Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Park Overview

Great Smoky Mountains National Park straddles the Tennessee/North Carolina border, protecting some of the oldest mountains on Earth. Named for the distinctive blue haze created by the dense forests, the park offers free admission and incredible biodiversity. From our Gatlinburg cabins, you're just minutes from the main entrance.

Watch: Discover the best of Great Smoky Mountains National Park - from scenic trails and wildlife viewing to breathtaking overlooks just minutes from our cabins.

Must See Destinations

Cades Cove

An 11 mile one way loop through a picturesque valley. Historic cabins and churches dot the landscape, and wildlife sightings are common. Black bears, deer, and turkeys are regularly spotted, especially at dawn and dusk. Plan 2 to 4 hours and arrive early.

Clingmans Dome

The highest point in Tennessee at 6,643 feet. A short but steep walk leads to an observation tower with 360 degree views. On clear days, visibility exceeds 100 miles. Road closed December through March.

Newfound Gap

The most accessible high elevation viewpoint in the park. At 5,048 feet, it sits on the Tennessee/North Carolina border and offers stunning panoramic views. The Appalachian Trail crosses here.

Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail

A 5.5 mile one way loop near Gatlinburg winding through old growth forest. Access several waterfall trails and historic cabins along the way.

Wildlife

• Black Bears: 1,500+ live in the park. Keep 50 yards distance.
• White tailed Deer: Common throughout, especially Cades Cove
• Elk: Reintroduced in 2001, seen in Cataloochee Valley
• Wild Turkeys: Often spotted along roadsides
• Synchronous Fireflies: Unique light show in Elkmont each June

Practical Information

• Entrance Fee: Free (parking tags required at popular trailheads March through November)
• Visitor Centers: Sugarlands (near Gatlinburg), Oconaluftee (North Carolina side)
• Best Time: Fall foliage peaks mid October, spring wildflowers April
• From Our Cabins: About 7 minutes (3 miles) to the Sugarlands Visitor Center at the park entrance. Downtown Gatlinburg is about 8 minutes (2 miles) from the cabins.

A first-day park plan from our cabins

Great Smoky Mountains National Park does not charge an entrance fee. You still need a Park It Forward parking tag if you park more than 15 minutes anywhere inside the park. Tags are $5 per day, $15 for up to seven days, or $40 for a year. Buy daily and weekly tags at Recreation.gov and print them (a phone screenshot is not accepted). Annual tags are sold through SmokiesInformation.org and by mail, so order those at least two weeks ahead. You can also buy daily and weekly tags at visitor centers and at automated machines (Sugarlands, Oconaluftee, Newfound Gap, Cades Cove entrance, and others). Interagency senior and access passes do not replace a parking tag. Driving through without stopping does not require a tag.

From our cabins you can be at Sugarlands Visitor Center in about 7 minutes. That is the correct first stop if anyone in the car has never been: maps, restrooms, and a reality check on weather at elevation. Then pick one of three "first day" shapes instead of trying to see the whole park:

• Waterfall morning: Laurel Falls (2.6 miles paved, parking fills by 9 a.m. on peak days) or Grotto Falls via the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail when that road is open. Roaring Fork has occasional seasonal closings. Check the park website the morning you go.
• High-elevation afternoon: Newfound Gap (open most of the year, with occasional winter closings) or Clingmans Dome when Clingmans Dome Road is open (closed December through March).
• Wildlife and history: Cades Cove is an 11-mile one-way loop. Plan 2 to 4 hours, leave at dawn, and treat it as a half day, not a quick drive. From our cabins it is about an hour each way via Townsend. Vehicle-free Wednesdays (when scheduled) are for bikes and pedestrians only. Confirm the current Wednesday policy on nps.gov/grsm.

What not to do

Do not approach black bears. Stay at least 50 yards (about 10 car lengths). Do not feed wildlife. Do not leave food in an open car at a trailhead. Do not assume cell service on Newfound Gap Road. Download offline maps in the NPS app before you leave Wi-Fi at the cabin.

The park is huge (more than 500,000 acres, 800-plus miles of trails). A cabin on the Gatlinburg side is the right base for Sugarlands, Roaring Fork, Laurel Falls, and downtown dinner the same night. Cades Cove and Cataloochee elk are longer drives. If your group wants a theater and hot tub after a full park day, that is why we built lodges that sleep 12 with real theaters, not sofa-bed math.

Related: hiking trails, black bears, synchronous fireflies (lottery, late May to early June), and cabins near the national park.