Kuwohi
Climb to the tower for views over the ridges.
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Great Smoky Mountains National Park
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One of 35 Things to Do in United States
In short
Straddling Tennessee and North Carolina in the southern Appalachians, Great Smoky Mountains is the most visited national park in the United States. There is no entrance fee, but parking for more than 15 minutes needs a tag: $5 a day, $15 a week or $40 a year. Hikers and drivers should plan one to three days.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park covers about 2,114 square kilometres of the southern Appalachian Mountains, split almost evenly between eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina. Gatlinburg, Tennessee, and Cherokee, North Carolina, are the main gateway towns. The park was established in 1934, after land was bought from thousands of private owners with state funds and private donations, and UNESCO listed it as a World Heritage Site in 1983.
The name comes from the blue haze that hangs over the ridges, caused by vapour and natural compounds released by the dense forest. The Cherokee people lived in these mountains for centuries before European settlers arrived, and the Eastern Band of Cherokee still lives on the Qualla Boundary at the park's southern edge.
The park is known for its biodiversity, with an estimated 1,900 black bears (2019 park estimate) and a large variety of salamanders. Kuwohi, formerly Clingmans Dome, is the highest point at about 2,025 metres, with an observation tower reached by a short steep path. Cades Cove, a wide valley with preserved log cabins, churches and a mill, is ringed by an 18 kilometre one way loop road popular for spotting deer and bears.
More than 1,300 kilometres of trails cross the park, including about 115 kilometres of the Appalachian Trail along the state line ridge. Newfound Gap Road crosses the mountains between Gatlinburg and Cherokee. In early June, the synchronous fireflies at Elkmont draw so many visitors that viewing is managed by lottery.
There is no entrance fee, but any vehicle parked for more than 15 minutes needs a parking tag: 5 US dollars a day, 15 dollars a week or 40 dollars a year. The park is the most visited in the national system, so arrive early in summer and in October, when autumn colours peak.
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National Park Service, Great Smoky Mountains fees and parking tags
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Key information
🏞️Established: 1934
🌐UNESCO: World Heritage Site since 1983
📐Area: About 2,114 km²
⛰️Highest point: Kuwohi, about 2,025 m
🅿️Entry: Free; parking tag needed
🕕Time Zone: Eastern Time (UTC−5)
✦
Plan your visit to Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Dates, opening hours and how to get there are below. Booking ahead secures your preferred day.
Highlights Include:
Scenery
- Kuwohi summit
- Newfound Gap
- Blue ridgelines
History
- Cades Cove cabins
- Mingus Mill
- Elkmont
Nature
- Black bears
- Synchronous fireflies
- Wildflowers
What They Offer
Entry
No entrance fee
Parking tags
Daily, weekly or annual
Visit duration
1–3 days
Timed entry required No
Cades Cove loop
Drive or cycle the loop to see cabins and wildlife.
Laurel Falls
An easy paved trail to a 24-metre waterfall.
Accessibility
Several paved trails and accessible visitor centres; many trails are steep.
Age limits
Not confirmed yet. Please check with the venue before you visit.
What to pack
Parking tag, water, rain jacket
What to wear
Layers and hiking shoes
Not allowed
Feeding wildlife, approaching bears, drones
Amenities
Not confirmed yet. Please check with the venue before you visit.
Tips for visiting Great Smoky Mountains National Park
- Buy a parking tag before parking for more than 15 minutes.
- Arrive before 9 am in summer and October.
- Stay at least 50 yards from bears.
- Check road closures in winter.
Driving
Main entrances near Gatlinburg, Townsend and Cherokee.
Public transportation
Not confirmed yet. Please check with the venue before you visit.
Address
Southern Appalachians on the Tennessee–North Carolina border.
Opening Hours
Not confirmed yet. Please check with the venue before you visit.
Special events
No special events on record for Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Best times to visit
Early morning.
Best days to visit
Weekdays.
Best months to visit
April–May and October.
Visitor policy
Cancellation and prepayment
Not confirmed yet. Please check with the venue before you visit.
Children and admission
Not confirmed yet. Please check with the venue before you visit.
Groups
Not confirmed yet. Please check with the venue before you visit.
Pets
Not confirmed yet. Please check with the venue before you visit.
Photography
Not confirmed yet. Please check with the venue before you visit.
Bags
Not confirmed yet. Please check with the venue before you visit.
Smoking
Not confirmed yet. Please check with the venue before you visit.
Accepted payment
Not confirmed yet. Please check with the venue before you visit.
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Need help?
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Answers based on National Park Service information.
Prices & payment
No. It is one of the few large national parks with no entrance fee. Instead, vehicles parked for more than 15 minutes need a parking tag.
Getting there
A daily tag costs 5 US dollars, a weekly tag 15 dollars and an annual tag 40 dollars. Any vehicle parked in the park for more than 15 minutes needs one.
No. America the Beautiful passes, including Senior, Access and Military passes, are not accepted in place of a parking tag.
You can reach Great Smoky Mountains National Park by car. The route is described under How to get there on this page.
General
It straddles the border of Tennessee and North Carolina, with roughly half of the park in each state.
Kuwohi, formerly called Clingmans Dome, at about 2,025 metres. A paved but steep half-mile path leads to an observation tower at the summit.
The blue haze over the ridges comes from water vapour and natural organic compounds released by the forest, which look like smoke from a distance.
A broad valley with historic log cabins, churches and a grist mill, circled by an 11-mile one-way loop road. It is one of the best places to see deer and black bears.
Yes. About 71 miles of the Appalachian Trail follow the main ridge through the park, including a section near Newfound Gap.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park is in United States. The street address and directions are under How to get there on this page.
bookingMentor lists 4 places to stay in United States. Rooms start from $175.00 (USD) a night.
Timing & weather
Usually in late May or early June near Elkmont. Access during the peak viewing period is managed through a lottery on Recreation.gov.
Mid-October for autumn colours and late April to May for wildflowers. Summer is busiest. Some roads, such as the one to Kuwohi, close in winter.
It was formally established in 1934 and dedicated by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1940. It became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983.
Most visitors spend 1–3 days at Great Smoky Mountains National Park.