NATIONAL PARK TRIP PLANNER Great Smoky · great smokynational park trip planner. photos by courtesy...
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Getting There Discover what makes Great Smoky Mountains National Park such a fan- tastic place to explore. Park Entrances Get an overview of the park with a map and information about how to get there. 48 Hours in the Park Get ready for a vacation of a lifetime with our favorite things to do in Great Smoky. Wildlife Guide Learn about Great Smoky’s fantastic wildlife and the best places to spot these animals. What to Expect Check out our packing list and learn more about park entrance fees and weather. NATIONAL PARK TRIPS MEDIA The Experts in National Park Travel NATIONAL PARK TRIP PLANNER Great Smoky
Transcript of NATIONAL PARK TRIP PLANNER Great Smoky · great smokynational park trip planner. photos by courtesy...
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Getting ThereDiscover what makes Great Smoky Mountains National Park such a fan-tastic place to explore.
Park EntrancesGet an overview of the park with a map and information about how to get there.
48 Hours in the Park Get ready for a vacation of a lifetime with our favorite things to do in Great Smoky.
Wildlife Guide Learn about Great Smoky’s fantastic wildlife and the best places to spot these animals.
What to ExpectCheck out our packing list and learn more about park entrance fees and weather.
NATIONAL PARK TRIPS MEDIA
The Experts in National Park
Travel
NATIONAL PARK TRIP PLANNER
Great Smoky
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MYSMOKYMOUNTAINPARK.COM 2
Getting TherePlan your dream vacation with our top things to do at Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Learn more at mysmokymountainpark.com.
Showcasing ecosystems you’d find from Georgia to Maine, Great Smoky Mountains National Park is located on the border of southwestern Tennessee and northwestern North Carolina, straddling a thickly forested, stunningly biodiverse collection of mountains, valley and rivers.
You can explore forest trails at 875 feet all the way up to 6,643 feet at Clingmans Dome. Living in this diverse ecosystem are bears, elk, salamanders and pileated woodpeckers.
There are so many places to explore inside the park’s oval-like boundaries. Some highlights include Cades Cove on the west side, known for its abundant wildlife. Along its 11-mile loop road, you may spot wild turkeys, deer and black bears, but you’ll also see historic buildings dating back to the late 1800s. Northeast of
Cades Cove is the Sugarlands, which is the main entrance to the park and just south of Gatlinburg, Tenn. The park headquarters are here, as is a visitor center and hiking trails. Just east lies the popular Roaring Fork Motor Trail.
In the center of the park is the 6,643-foot Clingmans Dome, the highest point in the park and in Tennessee. It offers fantastic clear-day views, plus a number of hiking trails radiate from or pass through here along the high ridges, including the Appalachian Trail. On the southwestern end of the park, you’ll find Oconaluftee and its Mountain Farm Museum, along with a historic gristmill.
With so much to explore, turn the page to start planning your trip to Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
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3 SMOKY MOUNTAIN TRIP PLANNER 2018
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Wear Valley
Dillsboro
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Cosby
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FONTANAVILLAGE
ROBBINSVILLE
CHEROKEE
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Cable Mill
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Mountain Farm Museum
LittleGreenbrierSchool
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MountLe Conte6593ft2009m
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CHEROKEE NATIONAL FOREST
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BRYSONCITY
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Balsam Mountain
Big Creek
Cataloochee
Smokemont
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Black Camp Gap
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To Atlanta
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To Chattanooga
Roads in park are closedto commercial vehicles.
