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The park is open year-round, with some road closures due to weather, and attracts over nine million visitors a year. Much of the Smokies can be enjoyed from your vehicle and from accessible facilities and programs. Activities range from viewing scenery to exploring the intricacies of the forest floor to learning about the resourceful people who made a living from this wilderness. Designated accessible parking spaces are available at Sugarlands Visitor Center. Restrooms are accessible, as is the outside water fountain near the east parking lot. The center is fully assessable. Many of the other facilities are wheelchair accessible, just check at the visitor centers. Most trails in Great Smoky Mountains National Park are steep and rugged. However, a new accessible trail made possible through a public-private partnership is located on Newfound Gap Road, just south of Sugarlands Visitor Center. Accessible interpretive exhibits located along the one-half mile paved trail describe the unique historic and natural features as the trail winds through second growth forest along the West Prong of the Little Pigeon River. Clay tactile exhibits, a large print brochure, and porcelain enamel wayside exhibits are available on site. Look for the tracks of a black bear that wandered across the freshly poured concrete when the trail was built! An audio tape tour is available from Sugarlands Visitor Center.

Cades Cove Visitor Center is open year round; April – August 9:00 AM-7:00 PM, September – October 9:00 AM-6:00 PM, and November 9:00 AM-5:00 PM. It is located inside the park near the mid-point of the 11-mile, one-way Cades Cove Loop Road. Ranger-led programs are conducted seasonally. Check at the visitor center for times.Indoor and outdoor exhibits of Southern Mountain life and culture include the Cable Mill, a water-powered grist mill which operates spring through fall, the Becky Cable house, and other historic structures. Oconaluftee Visitor Center is also open year round; October 8:00 AM-6:00 PM, November – March 8:00 AM-4:30 PM, and April 8:00 AM-5:00 PM. It is located inside the park, 2 miles north of Cherokee, NC, on US 441. Ranger-led programs are conducted seasonally and the adjacent Mountain Farm Museum contains a fascinating collection of log structures including a farmhouse, barn, smokehouse, applehouse, corn cribs and others. Demonstrations of farm life are conducted seasonally. You’ll also find a Great Smoky Mountains Association bookstore and shop, public restrooms and telephones, soda and water machines and a backcountry permit station. Mingus Mill, a turbine-powered grist mill, is near Oconaluftee and open spring through fall. Sugarlands Visitor Center is located inside the park, a little over 2 miles south of Gatlinburg, on US 441 and is open all year. Hours are: October 8:00 AM-6:00 PM, November 8:00 AM-5:00 PM, and December – March 8:00 AM-4:30 PM. Ranger-led programs are conducted seasonally and there is a free 20 minute film on the Smoky Mountain history as well as natural history exhibits. You will find a bookstore, restrooms, telephones, soda and water machines and a backcountry permit station. There is a Gatlinburg Welcome Center located in downtown Gatlinburg at traffic light #3 on the parkway that is open year round from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. You will find another Great Smoky Mountains Association bookstore and shop and information on Gatlinburg here. There is another Gatlinburg Welcome Center – On the Spur between Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg, located outside the park, 2 miles north of Gatlinburg on US 441. Here you may take a trolley into Gatlinburg and the national park where it will take you to Sugarlands Visitor Center, Laurel Falls, and Elkmont Campgrounds for a small fee. The visitor center is open all year: November – March 8:00 AM-5:30 PM and March – October 8:30 AM-6:00 PM. The Smoky Mountain Visitor Center is located at I-40 exit 407 (Highway 66) in the Smokies Stadium complex and is open all year from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Here you will find a Great Smoky Mountains Association bookstore, shop, Sevier County, Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, and Sevierville information, and public restrooms and telephones. The Townsend Visitor Center is located in Townsend, Tennessee, on US 321. Here you will also find a bookstore, shop and Townsend and local area information.

The park was designated as a national park on June 15, 1934. It was recognized as an International Biosphere Reserve in 1976 and a World Heritage Site on December 6, 1983. The park is the largest federally protected upland landmass east of the Mississippi River. Dominated by plant-covered, gently contoured mountains, the crest of the Great Smokies forms the boundary between Tennessee and North Carolina, bisecting the Park from northeast to southwest in an unbroken chain that rises more than 5,000 feet for over 36 miles.

The park was formally dedicated by President Franklin Roosevelt in September, 1940. He spoke from the Rockefeller Monument at Newfound Gap astride the Tennessee – North Carolina state line. That ceremony dedicated a sanctuary that is not a local park, a county park, or even a state park, but a national park for all the people of the country and the rest of the world to enjoy.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park preserves a rich cultural tapestry of Southern Appalachian history. The mountains have had a long human history spanning thousands of years—from the prehistoric Paleo Indians to early European settlement in the 1800s to loggers and Civilian Conservation Corps enrollees in the 20th century.

The park strives to protect the historic structures, landscapes, and artifacts that tell the varied stories of people who once called these mountains home.

People have occupied these mountains since prehistoric times, but it was not until the 20th century that human activities began to profoundly affect the natural course of events here.

When the first white settlers reached the Great Smoky Mountains in the late 1700s they found themselves in the land of the Cherokee Indians. The tribe, one of the most culturally advanced on the continent, had permanent towns, cultivated croplands, sophisticated political systems, and extensive networks of trails. Most of the Cherokee were forcibly removed in the 1830s to Oklahoma in a tragic episode known as the “trail of Tears. The few who remained are the ancestors of the Cherokees living near the park today.

