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Sponsored National Park Search |
| Activities for Children | Ranger Programs | Special Programs | Visitor Centers |
| Months | Time | Day |
| Beg Jan - end Feb | 8:00 am - 4:30 pm | Mon - Fri |
| Beg Mar - end Oct | 8:00 am - 4:30 pm 9:00 am - 5:00 pm |
Mon - Fri Sat |
| Beg Nov - end Dec | 9:00 am - 4:30 pm | Mon - Fri |
Located inside the Park near the mid-point of the 11-mile, one-way Cades Cove Loop Road.
Guided programs are conducted seasonally. Please check at the visitor center for times and locations. The visitor center features indoor and outdoor exhibits of Southern Mountain life and culture and includes the Cable Mill, a grist mill which operates spring through fall; the Becky Cable house, and other historic structures. Available facilities include the Great Smoky Mountains Natural History Association bookstore and shop as well as public restrooms. Cultural history displays are integrated with sales items. Orientation information is also available.
| Months | Time | Day |
| Beg Jan - end Feb | 8:30 am - 5:00 pm 9:00 am - 5:00 pm |
Mon - Sat Sun |
| Beg Mar - end Mar | 8:30 am - 5:00 pm 8:30 am - 6:00 pm 9:00 am - 5:00 pm |
Mon - Thu Fri - Sat Sun |
| Beg Apr - end Dec | 8:30 am - 6:00 pm 9:00 am - 5:00 pm |
Mon - Sat Sun |
Located two miles outside of Gatlinburg on 441 South
Available facilities include the Great Smoky Mountain Natural History Association bookstore and shop, City of Gatlinburg information, public restrooms and telephones.
| Months | Time | Day |
| Beg Jan - end Mar | 8:00 am - 4:30 pm | |
| Beg Apr - end May | 8:00 am - 4:30 pm | |
| Beg Jun - end Aug | 8:30 am - 7:00 pm |
Located inside the Park, two miles north of Cherokee, NC on US 441. It is also near the southern terminus of the 469-mile Blue Ridge Parkway
Guided programs are conducted seasonally. Please check at the visitor center for times and locations of these programs. The visitor center features the adjacent Mountain Farm Museum that contains a fascinating collection of log structures, including a farmhouse, barn, smokehouse, applehouse, corn cribs, and others. Demonstrations of farm life are conducted seasonally. Available facilities include the Great Smoky Mountains Natural History Association bookstore and shop as well as public restrooms.
Sugarlands Visitor Center
Open year round except Christmas
Beg Dec - end Feb; 8:00 am - 4:30 pm
Located two miles south of Gatlinburg, TN on US Route 441
Guided programs are conducted seasonally. Please check at the visitor center for times and locations of these programs. The visitor center features free admission to a 20-minute film with Dolby Digital Surround Sound and extensive natural history exhibits. Available facilities include the Great Smoky Mountains Natural History Association bookstore and shop, public restrooms and telephones, soda and water machines, and a backcountry permit station.
Townsend Visitor Center
Open year round
Located in Townsend, TN on US 321
Available facilities include the Great Smoky Mountains Natural History Association bookstore and shop, Townsend and local area information, and public restrooms and telephones.
Gateway Regional Visitor Center
Open year round
Located in Knoxville, Tennessee, at the Volunteer Landing off James White Parkway
The visitor center features exhibits on Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Cumberland Gap National Historic Park, Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area, Obed Wild and Scenic River, and Andrew Johnson National Historic Site, in addition to the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Available facilities include information on the City of Knoxville and regional recreation opportunities.
Smoky Mountain Visitor Center
Open year round
Beg Jan - end Mar; 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
Located at Interstate 40, exit 407 (Highway 66) in the Smokies Stadium complex
Available facilities include the Great Smoky Mountains Natural History Association bookstore and shop, Sevier County, Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, and Sevierville information, public restrooms and telephones.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park is open year round. Summer is the busiest season. Crowds dissipate after Labor Day, but return in October when the leaves display their fall clothing. From November through May visitation is light. May and September often make for the best visits: sunny, warm weather and few crowds.
