Travel tips, trail guides, and everything you need for your Great Smoky Mountains adventure.
The 11-mile Cades Cove loop is the Smokies' single most popular drive — a slow circuit past historic cabins, churches, and open meadows where black bears, deer, and wild turkeys roam. Here's when to go to beat the traffic, the vehicle-free mornings, and the best pullouts for wildlife.
Read More →At 6,643 feet, Clingmans Dome is the highest point in the park and its spiral observation tower delivers 360-degree views across Tennessee and North Carolina. Learn about the steep half-mile paved climb, when the access road closes for winter, and how to catch sunrise or sunset above the clouds.
Read More →The Alum Cave Trail is the most scenic route up to Mount LeConte, passing Arch Rock, Inspiration Point, and the namesake bluffs on the way to one of the highest peaks in the East. Distances, difficulty, the LeConte Lodge option, and what to pack for the all-day round trip.
Read More →For two weeks in late May and early June, Elkmont's synchronous fireflies blink in unison in one of nature's rarest light shows. Here's how the parking lottery works, how to enter, when the display peaks, and what to expect on the shuttle in.
Read More →Spring wildflowers, summer thunderstorms, and the headline event — mid-to-late October fall color that draws crowds from across the country. Plan your season, find the best foliage drives along Newfound Gap and the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail, and learn how to dodge the worst of the traffic.
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