Self-guiding trail
Horseback riding(rental)
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Ranger station
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Unpaved road
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AppalachianHighlandsScienceLearningCenter
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Appalachia
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Bradley F ork
Middle Prong
Little Pigeon River
West Prong Littl e Pigeon R
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Little River
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Lake Cheoah
Eagle
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Little River
Abrams
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Big Creek
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Cosby Creek
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CHEROKEE INDIAN RESERVATION(QUALLA BOUNDARY)
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Townsend
Walland
Wear Valley
Dillsboro
PittmanCenter
Cosby
MARYVILLE
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PIGEON FORGE
FONTANAVILLAGE
ROBBINSVILLE
CHEROKEE
GATLINBURG
Twentymile
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Cable Mill
Mingus Mill
Mountain Farm Museum
LittleGreenbrierSchool
Deep Creek
Elkmont
Greenbrier
Look Rock
MountLe Conte6593ft2009m
SpenceField
Newfound Gap 5046ft1538m
ThunderheadMountain
High Rocks
Stecoah Gap
Deals Gap
GregoryBald
Shuckstack
Cheoah Bald
Heintooga Ridge R
oad
(closed in w
inter)
Waterrock Knob
Blu
e Ridge
Parkway
PLO
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OconalufteeVisitor Center
SugarlandsVisitor Center
Park Headquarters
Cades CoveVisitor Center
Blue
Ridge Parkway
Big Co
ve
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Foothill
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ay
(closed in
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Gatlinburg Welcome CenterNational Park Information Center
TownsendVisitors Center
COVE
MOUNTAIN
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ChimneyTops
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Great SmokyMountainsInstitute atTremont
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ranch R
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FontanaDam
JOYCEKILMER - SLICKROCKWILDERNESS AREA
McGhee-TysonAirport
Foot
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oad
Cherohala Skyway
CHEROKEE NATIONAL FOREST
PISGAHNATIONAL
FOREST
Exit 451
Exit 20
Exit443
Wesser
DellwoodMaggie Valley
BRYSONCITY
SYLVA
WAYNESVILLE
Cosby
Balsam Mountain
Big Creek
Cataloochee
Smokemont
To Newport
MountCammerer
MountSterling
Andrews Bald
CharliesBunion
SilersBald
Mount Guyot
Soco Gap
Black Camp Gap
To Asheville
To Atlanta
BALSAM
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UN
TAIN
To Knoxville To Knoxville
To Chattanooga
Roads in park are closedto commercial vehicles.
Self-guiding trail
Horseback riding(rental)
Picnic area
DevelopedCampground
Ranger station
Observation tower
Unpaved road
One-way road
Historic structure(s)
Cove Creek Rd
AppalachianHighlandsScienceLearningCenter
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NORTH ENTRANCES The majority of visitors enter through the Sugarlands entrance on the park’s north side by driving through Gatlinburg, Tenn. This entrance is an hour’s drive southeast of Knoxville on US 441. Gatlinburg is the busiest, most touristy gateway to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It was impacted by the 2016 fires, but the downtown was spared. Full of souvenir shops, craft stores, res-taurants and kitschy attractions (think Ripley’s Believe it or Not!), the bustling town can be a sensory overload or a rollicking good time, depending on your perspective. You’ll find plenty of lodging options, a grocery store and gear shops.
An alternate entrance on the north side is just south of Townsend on TN 73, about 25 miles west of Gatlinburg. This entrance is much quieter than Sugarlands and is most convenient for travelers heading to the Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont or Cades Cove. Townsend offers lodging, dining and supplies, plus serves as a home base for several outdoor outfitters. It is closer to the popular Cades Cove, known for its preserved pioneer community and plentiful wildlife, than the Gatlinburg en-trance (7.3 vs. 27 miles).
Visitors can also enter the park via several smaller entrances that may feature ranger stations but no visitor centers. They include Abrams Creek to the northwest, Big Creek and Cosby to the north-east, and Greenbrier to the north.
SOUTH ENTRANCESThe Oconaluftee entrance on the park’s south side at Cherokee, N.C., is about 40 minutes west of Waynesville on US 441. In North Carolina, Cherokee anchors the park’s southern side. Located on the Cherokee Indian Reservation, it features the Museum of the Cherokee Indian, Native American crafts, a casino and limited shop-ping, lodging and dining compared to Gatlinburg. Inside the park, tour the Mountain Farm Museum, a collection of preserved pioneer buildings, including a blacksmith shop and barn, and browse the visitor center. A historic gristmill is a couple of miles up the road.
Just west is Bryson City, a charming town that’s home to outdoor outfitters, laid-back dining options, a microbrewery and coffee shops. Access the park through Bryson City, but the road dead ends and doesn’t link up with the rest of the park.
