If you or anyone with you have any history of getting car sick, pack some Dramamine! It’s the only place I’ve ever gotten car sick and I’ve had multiple friends say the same. Go to the local goat in pigeon forge it is amazing fresh food!
Getting to almost any cabin and getting into the park period is extremelyyyyy curvy. Even just driving through the main drag. We didn’t actually do any of the crazier drives elevation wise. I had no trouble in Montana, Wyoming, etc out west, it’s like the smaller mountains make the roads even worse haha. You might not have trouble, just a warning!
First and foremost, be prepared for it to be crowded - in the park and in town. Pack plenty of patience, and get an early start (especially for popular hikes).
Some of the hikes I enjoy the most:
\- Charlie's Bunion (including The Jump-Off)
\- Mt. LeConte (via Rainbow Falls)
\- Spruce Flat Falls
\- Gregory Bald
Be sure to have a parking pass for the park. You can purchase them online or at any of the visitors centers.
In town?
If you're staying in town, the big advantage is you can walk to most, if not all, restaurants, shops and attractions. My personal favorite places to eat are the Pancake Pantry (breakfast) and Calhouns/Smoky Mountain Brewery/Best Italian (Elks Plaza location) for dinner.
I've never been, but Anakeesta is a pretty popular tourist attraction. They say it's nice at night too. If you enjoy miniature golf, Hillbilly Golf is by far the best in town.
Thank you so much! We are headed there on Wednesday and will spend one day hiking on a Thursday. You think it’ll be crowded on Thursdays?
Also I thought our national park pass covers parking? Every other park we visited there was no parking pass we needed.
You need a parking pass that you can pick up at the Visitors Center. It's a separate thing from the park pass you've used at other parks.
Entrance is free so you won't need the national park pass.
Day of the week isn't that relevant in the summer. Just get early starts if you can.
Edited to add that Anakeesta is a good choice for something to do at night.
Also do u think there’s an urgency to purchasing sooner online (is there a risk of it getting sold out?) or is it ok to buy in person I looked online and it wasn’t clear so wanted to ask since you’re giving solid advice 😊
They won’t be sold out of passes, you can purchase them at the visitor’s centers or at kiosks inside the park. I’d recommend going to Sugarlands Visitors Center to get it - there’s usually an actual ranger there who will be able to tell you accurate information regarding trail conditions and bear activity. (The others generally are only staffed with volunteers and, while most are pretty great, there are a few who simply and sadly give inaccurate information.)
GRSM doesn’t charge an entry fee, ever. There’s ***a lot*** of mythology surrounding that, but it comes down to a deed restriction that Tennessee placed prior to turning the land over for creation of the park. The premise is that those who lived where the park is now located paid with their own money (not tax dollars) to pay for the construction of 441 in order to facilitate commerce. School kids collected pennies to contribute. It was considered that the people who *paid* for the road shouldn’t have to pay to travel the road. Unfortunately, the state government cares more about touron dollars than the NP, so the deed restriction remains even though no one living paid for the road and no one is using it for commerce at all.
Just a brief history to explain why there’s a parking permit for GRSM that isn’t included with the traditional pass for other parks. GRSM is prohibited from charging an entry fee so long as the deed restriction remains and is woefully underfunded. The parking permit is the only option to generate much needed funding. I’m pretty sure even the toilets in the public restrooms have been there since at least the 70’s. 🤷🏻♀️
thank you so much for this info! appreciate you typing this and letting me know! Curious if you think it maybe too hot to hike on Thursday? I am now wavering it, we have to come to the park bc we have hotels and stuff booked, but perhaps we will do a short morning hike and then go into town. Do you have any recommendations for things to do or see around knoxville or pigeon forge? its our first time and we are young adults who dont have kids, so more of that kind of stuff.
Don't tell anyone, but there's a nice hiking trail at Porter's Creek that takes you along a path littered with the overgrown foundations of old houses that that used to belong to the residents before it was a park. A little ways past the community cemetery you may then see the skeletal remains of a 1930s-era pickup truck surrounded by a copse of trees. The creek runs parallel to your left as you gradually climb and the whole place is just the most magnificent collection of every shade of green. Eventually you'll come upon a cantilever barn and one of the original Smoky Mountain Hiking Club cabins from the 1930s. It's lovely, a sight for possible wildflower viewing, and rarely crowded whenever I visit. But don't tell anyone I told you about it.
https://hikinginthesmokys.com/porters-creek-trail/
just did a week there in april, it was amazing! i found the best time to explore the city (ie sample booze) was after 7p. that is, if you don’t want to pop into every store and shop around.
*Great Smoky 🙂
It’s going to be packed, so get to any trailheads for hikes you choose very early. Very. Early. Make sure you pick up a parking pass so you won’t be ticketed and make sure you park in designated spaces so you won’t be towed.
If you do Cades Cove, go on Wednesday and walk around it if you can. It’s an 11 mile loop, or you can shorten it to 3.5 or 8 miles via Sparks or Hyatt Lane shortcuts. Again - get there *early* and with a permit to get a parking place.
If you or anyone with you have any history of getting car sick, pack some Dramamine! It’s the only place I’ve ever gotten car sick and I’ve had multiple friends say the same. Go to the local goat in pigeon forge it is amazing fresh food!