The Cherokee Indians, a branch of the Iroquois nation, can trace their history in this region back more than a thousand years. Originally their society was based on hunting, trading, and agriculture. By the time European explorers and traders arrived, Cherokee lands covered a large part of what is now the southeastern United States.

The Cherokee lived in small communities, usually located in fertile river bottoms. Homes were wooden frames covered with woven vines and saplings plastered with mud. These were replaced in later years with log structures.

The Cherokee readily adopted the tools and weapons introduced by Europeans. Desire for these items changed Cherokee life as they began to hunt animals, not just for food, but also for skins to trade.

As the white population expanded, conflicts arose. War and disease decimated the tribe. The Cherokees were eventually forced to sign over much of their land, first to the British and then to the United States.

The Cherokees were taken from their homes, held in stockades, and forced to move to Oklahoma and Arkansas. Almost 14,000 Cherokees began the trek westward in October of 1838. More than 4,000 died from cold, hunger, and disease during the six-month journey that came to be known as the “Trail of Tears.”

Prior to the “Trail of Tears,” a small group of Cherokees in western North Carolina had already received permission to be excluded from the move west. Those individuals, often called the Oconaluftee Cherokees, did not live on Cherokee Nation land and considered themselves separate from the Cherokee Nation.

Permission for the Oconaluftee Cherokees to remain in North Carolina had been obtained in part through the efforts of William H. Thomas, a successful business man who had grown up among the Cherokees. For more than 30 years he served as their attorney and adviser. To avoid jeopardizing their special status, the Oconaluftee Cherokees reluctantly assisted in the search for Cherokee Nation Indians who had fled to the mountains to avoid capture.

Today there are about 11,000 members of the Eastern Tribe, most of whom live on the Cherokee Indian Reservation, or the “Qualla Boundary” as it is often called. The communities of Yellowhill, Birdtown, Snowbird, Painttown, Big Cove, and Wolftown are within the 56,000 acre boundary which covers parts of five western North Carolina counties.

Unlike some reservations in the western United states, this one is entirely open to visitors. In fact, the tourism industry has been very profitable. Hotels, motels, restaurants, campgrounds, amusement parks, a casino, and shops flourish in and around the town of Cherokee. Museums here help preserve and interpret Cherokee history and culture. While the people have adopted lifestyles more modern than those of their ancestors, traditional craft skills continue to be passed on to younger generations. The speaking of the Cherokee language has also seen a resurgence in recent years.

Life for the early European settlers was primitive, but by the 1900s there was little difference between the mountain people and their contemporaries living in rural areas beyond the mountains. Earlier settlers had lived off the land by hunting the wildlife, utilizing the timber for buildings and fences, growing food, and pasturing livestock in the clearings. As the decades passed, many areas that had once been forest became fields and pastures. People farmed, attended church, hauled their grain to the mill, and maintained community ties in a typically rural fashion.

The agricultural pattern of life in the Great Smoky Mountains changed with the arrival of lumbering in the early 1900s. Within 20 years, the largely self-sufficient economy of the people here was almost entirely replaced by dependence on manufactured items, store bought food, and cash. Logging boom towns sprang up overnight at sites that still bear their names: Elkmont, Smokemont, Proctor, Tremont.

Loggers were rapidly cutting the great primeval forests that remained on these mountains. Unless the course of events could be quickly changed, there would be little left of the region’s special character and wilderness resources. Intervention came when Great Smoky Mountains National Park was established in 1934. The forest—at least the 20% that remained uncut within park boundaries—was saved.

Becoming a national park was not easy for the Great Smokies. Joining the National Park System took a lot of money and the hard work of thousands of people.

Establishing most of the older parks located in the western United States, such as Yellowstone, was fairly easy. Congress merely carved them out of lands already owned by the government—often places where no one wanted to live anyway. But getting park land in this area was a different story. The land that became Great Smokies National Park was owned by hundreds of small farmers and a handful of large timber and paper companies. The farmers did not want to leave their family homesteads, nor did the large corporations want to abandon huge forests of timber, many miles of railroad track, extensive systems of logging equipment, and whole villages of employee housing.

The idea to create a national park in these mountains started in the late 1890s. A few farsighted people began to talk about a public land preserve in the cool, healthful air of the southern Appalachians. A bill even entered the North Carolina Legislature to this effect, but failed. By the early 20th century, many more people in the North and South were pressuring Washington for some kind of public preserve, but they were in disagreement on whether it should be a national park or a national forest.

There are important differences between national parks and national forests, and each concept had its cheering section. In a national forest, consumptive use of renewable resources is permitted under the multiple use management concept. Because the forests were initially set aside for timber harvesting and grazing, the national forests were made a bureau in the Department of Agriculture.

In a national park, however, the scenery and resources are protected, and nature is allowed to run its course. The ultimate decision to establish a national park meant that the scenery, resources, and some of the native architecture would be protected for all people to enjoy into the infinite future.

The drive to create a national park became successful in the mid-1920s, with most of the hard working supporters based in Knoxville, Tennessee, and Asheville, North Carolina. The two groups had long been competitors over the location of the national park, but they finally began pulling together for a park in the heart of the Smokies, halfway between the two cities.