The Smokies offer activities for visitors of various ages and interests. Recommended activities include camping, hiking the park's more than 800 miles of trails, picnicking, sightseeing, fishing, auto touring, horseback riding, nature viewing, and photographic opportunities abound. Guided horseback rides are available in season at five horse stables in the park in Tennessee and North Carolina.
Interpretive rangers or other Park staff work at the three Park visitor centers. Since summer is the busiest season, the Park runs a full schedule of Ranger led programs. Spring and fall have less extensive schedules. The winter season, which runs from November through early April has no programs. However, visitors centers remain open, and their orientation information and museum displays provide a good starting place when visiting the Smokies.
The Great Smoky Mountains, the majestic climax of the Appalachian Highlands, are a wildlands sanctuary preserving the world's finest examples of temperate deciduous forest. The park boasts unspoiled forests similar to those the early settlers found. Wildflowers and migrating birds abound in late April and early May. Autumn's pageantry of colors usually peaks in mid- October. Some 800 miles of trails thread the whole of the Smokies' natural fabric - and its waterfalls, coves, balds, and rushing streams. The Smokies, a wild landscape rich with traces of its human past, calls people back year after year.
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Each year the Park hosts the annual Wildflower Pilgrimage.
Peak wildflower season is April, but the Cades Cove's open meadows hold blooms from spring to fall. Mountain laurel, rhododendron, and flame azalea attract visitors throughout spring and summer. Mountain laurel blooms in May, followed by rhododendron in late June and early July. In late June people come from around the country to view Gregory Bald's azaleas.
In the open areas, such as Cades Cove, other flowers are more common. Purple phacelia bloom in May often accompanied by blue-eyed grass. May apple and yellow trillium do better in the shade. By June, European red clover comes into bloom, offering a tasty dessert for local deer. Daisies, Queen Anne's lace, and, later, Black-eyed Susans color the year longest days. Butterfly weed glows bright orange in July. Some other common flowers in Park lowlands (and blooming dates) are: sweet-joe-pye weed (July-September), yellow ragwort (May-June), hawkweed (April-July), yellow fringed orchid (July-September), and trumpet vine (August).
Bike riding is an increasingly popular method of touring the Cove. Bicycles can travel on most roads within the park. The Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail is the exception. The Foothills Parkway provides good biking opportunities. Cyclists may traverse the parkway's unfinished portions. Cades Cove offers another great riding opportunity. The loop road periodically closes to motorized vehicles. It will close to motor vehicle traffic from May-September until 10 a.m. each Wednesday and Saturday. Many bicyclists and walkers enjoy traveling the road during these hours.
At other times, both motorized and non-motorized visitors share the road and must be aware of one another. Cyclists must obey road signs and traffic laws and must walk their bicycles on particularly steep and curvy hills. The gravel roads of Sparks or Hyatt Lanes can be used to shorten the loop and to avoid the steepest hills. Helmets are strongly recommended. Drinking water and restrooms are found only at the beginning/ end of the loop and at the Cable Mill area, six miles into the loop.
Bikes and helmets are available for rent through the Cades Cove Campground Store. For more information call: 865-448-9034.
No mountain biking trails are available. A few graveled trails, including the Gatlinburg Trail and Oconaluftee River Trail, allow bicycles. For more extensive mountain biking opportunities, visit the Tsali Recreation Area near Fontana Village, NC, or take a trip to Big South Fork National Recreation Area. Bicycles are not permitted on trails or off-road
Daily hayrides offer another great way to see the Cove. During the summer months, the loop road can be traveled by motorized haywagon from the Cades Cove Riding Stables. Rides are available throughout the day by reservation for $ 6.00 per person with a 15-person minimum. A park ranger joins the hayride most evenings to interpret the Cove's natural and cultural history. An $ 8.00 per person fee is collected, with some of the money helping to support park education programs and visitor services. Special Fall Harvest hayrides in October require advanced reservations, which can be made by calling: 865-448-6286.
Horseback riding is available seasonally. The Park has five commercial stables within its borders. They are open from approximately mid-March through the Thanksgiving season. Prices average $15.00 per hour. Children five years of age and under ride with parents; while those six years of age and older ride alone. 250 pound weight limit. Open 9:00 am. Last ride 5:00 pm.