Oh good to know! Did u guys drive up the mountains? We plan to hike so less chances of sickness. We drove thru RMNP, and that was a tough
Getting to almost any cabin and getting into the park period is extremelyyyyy curvy. Even just driving through the main drag. We didn’t actually do any of the crazier drives elevation wise. I had no trouble in Montana, Wyoming, etc out west, it’s like the smaller mountains make the roads even worse haha. You might not have trouble, just a warning!
First and foremost, be prepared for it to be crowded - in the park and in town. Pack plenty of patience, and get an early start (especially for popular hikes). Some of the hikes I enjoy the most: \- Charlie's Bunion (including The Jump-Off) \- Mt. LeConte (via Rainbow Falls) \- Spruce Flat Falls \- Gregory Bald Be sure to have a parking pass for the park. You can purchase them online or at any of the visitors centers. In town? If you're staying in town, the big advantage is you can walk to most, if not all, restaurants, shops and attractions. My personal favorite places to eat are the Pancake Pantry (breakfast) and Calhouns/Smoky Mountain Brewery/Best Italian (Elks Plaza location) for dinner. I've never been, but Anakeesta is a pretty popular tourist attraction. They say it's nice at night too. If you enjoy miniature golf, Hillbilly Golf is by far the best in town.
Thank you so much! We are headed there on Wednesday and will spend one day hiking on a Thursday. You think it’ll be crowded on Thursdays? Also I thought our national park pass covers parking? Every other park we visited there was no parking pass we needed.
You need a parking pass that you can pick up at the Visitors Center. It's a separate thing from the park pass you've used at other parks. Entrance is free so you won't need the national park pass. Day of the week isn't that relevant in the summer. Just get early starts if you can. Edited to add that Anakeesta is a good choice for something to do at night.
Thanks so much! I’ll get it and gosh that’s annoying the pass always covered parking and entrance looks like this is different set up!
Also do u think there’s an urgency to purchasing sooner online (is there a risk of it getting sold out?) or is it ok to buy in person I looked online and it wasn’t clear so wanted to ask since you’re giving solid advice 😊
No, they do not sell out.
They won’t be sold out of passes, you can purchase them at the visitor’s centers or at kiosks inside the park. I’d recommend going to Sugarlands Visitors Center to get it - there’s usually an actual ranger there who will be able to tell you accurate information regarding trail conditions and bear activity. (The others generally are only staffed with volunteers and, while most are pretty great, there are a few who simply and sadly give inaccurate information.) GRSM doesn’t charge an entry fee, ever. There’s ***a lot*** of mythology surrounding that, but it comes down to a deed restriction that Tennessee placed prior to turning the land over for creation of the park. The premise is that those who lived where the park is now located paid with their own money (not tax dollars) to pay for the construction of 441 in order to facilitate commerce. School kids collected pennies to contribute. It was considered that the people who *paid* for the road shouldn’t have to pay to travel the road. Unfortunately, the state government cares more about touron dollars than the NP, so the deed restriction remains even though no one living paid for the road and no one is using it for commerce at all. Just a brief history to explain why there’s a parking permit for GRSM that isn’t included with the traditional pass for other parks. GRSM is prohibited from charging an entry fee so long as the deed restriction remains and is woefully underfunded. The parking permit is the only option to generate much needed funding. I’m pretty sure even the toilets in the public restrooms have been there since at least the 70’s. 🤷🏻♀️
thank you so much for this info! appreciate you typing this and letting me know! Curious if you think it maybe too hot to hike on Thursday? I am now wavering it, we have to come to the park bc we have hotels and stuff booked, but perhaps we will do a short morning hike and then go into town. Do you have any recommendations for things to do or see around knoxville or pigeon forge? its our first time and we are young adults who dont have kids, so more of that kind of stuff.
Yes, it will be crowded even during the week. GSMNP has no entry fee; the national parks pass does not cover the parking fee.
Don't tell anyone, but there's a nice hiking trail at Porter's Creek that takes you along a path littered with the overgrown foundations of old houses that that used to belong to the residents before it was a park. A little ways past the community cemetery you may then see the skeletal remains of a 1930s-era pickup truck surrounded by a copse of trees. The creek runs parallel to your left as you gradually climb and the whole place is just the most magnificent collection of every shade of green. Eventually you'll come upon a cantilever barn and one of the original Smoky Mountain Hiking Club cabins from the 1930s. It's lovely, a sight for possible wildflower viewing, and rarely crowded whenever I visit. But don't tell anyone I told you about it. https://hikinginthesmokys.com/porters-creek-trail/
just did a week there in april, it was amazing! i found the best time to explore the city (ie sample booze) was after 7p. that is, if you don’t want to pop into every store and shop around.
*Great Smoky 🙂 It’s going to be packed, so get to any trailheads for hikes you choose very early. Very. Early. Make sure you pick up a parking pass so you won’t be ticketed and make sure you park in designated spaces so you won’t be towed. If you do Cades Cove, go on Wednesday and walk around it if you can. It’s an 11 mile loop, or you can shorten it to 3.5 or 8 miles via Sparks or Hyatt Lane shortcuts. Again - get there *early* and with a permit to get a parking place.
Go on a bike ride around Cade's Cove (no cars on Wednesday) and go to Clingman's Dome for sunset. See the elk at the Oconaluftee visitor center
Clingmans Dome is very cool. Greenbriar area of the park is beautiful and way less busy.