Whether you delight in the challenge of a strenuous hike to the crest of a mountain or prefer to sit quietly and watch the sun set, Great Smoky Mountains National Park offers a myriad of activities for you to enjoy. The hardest part may be choosing which auto tour, trail, waterfall, overlook, or historic area to explore!
Activities
Auto Touring - An auto tour of the park offers a chance to see panoramic vistas, rushing mountain streams, weathered historic buildings, and majestic forests stretching to the horizon. Inexpensive booklets are available to serve as your personal tour guides along many park roads.
Bicycling - Ride through Cades Cove on a misty summer morning for a truly memorable way to experience the park.
Camping - Escape into the Smokies wilderness for a backpacking adventure or opt for a tamer excursion in one of the park's developed campgrounds.
Fishing - Anglers can match their skills against wily brook, brown, and rainbow trout on over 700 miles of fishable streams in the park.
Hiking - Choose from over 800 miles of trails ranging from quiet walkways to multi-day backpacking treks through the backcountry.
Historic Buildings - The park has one of the best collections of log buildings in the eastern United States. Nearly 80 historic structures—homes, barns, churches, schools, and grist mills—have been preserved in the park.
Horseback Riding - The park has hundreds of miles of horse trails and five drive-in horse camps. If you don't own a horse, four rental stables provide mounts and guides.
Picnicking - Craving hotdogs, potato salad, water melon... and ants? There are eleven picnic areas to choose from in the park—many have pavilions that can be reserved in advance.
Waterfalls - Waterfalls can be found on nearly every river and stream in the park. Here's your guide to some of the best.
Wildflowers - Great Smoky Mountains National park is known as the "wildflower national park." You can find blooming plants year-round here, but spring and summer are renown for spectacular displays of wildflowers along roads and trails.
Wildlife Viewing - Hoping to see an elk, white-tailed deer, or black bear? Read some tips to improve your chances of spotting animals during your visit to the park.
Auto Touring - An auto tour of the park offers a chance to see panoramic vistas, rushing mountain streams, weathered historic buildings, and majestic forests stretching to the horizon. Inexpensive booklets are available to serve as your personal tour guides along many park roads.
Bicycling - Ride through Cades Cove on a misty summer morning for a truly memorable way to experience the park.
Camping - Escape into the Smokies wilderness for a backpacking adventure or opt for a tamer excursion in one of the park's developed campgrounds.
Fishing - Anglers can match their skills against wily brook, brown, and rainbow trout on over 700 miles of fishable streams in the park.
Hiking - Choose from over 800 miles of trails ranging from quiet walkways to multi-day backpacking treks through the backcountry.
Historic Buildings - The park has one of the best collections of log buildings in the eastern United States. Nearly 80 historic structures—homes, barns, churches, schools, and grist mills—have been preserved in the park.
Horseback Riding - The park has hundreds of miles of horse trails and five drive-in horse camps. If you don't own a horse, four rental stables provide mounts and guides.
Picnicking - Craving hotdogs, potato salad, water melon... and ants? There are eleven picnic areas to choose from in the park—many have pavilions that can be reserved in advance.
Waterfalls - Waterfalls can be found on nearly every river and stream in the park. Here's your guide to some of the best.
Wildflowers - Great Smoky Mountains National park is known as the "wildflower national park." You can find blooming plants year-round here, but spring and summer are renown for spectacular displays of wildflowers along roads and trails.
Wildlife Viewing - Hoping to see an elk, white-tailed deer, or black bear? Read some tips to improve your chances of spotting animals during your visit to the park.
Trails
Summary
Difficulty
Distance
Metcalf Bottoms Trail
This is a short nature trail type of hike to Little Greenbrier School in Great Smoky Mountains National Park
This is a short nature trail type of hike to Little Greenbrier School in Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Easy
1.4 mi/
2.3 km
2.3 km
Laurel Falls at Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Nice easy trail to a small waterfall. Along the way there are a few nice views of the nearby hills and rock formations
Nice easy trail to a small waterfall. Along the way there are a few nice views of the nearby hills and rock formations
Easy
2.6 mi/
4.2 km
4.2 km
Trillium Gap Trail to Grotto Falls
Combined hiking and horseback riding trail leading to Mt. LeConte
Combined hiking and horseback riding trail leading to Mt. LeConte
Easy
5.2 mi/
8.4 km
8.4 km
Cade Cove Loop Road at Great Smoky Mountains National Park
This road through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park runs through a lush valley, see wildlife & historic buildings
This road through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park runs through a lush valley, see wildlife & historic buildings
Easy
10.1 mi/
16.3 km
16.3 km
Clingmans Dome at Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Short moderate hike to the best viewpoint in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Short moderate hike to the best viewpoint in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Moderate
1.3 mi/
2.1 km
2.1 km
Rich Mountain Loop Trail
Learn more about Cades Cove's natural and cultural history and the Great Smoky Mountains at www.NaturePods.com
Learn more about Cades Cove's natural and cultural history and the Great Smoky Mountains at www.NaturePods.com
Moderate
2.5 mi/
4.0 km
4.0 km
Chestnut Top Trail - Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Wildflowers and Black Bears
Wildflowers and Black Bears
Moderate
4.3 mi/
6.9 km
6.9 km
Mt Leconte Summit via Alum Cave Trail
Hike to the top of Mt. Leconte via the Alum Cave Trail inside the Great Smoky Mountain National Park.