Visitors can also enter the park via several smaller entrances that may feature ranger stations, but no visitor centers. They include Deep Creek to the south, and Balsam Mountain and Cataloochee to the southeast. Catalooche is open seasonally and is more remote. It doesn’t connect to Cades Cove unless you travel north on 276 to Big Creek and follow 32 to 321 west to Gatlinburg, Tenn.
In the southwestern area of the park, you’ll find the 480-foot Fon-tana Dam, the highest concrete dam east of the Rocky Mountains. Near Fontana Village, N.C., you can access the Appalachian Trail from here.
Park Entrance PrimerTo access the park, which spans North Carolina and Tennessee, choose between these entrances.
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48 Hours in the ParkHere’s how to make the most of 48 hours in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
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HIKE TO A BALDA “bald” is a high-elevation meadow where there are no trees to block the expansive views and azaleas and rhododendrons often bloom in early summer. Favorite destinations include Andrews Bald (1.8 miles one way from the Forney Ridge trailhead) or the longer Silers Bald (5 miles one way west from Clingmans Dome along the Appalachian Trail).
WATCH THE SUNRISE FROM CLINGMANS DOMEWake up early, drive the scenic access road from Newfound Gap and walk a half mile to the park’s and state’s highest summit of 6,643 feet. The spaceship-like observation tower offers incredible views.
DRIVE THE CADES COVE LOOP Head to Cades Cove to drive the 11-mile scenic loop Along the way, spot bears, deer, coyotes, foxes and wild turkeys, as well as beautifully preserved history buildings. Tip: the loop road is closed to cars until 10 a.m. on Wednesdays and Saturdays spring through fall. Ride your bike and explore without traffic.
GO TO THE SUGARLANDS VISITOR CENTERThe park’s largest visitor center, it features natural history displays and a free, 20-minute park movie. There are also seasonal ranger-led programs here, along with public restrooms, soda and water machines and a Great Smoky Mountains Association bookstore and shop.
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PADDLE FONTANA LAKE A dam on the Little River forms Fontana Lake along the park’s southern border, a long, skinny lake with 240 miles of shoreline that beckon kayakers, canoeists, anglers and stand-up paddleboarders. Rent a boat in Fontana Village or from the Nantahala Outdoor Center for a day.
HIKE TO RAMSAY CASCADESThis is one of the park’s most popular destinations and for good reason. At 100 feet in height, it’s the Smokies’ tallest waterfalls and the hike to it passes through a remarkable old-growth forest. To reach it, follow the Ramsay Cascades Trail near Greenbrier for 4 miles gaining 2,000 feet of elevation.
TOUCH PIONEER HISTORYHead to Oconaluftee to tour the Mountain Farm Museum, a collection of structures from the late 1800s or visit the nearby Mingus Mill, a turbine-powered gristmill from 1886. It features seasonal demonstrations of grinding corn into cornmeal.
VISIT THE CHEROKEE INDIAN RESERVATIONStop in the Museum of the Cherokee Indian to discover 13,000 years of fascinating Cherokee Indian history. A high-quality museum, exhibits are composed of computer-animated graphics, life-sized figures and artifacts.
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Wildlife Field GuideLook for these animals as you explore Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
CoyotesThis member of the dog family is highly adaptable, surviving in many different habitats across the country. In the park, coyotes are most active at night, hunting rodents, rabbits, fish and frogs. Coyotes can reach about 4 feet in length and weigh
up to 50 pounds. Their larger cousin, the red wolf, used to live in the Smokies but was hunted to extinction in the area by the 1980s. These days, coyotes are the top dog in the park. In the evening, you may hear them howling.
DeerWhite-tailed deer are com-mon throughout the park’s woods and meadows where they graze on grasses, fruits and acorns. Bucks grow fuzzy antlers every spring. By fall, they are polished, smooth and ready to be used to fight other bucks for mating rights. Each winter, deer drop their antlers and begin the cycle fresh the next year. Fawns are born in late June. Their spots help camouflage them from predators in their vulnerable first few months.