As a matter of past history and present interest, the park movement was directed not by the hardcore conservationists, backpackers, and trout fishermen, but motorists. The newly formed auto clubs, mostly branches of the AAA, were interested in good roads through beautiful scenery on which they could drive their shiny new cars.

In May, 1926, a bill was signed by President Calvin Coolidge that provided for the establishment of Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Shenandoah National Park. This allowed the Department of the Interior to assume responsibility for administration and protection of a park in the Smokies as soon as 150,000 acres of land had been purchased.

Since the government was not allowed to buy land for national park use, the former political boosters had to become fund raisers. In the late 1920s, the Legislatures of Tennessee and North Carolina appropriated $2 million each for land purchases. Additional money was raised by individuals, private groups, and even school children who pledged their pennies. By 1928, a total of $5 million had been raised. Trouble was, the cost of the land had now doubled, so the campaign ground to a halt. The day was saved when the Laura Spellman Rockefeller Memorial Fund donated $5 million, assuring the purchase of the remaining land.

But buying the land was difficult, even with the money in hand. There thousands of small farms, large tracts, and other miscellaneous parcels that had to be surveyed, appraised, dickered over, and sometimes condemned in court. The timber and paper companies had valuable equipment and standing inventory which required compensation.

Worse, in some ways, were the emotional losses to people who had to walk away from their homes. A later survey of the displaced people showed that about half took the money and ran and were glad to have it; while the other half expressed feelings from mild inconvenience to outright hostility.

Some people were allowed to stay under lifetime leases, particularly if they were too old or too sick to move. Younger ones were granted leases on a short-term basis, if they wanted to try to stick it out. However, they could not cut timber, hunt and trap at will, or otherwise live as they always had.

More than 1,200 land-owners had to leave their land once the park was established. They left behind many farm buildings, mills, schools, and churches. Over 70 of these structures have since been preserved so that Great Smoky Mountains National Park now contains the largest collection of historic log buildings in the East.

Much of the early development of facilities and restoration of early settlers’ buildings was done by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), an agency created during the Depression to provide work and wages for unemployed young men. The CCC worked from 1933 to 1942 when World War II finally shut the program down. Many of the trails, campgrounds, and the beautiful stone bridges and buildings are examples of their work. Seventy eight historic structures, including grist mills, churches, schools, barns, and the homes of early settlers, preserve Southern Appalachian mountain heritage in the park.

The Great Smoky Mountains are among the oldest mountains in the world. Approximately 200-300 million years ago, drifting continents gradually collided in a climactic mountain building episode. The eastern edge of the North American tectonic plate collided with the African tectonic plate becoming part of a “super continent” known as Pangaea. Continental collisions take place at a rate of a few inches per year over many millions of years and are the result of continuing global-scale plate tectonics. As the continents collided, tremendous pressures were generated, this deformed the once horizontal sedimentary rocks into folded structures. An entire belt of folded and faulted rocks extends over 2,000 miles from what is now Maine to Georgia and is known collectively as the Appalachian Mountains. The Great Smoky Mountains are but a small portion of that range.

Most of the rocks in the national park are sedimentary and were formed by accumulations of clay, silt, sand, gravel, and minor amounts of calcium carbonate in flat-lying layers, but some igneous rocks also occur. Rocks become metamorphosed when they are subjected to heat and pressure, usually related to mountain building. Metamorphosed sandstone, siltstone, and shale, are most common in the park. However, metamorphosed limestone and dolomite are found in the Anakeesta Formation and unmetamorphosed limestone and dolomite are found on the floor of Cades Cove, below the Great Smoky fault. Siltstone metamorphosed at high temperatures and pressures forms schist that is found in the eastern part of the park. Metamorphosed granite and granitic gneiss are the oldest rocks in the park and they occur near Bryson City, Ela, and Cherokee, North Carolina. Small bodies of metamorphosed igneous rocks, called dikes, are found from near Fontana Dam to Clingmans Dome. Quartz veins and pegmatite are also present. Geologists have named about 20 different “formations” of rocks in the Great Smoky Mountains.

Through the eons, forces such as wind, rain, freezing, and thawing have eroded the Smokies once craggy surfaces. As the mountains were worn down, the layers of rock most resistant to erosion were left to form the highest peaks in the Smokies, such as the hard metasandstone on top of Clingmans Dome. Most of the beautiful waterfalls in the park were formed where down cutting streams encountered ledges of very resistant metasandstone that erodes more slowly than the adjacent slate or metasiltstone. Today, geologists’ estimate that the mountains are being eroded about two inches every thousand years.

The Smokies are among the tallest mountains in the Appalachian chain. Within the park, elevations range from about 875′ to 6,643′, with sixteen peaks rising more than 5,000 feet. Mount Le Conte towers to 6,593′ from a base of 1,292′, making it the tallest (but not the highest), mountain in the East. The park’s highest summit, Clingmans Dome, is the third tallest peak east of the Mississippi River. Only Mt. Mitchell (6,684 feet) and Mt. Craig (6,647), both located in Mt. Mitchell State Park in western North Carolina, rise higher. Some elevations of popular destinations are Andrews Bald – 5,920 feet, Charlies Bunion – 5,565 feet, Balsam Mountain Campground – 5,310 feet, Newfound Gap – 5,046 feet, Alum Cave Bluffs – 4,970 feet, Spence Field – 4,920 feet, Chimney Tops – 4,800 feet, Rainbow Falls – 4,326 feet, Ramsey Cascades – 4,275 feet, Grotto Falls – 3,770 feet, Cataloochee Valley – 2,680 feet, Laurel Falls – 2,600 feet, and Smokemont Campground – 2,198 feet.

