and logs adding to their charm.
5. Drive the Roaring Fork Nature Trail
This short loop out of Gatlinburg parallels an impressive fast flowing mountain stream. The drive itself is scenic and takes you through an old growth hardwood forest. If you like waterfalls, you can certainly see several of them in this area.
6. Drive the Blue Ridge Parkway
The Blue Ridge Parkway spans 496 miles connecting Great Smoky Mountains National Park to Shenandoah National Park. While we only drove a short distance, we still got a glimpse into the lovely scenery, mountain vistas, and picturesque overlooks. It would be great to drive the entire Blue Ridge Parkway in the fall. I bet the colors would be just spectacular.
7. See a waterfall
There are many beautiful waterfalls in the Smoky Mountains National Park.
We hiked a short trail from the Sugarlands Visitor Center to see Cataract Falls. As we visited in the spring, there was a lot of water cascading down the mountain, which was a lovely sight.
8. Go hiking
We took several hikes in the park and enjoyed them all. The Gatlinburg Trail was particularly pleasant because there weren’t many people on it at all. You can catch the trail on the outskirts of Gatlinburg but we drove towards the park and parked right by the national park entrance sign. We then hiked along the trail for about a mile to the Sugarlands Visitor Center. The trail runs through a forest along the Little Pigeon River and is quite scenic. Another great hike is to Mingus Mill, a historic gristmill that used a water turbine to run it. It’s definitely one of the 8 things to do in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
9. Spend some time in Gatlinburg
In addition to the 8 things to do in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park I discussed above, you might want to check out Gatlinburg. It’s a town that some people are going to love and others are going to be glad to leave. While I enjoyed the proximity to the national park as well as the moonshining history, the tacky carnival stores, and the gaming arcades made our experience less than ideal. So do some research before booking multiple nights in the town as it may just not be a good fit for you.