Hike to the top of Mt. Leconte via the Alum Cave Trail inside the Great Smoky Mountain National Park.
Difficult
12.0 mi/
19.3 km
19.3 km
Newfound Gap Road at Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Drive across the mountains in the parks most-traveled road.
Drive across the mountains in the parks most-traveled road.
n/a
29 mi/
47 km
47 km
Guides
Nice easy trail to a small waterfall. Along the way there are a few nice views of the nearby hills and rock formations
Hike to the top of Mt. Leconte via the Alum Cave Trail inside the Great Smoky Mountain National Park.
Combined hiking and horseback riding trail leading to Mt. LeConte
My all-time favorite run.
This road through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park runs through a lush valley, see wildlife & historic buildings
Learn more about Cades Cove's natural and cultural history and the Great Smoky Mountains at www.NaturePods.com
Wildflowers and Black Bears
Short moderate hike to the best viewpoint in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
This is a short nature trail type of hike to Little Greenbrier School in Great Smoky Mountains National Park
A hiker's paradise with over 800 miles of maintained trails. Car tours of the park are also very popular.
Drive across the mountains in the parks most-traveled road.
Community Trips
An early morning hike to the Chimney Tops in the Smoky Mountains. The early section is very pretty and follows a scenic stream with several creek crossings. Then comes a harsh steep section that probably stops the casual tourist. Things finally level off and lead you to the peak and some wonderful views.We were in a rush to return to our hotel for check-out time so couldn't fully explore the rocky peak. ...
This is a very popular loop trail that circles
the headwaters of the Nantahala river. Standing Indian Basin is the
horseshoe-shaped drainage formed by the Nantahala and Blue Ridge Mountains.
Several prominent peaks over 5,000 feet in elevation—Albert Mountain, Big Butt,
Little Bald, and Standing Indian Mountain—cap the rim of the drainage. There are many trails through the area and
several options exist for loop trails.
What makes this area so attractive...
A beautiful hike to a very nice waterfall. You can walk behind the falls without getting wet.
This is a relatively easy hike to two waterfalls just south of the route 276 on the Blue Ridge Parkway.
The trail starts at the parking area and descends rather steeply right from the parking lot. The trail to the lower falls has much more traffic and there are a couple of sets of stairs along the way. From the lower falls, the trail becomes less crowded as you...
This two-night hike was made by scouts and scouters of Troop 224, Oak Ridge, Tenn. We started and finished at Standing Indian Campground in Nantahala National Forest. We made the loop in a counter-clockwise direction, starting with Kimsey Creek Trail, which took us to the Appalachian Trail at Deep Gap (3.7 miles). After a stop to check the views from Standing Indian Mountain, we continued to Beech Gap, where most of our group...
My friend Brad joined me on this day hike to Mt. LeConte Lodge. (This was not a South Beyond 6000 summit hike.)
Begin on the Big East Fork Trail on the south side of the river, climb out of the valley on the Greasy Cove Trail, follow the Art Loeb Trail across the Shining Rock Ledge, and descend back to the trail head on the Shining Creek Trail.It is a very beautiful area and well worth visiting. It is also riddled with trails so there are many trips that can be easily put together...
This was a day hike to Gregory Bald from Cades Cove in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. We parked on Forge Creek Road at Parsons Branch Road. (Parsons Branch Road is closed in the winter.) Our hike began with a walk up Parsons Branch Road to Gregory Bald Trail, then to the bald. The return trip was via Gregory Ridge Trail, which goes back directly to the parking area.
6.5-mile hike in Panthertown Valley, Nantahala National Forest
Panthertown Valley, North Carolina, United States
6.4 miles
6.4 miles
Excellent hike multiple waterfalls, wildflowers and scenery at Panthertown Valley in far southeaster North Carolina in the Nantahala National Forest. Trip writeup to come.
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