For more information call the numbers below:
The Park has specific sites set aside for picnicking. Some, including Chimneys, Deep Creek, Cades Cove, and Cosby, remain open year-round. Other sites include Greenbrier, Big Creek, and Collins Creek. Balsam Mountain and Look Rock are closed for renovations. Most picnic areas in the Park have pavilions. To reserve a pavilion, please call 1-800-365-2267. The cost is $ 20.00.
The 81-site Cades Cove picnic area is available with restrooms, fire rings and tables, some of which are wheelchair-accessible. Located before the beginning of the loop road, it closes at 8:00 pm from May through August, and at sunset for the rest of the year. No overnight parking is permitted in the picnic area. No picnic facilities are found along the loop road. Visitors may picnic at other sites without facilities; however, stoves, grills, or other fires are prohibited outside of the picnic area. Feeding wildlife is prohibited throughout the park. Food and trash must be completely removed at the end of each picnic. Food must be properly stored inside vehicles at other times. Drinking water is available at the picnic area, outside the campground store, and at the Cable Mill area.
For a more detailed schedule of picnic area information, check at the Visitor Centers.
Park waters are dangerous and caution is a must. Swim at your own risk, and watch children carefully. The Park does not recommend any specific swimming area for this reason. Since Park waters rarely rise above 65�F, hypothermia is a year round risk.
Practicing Water Safety is a must while visiting the Park. Serious water-related injuries occur every year in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Drowning is the second leading cause of death after driving accidents. These injuries can easily be avoided.
Please remember:
| Activity & Description | Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Hayride Check at VC or campground for dates offered $ 8.00 per person |
7:00 pm | 7:00 pm | 7:00 pm | 7:00 pm |
| Historic Mill Tour Check at VC or campground for dates offered |
12:00 pm 2:00 pm |
2:00 pm | 12:00 pm 2:00 pm |
12:00 pm 2:00 pm 3:00 pm |
12:00 pm 2:00 pm |
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| Evening Programs Check at VC or campground for dates offered |
9:00 pm | 9:00 pm | 9:00 pm | 9:00 pm | |||
| Precious Memories The Primitive Baptist Church Check at VC or campground for dates offered |
10:30 am 11:30 am 12:30 pm |
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| Junior Ranger Program Check at VC or campground for dates offered |
7:00 pm | 7:00 pm | 7:00 pm |
| Activity & Description | Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
| Laurel Falls Walk Check at VC or campground for dates offered |
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| Cataract Falls Walk Check at VC or campground for dates offered |
11:00 am | 11:00 am | 11:00 am | 11:00 am | 11:00 am | 11:00 am | 11:00 am |
| Elkmont Campground Evening Program Check at VC or campground for dates offered |
8:30 pm | 8:30 pm | 8:30 pm | ||||
| Cosby Campground Evening Program Check at VC or campground for dates offered |
| Activity & Description | Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
| Reflections of the Past Check at VC or campground for dates offered Last 2 hours |
2:00 pm | 2:00 pm | |||||
| Porch Chats Check at VC or campground for dates offered |
3:00 pm | 3:00 pm | 3:00 pm | ||||
| Smokemont Stream Explorers Check at VC or campground for dates offered |
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| Smokemont Evening Walk Check at VC or campground for dates offered |
5:00 pm | 5:00 pm | |||||
| Balsam Evening Program Check at VC or campground for dates offered |
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| Night Hike Check at VC or campground for dates offered |
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| Smokemont Evening Slide Show Check at VC or campground for dates offered |
5:00 pm | ||||||
| Mingus Mill Demonstration Check at VC or campground for dates offered |
No unescorted children on Ranger Programs. Parents are responsible for the safety and behavior of their children. No pets allowed on walks.
Smoky Mountain Classrooms is an interdisciplinary learning experience for students in grades k-8. This environmental education program integrates the natural and cultural resources of Great Smoky Mountains National Park with North Carolina and Tennessee curriculum objectives. The programs utilize Park Rangers as primary instructors with assistance from teachers
The Park's outdoor "classrooms" become the teaching resource. These k-8 programs reflect North Carolina and Tennessee curriculum objectives and educational goals. There is no charge for these programs
For more information, contact the Park's education office at:
Phone: 865-436-1292 or Email: GRSM_Education@NPS.gov
Program Descriptions
In the Sugarlands Valley Classroom, kindergarten students use their senses to learn about a forest community. They interact with a "talking chimney," feel and smell their way along a sensory rope, discover the forest with a magnifying glass, and "hug a tree."
