Great Smokey Mountain National Park
National Park
Why pick this one
Great Smoky Mountains National Park covers 522,427 acres across Tennessee and North Carolina, with 10 developed campgrounds and backcountry camping.
Best for
- Multi-day camping trips
- Hiking to waterfalls and mountain overlooks
- Wildlife viewing, including elk and black bears
- Scenic driving through Cades Cove
- Exploring Appalachian and Cherokee cultural history
- Visitors seeking biodiversity and old-growth forests
Look elsewhere if
- Visitors specifically seeking the currently closed Laurel Falls Trail
- Visitors requiring guaranteed trail access without checking current closures
- Visitors seeking an indoor-only attraction
Specialties
- Backcountry camping
- Developed campground camping
- Waterfall and mountain hiking
- Elk and black bear wildlife viewing
- Scenic auto touring
What makes them different
- Covers 522,427 acres across Tennessee and North Carolina
- Documents more than 22,000 species
- Offers 10 developed campgrounds plus backcountry camping
- Has no entrance fee, with parking tags required for stays over 15 minutes
- Includes the 11-mile, one-way Cades Cove loop
- Serves
- Gatlinburg, Townsend, Bryson City, Cherokee, Cosby, Hartford, Wears Valley
Distilled from this business's own website.
Contact & Location
- Phone
- +18654361200
- Website
- http://www.nps.gov/grsm/index.htm
Services
- Hiking
- Camping
- Picnicking
- Biking
- Wildlife watching
- Auto touring
- Historic and cultural exploration
- Educational programs and resources