Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a celebrated recreation area in the United States that welcomes millions of visitors looking to explore its expansive natural scenery. Boasting an impressive 4.9-star rating from over 50,000 Google reviews, this friendly national park offers an abundance of outdoor amenities, including campgrounds, fishing streams, and diverse flora and fauna. Guests will discover beautiful scenery from all directions throughout their trip, filled with magnificent overlooks, tranquil creeks, and picturesque waterfalls nestled alongside a rich network of hiking trails.
Visitors can easily experience much of the destination simply by driving the main road, which connects directly to scenic and historic hiking trails. For those hoping to spot local wildlife, an early morning trip around the Cades Cove Loop presents a fantastic opportunity to see black bears roaming the area. Because there is no phone service within the park, visitors are encouraged to make prior arrangements if they need to place calls or use maps.
George Farah
2 months ago
Great Smoky Mountains National Park is an amazing and friendly national park to visit. Driving the main road you can still take in so much of the park and explore hiking trails. The overlooks were very beautiful. The hiking trails were also spectacular and historic. No matter where you turn the views of the mountains where just amazing. You realize why they are called Smoky when you go!
C. McRae
3 months ago
Beautiful scenery from all directions. Plenty of trails, creeks and waterfalls. No phone service in the area, so make prior arrangements if you need to make calls or use maps. Everyone in our group had a great time.
Thomas Smery - Travel & Food
2 months ago
Great Smoky Mountains National Park completely lived up to the hype and is now one of my favorite national parks! We got up early and drove the Cades Cove Loop hoping to spot some bears, and it was absolutely worth it. We were lucky enough to see a large male black bear as well as a mother bear with her three cubs, all from a very close (but safe) distance. Watching these incredible animals in their natural habitat was an unforgettable experience. We also saw several deer along the way, making the drive even more special. The scenery throughout the park is absolutely breathtaking, with lush forests, mountain views, beautiful rivers, and countless scenic overlooks. One thing we really appreciated is that there is no entrance fee you only need a very affordable $5 daily parking pass, which is amazing considering how much the park has to offer. Whether you’re looking for wildlife, scenic drives, hiking, photography, or just a peaceful day in nature, this park has it all. Cades Cove was definitely the highlight of our visit, and seeing the bears there was an experience we’ll never forget. We can’t wait to come back. Highly recommended! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Supriya Sharma
a week ago
We did the Alum Cave trail. Trail is pretty good. We did it up till the Alum Cave Bluff which is half way. Not too strenuous and 1 or 2 points to enjoy a hilltop view. But if you’re looking only for a mountain view and a place to reach from where you can see a complete mountains view then this is not the right hike for you. All in all- good experience.
onthegoboomer
2 months ago
This is our 23rd national park visit as we hope to complete all 63 national parks. Tremendous amounts of trees and lush meadows. We were not graced with a bear sighting but did get to see some beautiful deer, elk and turkeys. The root structure on some of the trees was incredible! I think a trip in the Fall or Spring would be a better time of year as the humidity is intense! The roads were great, the park clean, plenty of toilets and helpful staff in the visitor centers. The importance of getting your parking passes at the visitor center is real. We did see rangers in some of the locations checking tags. It’s $5/day or $15/week.