In the Sugarlands Classroom, 1st grade students discover the diversity of animal and plant life found in the Smokies. They become nature detectives, discovering the interdependence between plants and animals in their habitats during a discovery hunt and walk to a waterfall. Students also learn characteristics of different animal groups. A similar program is also offered at the Coopers Branch classroom in Cades Cove.
In the Porters Flat Classroom, 2nd grade students will utilize tools to recreate the experience of building a log home. They learn how the forest was both a supermarket and a drugstore to mountain communities. The students also learn about the lives of mountain children. This program is also offered at Cades Cove.
In the Mingus Mill Classroom, 2nd grade students tour a grist mill and learn how corn was ground into cornmeal. They make a wooden toy and participate in a discovery hunt to learn how the forest was both a supermarket and drugstore to the mountain community.
In the Habitat Diversity classroom, 3rd grade students are given clues to discover how specific animals are interdependent in a habitat, as well as build their own habitat using a "diversity" of species. Students also examine and inventory the soil and report on their discoveries.
In the Clingmans Dome Classroom, 5th grade students examine the plant and animal interactions in a high elevation forest ecosystem including impacts resulting from non-native insects and air pollution. The program includes a hike to an air monitoring station and the highest point in the Smokies.
In the Cades Cove Bicycle Classroom, 6th grade students travel around Cades Cove on a seven-mile bicycle trip, becoming Park managers and planning the future of key resources along the way. Students participate in role play activities that demonstrate how individual choices affect environmental health.
In the Cades Cove Classroom, 7th grade students will learn how researchers preserve the Cove by looking at its cultural and natural resources. They will use equipment used to manage animals and discover clues with teamwork to examine some historical structures in Cades Cove.
In the Deep Creek Classroom, 7th grade students use scientific methods to study streams. The students will assess the watershed health while discovering stream creatures.
The Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont is a year-round residential environmental education center in the Smokies which offers workshops and programs for everyone, from grade school children to Elderhostel groups and teachers. Programs may include hiking, slide shows on flora and fauna, mountain music, living history, and wildlife demonstrations.
School groups, teachers, naturalists and outdoor enthusiasts can find opportunities to hike, attend presentations by park experts, learn plant identification, tour the national park, and sing around the campfire. Great Smoky Mountains Institute is a private non-profit organization working in cooperation with Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
The park is our classroom but Institute facilities include a comfortable dormitory and dining hall, an activity center with classrooms, a large meeting and recreation room, an outdoor picnic pavilion, two covered campfire circles, and a bookstore.
Program fees for all programs cover hearty family-style meals and dormitory lodging. Graduate credit is available for many workshops. A fee is charged. For more information, call: 865-448-6709.
The Smoky Mountain Field School offers weekend workshops, hikes, and adventures for adults and families throughout the year. In cooperation with the National Park Service and University of Tennessee, experts on Smoky Mountain plants, wildlife, and history lead programs. A fee is charged. For more information call or write:
Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont
9275 Tremont Rd
Townsend, TN 37882
Phone: 865-448-6709
Fax: 865-448-9250
Bring the family for a hands-on exploration of the diversity of life within the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The family will discover the wonders of the Smokies and learn of ideas to preserve natural and cultural treasures in your own backyard.
 Activities for Children Activity & Calendar Page Address, Email & Phone Guide Backcountry Camping Guide Bear Aware Bear Information Biking Guide Bird Guide Brochures, Maps, Written Info Cades Cove Camping Guide Chat Page Clingmans Dome Deep Creek Elk Guide Emergency Medical Services
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Environmental Concerns Establishment Fees Fishing Guide Fontana Dam Forest Info Hiking Guide History Horse Camp Horse Riding Information International Recognition Jobs, SCA, Volunteer Positions Location Lodging Guide Map Guide Newfound Gap Road
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Park Information Picnicking Information Pet Information Red Wolves Roaring Fork Motor Trail Search Sights Guide Size Swimming Guide Teacher's Guide Travel Guide Visitors Centers Visitors Guide Weather Wild Flowers Wildlife
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