Gatlinburg · RedAwning

Great Smoky Mountains National ParkAmerica's most-visited national park — 522,000 acres of Appalachian wilderness across two states

The most-visited national park in the United States — over 12 million annual visitors across 522,000 acres of Southern Appalachian forest, 800 miles of trails, the Newfound Gap pass between Tennessee and North Carolina, and the highest peak east of the Mississippi at Kuwohi (formerly Clingmans Dome) at 6,643 feet. Free to enter, but a parking tag is required for any stop longer than fifteen minutes.

Hours todayOpen 24 hrs – undefinedMonday hours
TicketsFrom $5Daily parking tag
LocationGatlinburg, Tennessee107 Park Headquarters Road
Official sitenps.govPlan your visit

522,427Acres
12.2MAnnual visitors
6,643 ft (Kuwohi)Highest peak
800+ milesTrails

Great Smoky Mountains National Park was established by Congress in 1934 and dedicated by President Roosevelt in 1940 — the first major national park created from privately-owned land, assembled with $5 million in Tennessee and North Carolina state funds plus a matching $5 million pledge from John D. Rockefeller Jr. The 522,427-acre result straddles the Tennessee–North Carolina border along the spine of the Southern Appalachians, with Newfound Gap (5,046 feet) the lowest pass through the range and the only paved highway crossing of the park.

The Smokies are the most-visited national park in the United States by a wide margin: over 12 million recreation visits annually, more than Yellowstone and Yosemite combined. The reasons stack: free admission (until the 2023 parking tag, the park had no fee), proximity to a third of the U.S. population within a day's drive, the only major old-growth Eastern hardwood forest left in the country (95% of the park is forested, 25% old-growth), and the highest biodiversity of any temperate national park on Earth — over 19,000 documented species and an estimated 80,000 to 100,000 total.

The park's eastern entrance is Gatlinburg, Tennessee, with Pigeon Forge five miles north — both directly walkable to the Sugarlands Visitor Center via the free park shuttle. The western (NC) side is anchored by Cherokee, Bryson City, and the Oconaluftee Visitor Center. Cades Cove (an 11-mile loop through preserved 1820s homesteads), Kuwohi/Clingmans Dome (the park's high point at 6,643 feet, with a 360-degree observation tower), Newfound Gap, the Roaring Fork Motor Trail, and Alum Cave Bluffs form the most-photographed sequence in the Eastern U.S.

Cades Cove Loop
An 11-mile one-way loop road through a preserved 1820s Appalachian valley — historic log churches, the Cable Mill, John Oliver Cabin, and one of the densest concentrations of black bear, white-tailed deer, and wild turkey sightings in the park. Closed to vehicles every Wednesday May through September for cycling.
Kuwohi (Clingmans Dome) — 6,643 ft
The highest point in Tennessee, the third-highest east of the Mississippi, and the high point of the Appalachian Trail — accessed by a half-mile paved (steep) walk to a 1959 spiral observation tower with 360-degree ridge views. Officially renamed from Clingmans Dome to Kuwohi (its Cherokee name) in 2024.
Newfound Gap
The 5,046-foot pass over the spine of the Smokies and the only paved road crossing the park — the dedication site where President Roosevelt formally established the park in 1940. The Appalachian Trail crosses the parking lot; sunset views east over North Carolina are the park's most-photographed.
Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail
A 5.5-mile narrow one-way scenic drive from Gatlinburg through old-growth forest, past the Place of a Thousand Drips waterfall, several preserved log cabins, and the Grotto Falls trailhead. Closed in winter; no buses, RVs, or trailers.
Black Bear Country
About 1,500 black bears live within the park's 522,000 acres — roughly two bears per square mile, the densest population in the Eastern U.S. Cades Cove and the Roaring Fork are the most reliable spotting zones, especially at dawn and dusk in the spring and fall.
Synchronous Fireflies (June)
For two weeks each June, Photinus carolinus fireflies in the Elkmont area synchronize their flashes — one of only a handful of species worldwide that does this, and the only one in the Western Hemisphere. Access is by lottery; results announced in late April.
Old-Growth Forest & Biodiversity
About 95% of the park is forested, 25% of which is old-growth — the largest contiguous old-growth temperate forest left in the country. Over 19,000 documented species (and an estimated 80,000+) make the Smokies the most biologically diverse national park in the temperate world.
Appalachian Trail — 71 Miles
The Appalachian Trail follows the Tennessee–North Carolina border ridgeline through the park for 71 miles, including its highest single-state point at Kuwohi. Day-section access at Newfound Gap, Fontana Dam, and Davenport Gap.

Open hours

The park is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Some roads (Newfound Gap, Clingmans Dome, Roaring Fork Motor Trail) close seasonally for snow and weather. Visitor centers operate roughly 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM with seasonal extensions.

MondayTodayOpen 24 hrs
TuesdayOpen 24 hrs
WednesdayOpen 24 hrs
ThursdayOpen 24 hrs
FridayOpen 24 hrs
SaturdayOpen 24 hrs
SundayOpen 24 hrs

Note · Cades Cove Loop Road is closed to vehicles every Wednesday from May through September for cycling and pedestrian use only.

Ticket pricing

Per-person admission. Buy in advance to skip the gate line.

Park entranceFreeFree admission for all visitors — no entrance fee
Daily parking tag$5Required for any stop longer than 15 minutes
Weekly parking tag$15Best value for typical 3–7 day visits
Annual parking tag$40Valid 12 months from purchase

Great Smoky Mountains is one of the few national parks with no entrance fee, but a parking tag (introduced March 2023) is required for any vehicle parking longer than 15 minutes. Tags can be purchased online in advance, at fee kiosks throughout the park, or at visitor centers — display on the front passenger-side dashboard. America the Beautiful annual passes do not cover the parking tag.

Buy parking tag

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