BobcatsBobcats, thought to be the only felines that live in the park, are solitary, reclusive creatures. Weighing up to 70 pounds, bobcats have spotted coats, stubby tails and ears with hairy tufts. Their preferred prey is rabbits, but bobcats also hunt
rodents and birds. Individual cats establish their own home territories, which can be as large as 30 square miles and use their scents to mark their territory and protect against intruders.
SalamandersThirty species of salamanders can be found in and around the creeks in the park, from the 3-foot-long hellbender to the 2-inch-long pygmy salamander. Some, like the red-cheeked salamander, can only be found in the Smokies. Many of these brightly col-
ored amphibians are known as lungless salamanders. Instead of using lungs, they have evolved to “breathe” directly through their skins. Turn over stones and logs in wet areas near creeks, and chances are you’ll find salamanders (make sure to replace their homes just as you found them).
Black BearsAbout 1,500 black bears live in the national park. Fe-males usually weigh about 100 pounds and males weigh 250 pounds, though bears as large as 600 pounds have been found here. Bears are primarily vegetarian, munch-ing on berries, nuts, insects and plants such as squawroot. Though attacks are extremely rare, bears can be dangerous. If you see one, back away calmly. If the bear approaches you, yell and throw rocks to scare it away. Never run from a bear.
ElkThe park’s larg-est animal, elk can weigh 700 pounds and reach 5 feet at the shoulder. They spend most of their day browsing on grasses and forbs in open meadows. Elk were hunted to extinction in the area by the mid-1800s, but a successful
2001 reintroduction project brought them back to the park. Now, the popu-lation numbers as many as 200 elk. Most of the park’s elk population sticks to Cataloochee. Visit at dawn or dusk to catch them at their most active.
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What to ExpectFrom what to pack to entrance fees and weather, here’s the scoop.
GREAT SMOKY ENTRANCE FEES
$0WHILE GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS NA-TIONAL PARK IS THE MOST-VISITED IN THE UNITED STATES, IT IS FREE TO ENTER.
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WHAT TO PACKHere’s what to put in your suitcase for your Great Smoky vacation during spring through fall.
Refillable water bottle/hydration systemReduce your park footprint by bringing your own water bottle to refill.
Bug spraySpend more time enjoying the scenery and less time swatting insects.
Clothing layersBring layers, so you are prepared for a range of tem-
peratures and weather con-ditions. Park temperatures can fluctuate, depending on how high you hike.
Rain gearEven on sunny mornings, there is a chance for rain-storms.
Sturdy hiking bootsPack a pair of supportive and breathable hiking boots.
DaypackBe prepared on your hike with snacks, clothing layers and extra water.
A sun hat, sunglasses and sunscreenThese are a must to protect yourself from the sun.
Sturdy water shoesIf you plan on boating, bring water shoes, not flip-flops
that get stuck in mud and fall off easily.
HeadlampCarry this when going to evening ranger talks or on hikes in case you get lost or are out later than expected.
Our complete packing list is at mysmokymountainpark.com.
GRIST MILL
Elevations in the Smokies vary by al-most 6,000 feet, so the weather you’ll find up on the high peaks can be very different from the lower valleys.
Summer is hot and humid at the lower elevations and warm up high, with frequent thunderstorms. Air quality often takes a dip in the warmer months, with hazy days more common. Fall is an excellent time to visit the park, with its warm days (60-80-de-grees), cooler nights and drier weather. Expect freezing temps and even snow at the higher elevations by November.
In winter, the weather is usually mild in the lower valleys, with highs in the
50s fairly common. Nights are colder, and subfreezing days are also a pos-sibility. Come spring, snow gives way to 70- and 80-degree days by April.
Water is everywhere in the national park. Although beautiful, these waters can also be dangerous. Never attempt to climb a waterfall. Swimming, kayak-ing and tubing are not recommended. Every year, an average of five people get seriously injured while tubing in the park. Drowning is one of the leading causes of park death, second to motor vehicle accidents.
Go online at mysmokymountain-park.com/water-safety for details.
WEATHER AND WATER SAFETY Here is what to expect in every season at Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
BAXTER CREEK TRAIL
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