Although the glaciers did not reach this far south, their influence on the climate of the Smokies region produced alpine conditions on the higher crests. The numerous boulders found in the park’s streams today originated during this time as they were broken off cliffs and ledges by freezing and thawing activity. The Smokies are unique in their northeast to southwest orientation, which allowed species to migrate along their slopes during climatic changes such as the last ice age. The glaciers affected the Smokies without invading them. Consequently, these mountains became a refuge for species of plants and animals that were disrupted from their northern homes.

With such a range in elevations in the park, it allows a great diversity of plant and animal growth. The relative humidity in the park during the growing season is about twice that in the Rocky Mountain region. Dominated by plant-covered, gently contoured mountains, the crest of the Great Smokies forms the boundary between Tennessee and North Carolina, bisecting the Park from northeast to southwest in an unbroken chain that rises more than 5,000 feet for over 36 miles. The range in altitude mimics the latitudinal changes you would experience driving north or south across the eastern United States, say from Georgia to Maine. Plants and animals common in the southern United States thrive in the lowlands of the Smokies while species common in the northern states find suitable habitat at the higher elevations.

Almost 95% of the park is forested and 25% of that area is old-growth forest, making it one of the largest blocks of deciduous, temperate, old-growth forest remaining in North America. 100 species of native trees are to be found here, more than any other North American national park. The Cove Hardwood Forest is the most botanically diverse of these forests. Between 40 to 60 tree and shrub species grow in coves, which are sheltered valleys with deep rich soils. Common species include Carolina silverbell, basswood, dogwood, and magnolia. The cool slopes and sheltered valleys contain cove hardwood forests where you will find record sized trees. The Spruce-fir Forest caps the park’s highest elevations. Growing above 4,500 feet in elevation, Fraser fir and red spruce are the dominant trees in this boreal forest. The climate of the spruce-fir forest is similar to climates in areas such as Maine, and Quebec, Canada. The main components of the spruce-fir forest are red spruce and Fraser fir. Other important species include yellow birch, mountain-ash, hobblebush, and blackberries. Northern Hardwood Forests dominate middle to upper elevations from 3,500- 5,000 feet in the park. These are the highest elevation deciduous forest in the eastern United States. American Beech, yellow birch and maple trees are indicators of this forest type, although many species from other forest types grow here also. Eastern hemlock trees dominate stream sides and moist, shady slopes up to 4,000 feet in elevation to form almost pure stands of the Hemlock Forest. Pine-and-Oak Forests are dominant on relatively dry, exposed slopes and ridges, especially on the west side of the park. Despite plentiful amounts of rain, these excessively drained slopes dry out quickly and fire is a regular part of these forest communities. The park uses controlled burning to ensure natural regeneration of species requiring fire for propagation. Typical species include red, scarlet, black and chestnut oaks, along with table mountain, pitch, and white pines. Some areas also have hickories.

Two significant plant communities bear mentioning along with the forest types: the grassy and heath balds. Balds are large meadows or treeless areas located at mid to high elevations in the park, and associated with distinct plant and animal communities. Balds are known to date back at least to the early 1800s, but their exact origin is unknown. Heath balds, which are composed of shrubs such as mountain laurel, rhododendron, blueberry, huckleberry and sand myrtle, can be found on the eastern end of the park. Grassy balds, which are found mostly in the western end of the park, are dominated by grass species and are home to some rare shade-intolerant plant varieties.

There are over 1,400 flowering plant species and at least 4,000 non-flowering species that have been identified in the park. The park is home to three federally listed threatened (T) and endangered (E) plant species: spreading avens (E), Virginia spiraea (T), and rock gnome lichen (E), the latter being part fungus. Over 300 additional species of native vascular plants are considered rare, meaning they are generally found in small populations or have five or fewer occurrences within the park. Also considered rare are nearly 200 of the 450 non-vascular plants. A total of 76 species of park plants are listed as threatened or endangered in the states of Tennessee and North Carolina. Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a world-renowned preserve of wildflower diversity, more than in any other North American national park. In fact, the park is sometimes referred to as the “Wildflower National Park.” From the earliest hepaticas and spring-beauties in the late winter to the last asters in the late fall, blooming flowers can be found year-round in the park. Each spring, the park hosts the Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage, a week-long festival of programs and guided walks and hikes that explore the wondrous diversity of life in the park. You’ll see such beautiful variety as trillium (the park has 10 different species), lady slipper orchids, showy orchis, crested dwarf iris, fire pink, columbine, bleeding heart, phacelia, jack-in-the-pulpit, little brown jugs, pink turtleheads, Turk’s cap lily, small purple-fringed orchids, bee-balm, mountain gentian, monk’s hood, coneflowers, and numerous varieties of asters, just to name a few.

