Great Smoky Mountains

Overview

Great Smoky Mountains National Park straddles the Tennessee-North Carolina border and is the most visited national park in the country, drawing nearly 13 million visitors per year to its ancient mountains, old-growth forests, and misty valleys. The "smoke" that gives the mountains their name is actually a natural hydrocarbon vapor released by the dense vegetation, creating the blue-gray haze that softens the ridgelines and gives the landscape its dreamy, layered quality. The park protects one of the finest examples of temperate deciduous forest in the world, with more tree species than all of northern Europe combined. Spring brings a progressive wildflower bloom from valley floors to ridgetops that lasts from March through June — the park holds over 1,500 flowering plant species. Fall color, peaking in mid to late October, draws millions as sugar maples, sourwoods, and hickories turn the mountainsides into a mosaic of red, orange, and gold. Cades Cove, an 11-mile one-way loop road through a historic valley surrounded by mountains, is the park's most popular drive and the best place to spot black bears, white-tailed deer, and wild turkeys. Clingmans Dome, at 6,643 feet the highest point in the park, offers 360-degree views from a concrete observation tower accessible by a steep half-mile trail. The park is free to enter — one of the few national parks with no entrance fee.

Things to Do

• Drive the Cades Cove Loop Road for wildlife and historic cabins
• Hike to Clingmans Dome, the park's highest point
• Walk among old-growth trees on the Porters Creek Trail
• See synchronous fireflies in Elkmont (lottery required)
• Hike to Rainbow Falls and Grotto Falls
• Drive Newfound Gap Road across the Smokies
• Visit historic homesteads and churches in Cades Cove
• Fly-fish for brook trout in mountain streams

Wildlife

Keep an eye out for these animals during your visit:

Weather & Best Time to Visit

Mild at lower elevations (summers in the 80s) and significantly cooler at high elevations. Rain is common year-round — the Smokies receive 55-85 inches annually. Fog and clouds are frequent.