Trees and shrubs bloom throughout the year too. From February through April the flowers of red maples paint the mountains with a wash of brilliant red. Showy trees such as serviceberry, silverbell, flowering dogwood, redbud, fraser magnolia, and tuliptree soon follow. Later in summer sourwood, a tree prized for the honey that bees produce from its small bell-shaped, white flowers, begins to bloom. The year ends with the yellow flowers of witch-hazel, which blooms from October through January. Closer to the ground on shrubs, the small, and bright yellow blossoms of spicebush begin to bloom in February and are soon joined by sweetshrub, dog-hobble, and flame azalea. The park is famous for its displays of mountain laurel, rhododendron and flame azaleas. The lovely pink and white flowers of mountain laurel bloom in early May through June. Catawba rhododendron, which lives primarily at elevations above 3,500’, reaches it peak of bloom in June. Rosebay rhododendron is in bloom at the lower elevations in June and at mid-elevations during July. Flame azaleas bloom at the low and mid-elevations in April and May. On Gregory Bald the colorful display peaks in late June or early July. On Andrews Bald the peak is usually in early July.

There are many activities to be enjoyed at Great Smoky Mountains National Park. There are spectacular scenery options along the Newfound Gap Road. You may also enjoy camping, backpacking, wilderness camping, day-hiking, picnicking, horseback riding, nature viewing, photographic opportunities, fishing and just taking in the history of these beautiful mountains as you view old homesteads and other remains from another era.

Clingmans Dome is a popular park destination. Spectacular vistas await those willing to climb the steep half-mile walk to the tower at the top. Catch a breathtaking sunrise or sunset from the tower or enjoy the 360º panoramic vistas during the day. On clear, pollution-free days, views expand over a 100 miles. Unfortunately, air pollution often limits viewing distances to under 20 miles. This is often the first place to encounter snow which makes for an exciting contrast for the children on your family vacation. You can move from 60-70 degree weather in Gatlinburg or Pigeon Forge to the 30’s on Clingmans Dome. Clouds, precipitation, and cold temperatures reveal the hostile environment atop Clingmans Dome. Proper preparation is essential for a good visit. Although Clingmans Dome is open year-round, the road leading to it is closed from December 1 through March 31, and whenever weather conditions require. There are several trails that start on Clingmans Dome Road and parking area. The Appalachian Trail (AT) crosses Clingmans Dome, marking the highest point along its journey from Georgia to Maine.

At an elevation of 5,048 feet, Newfound Gap is the lowest drivable pass through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Newfound Gap’s recognition as the lowest pass through the Great Smoky Mountains did not come until 1872. Arnold Henry Guyot, a Swiss geographer, measured many Southern Appalachian elevations. Mt. Guyot, the second highest peak in the Smokies, takes his name. He used a simple barometer to measure changes in air pressure to calculate mountain heights. In most cases he was within 2-3 percent of current values. His work revealed Newfound Gap as the lowest pass through the mountains, displacing nearby Indian Gap. A new road followed, and it became the forerunner of Newfound Gap Road. Rockefeller Memorial honors a $5 million donation from the Rockefeller Foundation to help complete land acquisitions to bring about the creation of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The Appalachian Trail (AT) crosses over Newfound Gap Road and straddles the state line between North Carolina and Tennessee for most of its length through the park. Visitors can enjoy a short stroll to stretch their legs or a multi-day backpacking excursion on the AT as it runs through the park. Be aware that hiking on the AT is a moderate to strenuous hike.

The Smokies are a hiker’s paradise with over 800 miles of hiking trails. Hiking ranges from easy to difficult with 30 minute walks to week-long backpacking trips. The Appalachian Trail runs for 70 miles along the park’s top ridge. The visitor centers offer many pamphlets showing the day hikes, backpacking trips and many waterfall trails where you can get out and enjoy the beauty and sometimes solitude of the Smoky Mountains.

Take a self-guided nature trail hike and see how many trees you can identify. Many people come to the park in the fall to see the pretty color changes. The timing of fall color change depends upon so many variables that peak season is impossible to predict in advance. Typically, fall color can be seen in the park’s higher elevations (above 4,500 feet) in early October and at low to mid elevations (between 800-4,500 feet) from the middle of October through early November. The most vivid colors occur at low to mid elevations; elevations of popular destinations in the park.

Viewing wildlife in the Smokies can be challenging because most of the park is covered by dense forest. Open areas like Cataloochee and Cades Cove offer some of the best opportunities to see white-tailed deer, black bear, raccoon, Wild Turkey, woodchuck, and other animals. During winter, wildlife is more visible because deciduous trees have lost their leaves. Since many animals are most active at night, it can be advantageous to look for wildlife during morning and evening. It’s also a good idea to carry binoculars. And don’t forget to scan the trees—many animals spend their days among the branches.The Park is a premier place for bird watching. You will hear many more birds than you will see in the Smokies’ dense, tall forests. Learning the common songs of the breeding season will make birding trips more successful. Even if you don’t know the song, you can use the sound to locate the bird and get a view of it. A person who can identify most species by sight or sound, and who explores as many habitats as possible, can expect to find 100 species a day in peak migration – late April and early May.

The park offers fishing and protects one of the last wild trout habitats in the Eastern US. Over 700 miles of streams in the park support fish. The park boasts over 50 native fish species, including the brook trout, whose fragile habitat is being wrested from the non-native rainbow and brown trout by active fisheries management. A permit from either Tennessee or North Carolina is adequate to fish between 30 minutes before official sunrise and 30 minutes after official sunset. There are plenty of fly fishing opportunities on the North Carolina side.

In the Smoky’s high country, over 85″ of rain falls on average each year, feeding over 2,100 miles of rushing mountain streams and rivers that flow through the park. The park abounds with the two ingredients essential for waterfalls—water and an elevation gradient. Waterfalls dot the waterways throughout the park, attracting over 200,000 visitors each year to the park’s better known falls. There are several water falls, ranging from small to pretty spectacular, that you can hike to reach. These hiking trails range from easy to strenuous and are well worth the effort. One of the falls, Grotto Falls, has the distinction that you can even walk behind it as you continue on down the backpacking trail! Only one can be seen from the road, so if you enjoy waterfalls, get out those hiking boots. After a hot, summer day of hiking, the Deep Creek area on the North Carolina side offers opportunities to cool off by tubing the shallow river nearby the camping site there.

The air quality in the Smokies has been a concern for nature and people alike. Air pollution is shrinking scenic views, damaging plants, and degrading high elevation streams and soils in the Great Smoky Mountains. Pollution from power plants, industrial processes, and motor vehicles are the primary cause. The burning of fossil fuels produces tiny airborne sulfate particles which scatter light and degrade visibility. Increasingly, visitors no longer see distant mountain ridges because of this haze. Visibility has gone from 93 to 25 miles in the last 50 years. Another air quality problem, ozone pollution, threatens human health and park plants. Not to be confused with the naturally occurring, beneficial ozone layer which filters the sun’s ultraviolet rays, ground level ozone is a colorless gas created when nitrogen oxides mix with hydrocarbons in the presence of sunlight. Power plants, automobiles, and factories are the main producers of nitrogen oxides. Most ozone pollution originates outside the park and travels to the Smokies on prevailing winds. Ozone is a powerful respiratory irritant for humans. Ozone levels are also injuring trees and other plants.

Plants and animals in Great Smoky Mountains National Park are threatened by airborne sulfur and nitrogen pollution. The park receives the highest sulfur and nitrogen deposits of any monitored national park. These pollutants fall to the ground not only as acid rain, but also as dry particles and cloud water. The average acidity (pH) of rainfall in the park is 4.5, 5-10 times more acidic than normal rainfall (5.0-5.6). Clouds with acidity as low as 2.0 pH bathe the high elevation forests during part of the growing season.

Research shows that certain high elevation soils in the park are receiving so much airborne nitrogen that they are suffering from advanced nitrogen saturation. This condition limits the availability of forest nutrients, especially calcium, to plants and causes the release of toxic aluminum that can hurt vegetation and stream life. Mountain streams and forest soils are being acidified to the point that the health of the park’s high elevation ecosystems is in jeopardy. Nitrate levels in some streams are approaching the public health standard for drinking water.

So what is being done to help? Congress passed the Clean Air Act in 1970, establishing national policy for preserving, protecting, and enhancing air quality. The 1977 amendments designated all national parks that exceed 6,000 acres as mandatory Class I areas worthy of the greatest degree of air quality protection under the Act. There are air quality monitoring and research stations set up to improve and monitor this. Under the Clean Air Act, the National Park Service is invited to comment on state air quality permit applications for major factories, power plants, and other air pollution sources proposed for location near Class I areas. In 1992, the U.S. Interior Department Assistant Secretary for Fish, Wildlife, and Parks recommended that air pollution permitting authorities in five neighboring states not issue permits for new major pollution sources within 120 miles of the park unless measures are taken to prevent increasing impacts on park resources.

Also in 1992, the Southern Appalachian Mountains Initiative (SAMI) was established as a comprehensive approach to improving regional air quality. SAMI is a voluntary, multi-organizational initiative charged to curtail the adverse effects of air pollution on the southern Appalachians, particularly in Class I areas. The Park Service is working with state regulatory agencies, the Environmental Protection Agency, and industrial and utility interests to develop a comprehensive plan to prevent future damage through such measures as offset programs, the use of improved technology, and determination of emission caps and government standards for various pollutants. The park does occasionally have to issue warnings for those with respiratory problems to stay out of the Smokies, but there has been improvement due to the park personnel’s efforts. If you suffer from respiratory disorders, you may want to call the park before you come to check on the air quality conditions.

Unfortunately, some of the great forests and plants in the Great Smoky Mountains are being endangered. The spruce-fir boreal forest has been slowly dying off because of a European aphid, the balsam woolly adelgid. This fir occurs naturally only in the southern Appalachians and used to be the dominant tree at the highest elevations. The adelgid was introduced on trees imported from Europe, and the fir has little natural defense against it. By injecting the tree with toxins, the adelgid blocks the path of nutrients through the tree. The trees literally starve to death, and thousands of dead snags are all that are left on the highest mountain peaks. The hemlock woolly adelgid, a tiny non-native insect, threatens hemlock forests in the park and in the eastern United States. The insect is easily dispersed by birds and wind but travels most rapidly as a hitchhiker on infested horticultural material. The hemlock woolly adelgid has been on the Blue Ridge Parkway for about 10 years and in Shenandoah National Park since the late 1980s. In those areas, as many as 80 percent of the hemlocks have died due to infestation. Hemlock woolly adelgids feed at the base of hemlock needles, mass attacking trees, and sometimes causing death in as little as one year. Infestations often start in large, mature hemlocks, but the insect also attacks and kills younger trees as well unlike the balsam woolly adelgid which only feeds on mature Fraser firs. The park rangers have been fighting back with several different tactics that they hope will stop the devastation. As you drive the nature trail, you will see colored tags on some trees that mark different treatments they are using. The death of the trees doesn’t just affect the trees, but a rare spruce-fir moss spider, several nationally rare mosses, and Rugel’s ragwort, only found here in the high Smoky Mountains.

Also endangered from another source, are the ginseng plants. These unfortunately are endangered from people pilfering them to sell on the black market. Remember that all the plants and animals are suppose to be protected in the national parks and please report anyone you see destroying or trying to take any of them.

Non-native plants species that have been introduced to an ecosystem by human activities are a threat to many park ecosystems. Of over 380 non-native species in the park, 35 spread aggressively, out-competing native plants for habitat. Some of the worst offenders in the park are kudzu, mimosa, multiflora rose, and Japanese grass. The park personnel work hard to keep these species in check. The park’s exotic plant control crew works to contain 35 species of invasive exotics at over 600 sites in the Smokies.

A primary goal of the national park service is to preserve native plants and animals in the Great Smoky Mountains as well as the natural processes which perpetuate them. Park managers have learned that fire is one of the natural processes which some plants and animals depend on. For most of the history of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the National Park Service has suppressed all forest fires within park boundaries. However, extensive research by scientists in the southern Appalachians and elsewhere has gradually proven the importance of fire in maintaining healthy ecosystems. In accordance with its goal of preserving natural conditions, the National Park Service has responded to this new information by modifying its fire management policy to include the use of wildland fires and prescribed fires as components of its resource management program. Arson fires will continue to be fought, as will all other fires that threaten human life or valuable property. Safety and protection of property remain the top priorities of firefighting staff in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Prior to European settlement, occasional fires were an integral part of most Appalachian ecosystems and native plants and animals had adapted to their occurrence. Forests then were a more varied blend of old and young trees and some forests were more open in character. Fire recycled the nutrients of dead wood for use by growing plants and conditioned the forest floor for the regeneration of species that are dependent on disturbance. In Great Smoky Mountains National Park, at least a dozen species of native plants and animals that benefit from fire have been identified.

Table Mountain pine is a prime example of a species that benefits from fire. During high intensity burns, the sealed cones of Table Mountain pine open, allowing dispersion of seeds over fire-cleared ground. Many stands of Table Mountain pine in the park are failing to regenerate due to past fire control practices. The decline is of special concern to biologists because the species’ range is confined to the southern and central Appalachian Mountains. The federally-endangered Red-cockaded Woodpecker is another fire-dependent species native to the park. It nests only in mature pine trees that are free of surrounding underbrush. Researchers believe the Red-cockaded colonies in the west end of the park were abandoned when the sites became too brushy. Periodic fires would control the brush which may provide predators with access to woodpecker nests.

Elevations in the park range from 800 feet to 6,643 feet and topography affects local weather. Temperatures are 10 to 20 degrees cooler on the mountaintops.
Spring brings unpredictable weather, particularly in higher elevations. Snow may fall in March, but by May daytime highs often reach the 80s. Nighttime temperatures vary from below freezing in March to the 50s in May. Rainfall is common during the season.
Summer is hot and humid, but more pleasant in higher elevations. July and August highs reach the 80s and 90s. Evening lows are in the 60s and 70s. Afternoon showers and thunderstorms are common. Fall has warm days and cool nights and is the driest period. Frosts occur starting in late September. Daytime highs are in the 70s and 80s during September, falling to the 50s and 60s in early November. By November, nighttime lows are usually near freezing and snow is possible. Winter is generally moderate, but extreme conditions can occur. It is not unusual to have warm temperatures in the low elevations and snow in the higher areas. Half the days in the winter have high temperatures of 50 degrees or more. Nighttime lows are normally at or below freezing, but can drop to -20°F at high elevation. In the lowlands, snows of 1″ or more occur 1-5 times a year. Snow falls more frequently at higher elevations. Most snow falls in January and February.

Current Weather

Hikers should be prepared with good hiking shoes or boots, 1-2 quart water bottle, snacks, layered clothing, compass, rain gear, flashlight with extra batteries and bulb, signal whistle, trail map and a first-aid kit if you will be on the trails all day or longer. Make sure you know the local weather forecast for the day. The temperature at night can get down to 45 degrees during the summer and the teens with snow in spring and fall. Additional things for your backpacking checklist if you plan on backcountry camping are: tent with rainfly, repair kit, sleeping bag and mat, water filtration system, collapsible water container, food, bear-proof container or cord to hang food, topographical map, cooking pots and utensils, campstove, fuel, matches, fire starter, insect repellent, sunscreen, sunglasses, wide brimmed hat, extra layered clothing for the season, and plastic garbage bags to pack out what you haul in with you.

Use caution while crossing streams or near waterfalls. Heavy rains cause swollen streams that may be unsafe to ford. Don’t try to cross a stream unless you’re sure you can make it. Wear shoes to protect your feet and a stout stick for added support. Unbuckle the waist strap of your pack so it can be discarded quickly. If you lose your footing, float with your feet downstream to protect your head.

Waterfalls can be extremely hazardous. Don’t try to climb on or near them. Spray and mist from falls makes rocks slippery and several fatalities and innumerable injuries have occurred in the park.

If you are caught in a thunderstorm, seek shelter away from solitary trees, tall trees, rock outcroppings, and overhangs. Avoid ridgetops. If no shelter is available, crouch down in a shallow depression away from metal, tree roots, and streams of water. Place your feet together and put your hands over your ears.

All water should be treated for those backpackers out on the trail for the long-haul. Watch for hypothermia, the lowering of the body temperature beyond the point at which the body can maintain its own heat. It is an all-season killer and results from exposure to a combination of wind, rain, and cold. A wet hiker can succumb to hypothermia in mid-summer at higher elevations. Symptoms include uncontrolled shivering, slurred speech, memory lapse, stumbling, fumbling with hands, drowsiness, and inability to get up after a nap. To prevent hypothermia, drink plenty of water, eat extra food, rest before tired, and stay dry. This is a good reason to always hike with a companion, so you can look after each other.

Yellowjacket wasps are the insect of greatest concern. They build their nests in the ground and are aggressive when disturbed. Allergic persons should be prepared.

Be careful driving on the mountainous roads. Use low gear when descending off of the winding road and pay attention to cars pulling out from look-out points. To help prevent more pollution of the Smokies, make sure your motor vehicle is in good operating condition and use energy efficient vehicles.

Remember that in the national park all plants, animals, and historic artifacts are all protected. Leave what you find for others to enjoy. Stay on established trails, roads, and camping sites. Feeding wildlife is extremely harmful to animals and is prohibited. Pets are not allowed in the Deep Creek area trails. Check with the visitor centers for pet rules.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park contains some of the largest tracts of wilderness in the East and is a critical sanctuary for a wide variety of animals. The park is known as the “Salamander Capital of the World” with 30 species. The most notable are Jordans Salamander, one subspecies of which is found only in the Smokies, and the Hellbender, which can grow up to a whopping two and one-half feet long. There are 66 types of mammals which include deer, black bears, coyote, bobcat, red and gray foxes, skunks, and bats. Also in the park are 50 native fish species, 39 varieties of reptiles and 43 species of amphibians. Mollusks, millipedes, and mushrooms reach record diversity here.

A total of 66 mammal species live in the park. The largest, tipping the scales at nearly 700 pounds, is the elk, which was experimentally reintroduced to the park.. In 2001 the park began a five-year experimental release program to determine if elk could be successfully reintroduced. These animals last roamed the southern Appalachians in the early 1800’s. Most of the park’s elk stay in the Cataloochee Valley area and are best viewed at a distance in the early morning or late evening when they move into the fields to feed. The smallest is the rare pygmy shrew – a diminutive creature that weighs less than a dime. Some, such as the coyote and bobcat are reclusive, while whitetail deer are very common and obvious. In addition to deer, visitors most often see red and gray squirrels, chipmunks, woodchucks, raccoons, opossums, red and gray foxes, skunks, and bats.

The symbol of the Smokies, the American Black Bear, is perhaps the most famous resident of the park. The black bear is the largest predator in the park. It is most often spotted in open areas such as Cades Cove and Cataloochee Valley. Great Smoky Mountains National Park provides the largest protected bear habitat in the East. Though populations are variable, biologists estimate approximately 1,800 bears live in the park, a density of over two bears per square mile.

Ten other carnivore species inhabit the park, including coyotes, red foxes, and gray foxes. These nocturnal animals are not often seen unless surprised after dark along roadsides. Scientists believe that the bobcat is the only wild feline that is lives in the park. Visitors occasionally report seeing mountain lions, however, no concrete scientific evidence of their existence (such as tracks, scat, or other signs) has been found in the area in nearly 30 years.

Of the other mammal species documented in the park, the white-tailed deer, groundhog, chipmunk, and some squirrel and bat species are the most commonly seen. Bats are unique mammals with forelimbs specialized for true flight. All eleven species of bats in the park feed exclusively on insects. Seven of these species hibernate during colder months while the other four species migrate. The big brown bat, eastern red bat, and eastern pipistrelle are most commonly seen. The park protects the largest colony of the federally endangered Indiana myotis in the state of Tennessee. Most of the caves in the park provide critical bat habitat. Because bats can be harmed by human disturbance in these caves, visitors are prohibited from entering them.

There are 27 species of rodents in the park — the most of any mammal order. The deer mouse and white-footed mouse are the most common mammals in the park, though they are often only seen by campers and hikers who are startled by them as they forage for food during the night. Eastern chipmunks, gray squirrels, and red squirrels are common in the forests. The solitary woodchuck, also known as a ground hog, is less common but can be seen in open meadows and along mowed roadsides at lower elevations. Signs of the park’s largest rodent, the beaver, are evident in cuttings and dams along the lower portions of creeks in the west and southwest park areas. The federally endangered Carolina northern flying squirrel is night active in the yellow birch and conifer forests of the upper elevations. Also, two species of rabbit live in the park. The Eastern cottontail is common in many habitats and can often be seen in open areas, while the Appalachian cottontail is an uncommon and secretive forest dweller.

Mammals native to the area, but no longer living here include bison and gray wolves. Several efforts to reintroduce species that had been extirpated from the park have been successful. Northern river otters were reintroduced in the 1990s. Although secretive, they are active day or night in all seasons and can occasionally be seen along the larger creeks. The park’s efforts to reintroduce red wolves were unsuccessful. A number of factors were responsible for this failure, including low reproduction rates and high pup mortality. The wolves were removed from the park and relocated to the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge in North Carolina.

Three major groups of reptiles are found in the park: turtles, lizards, and snakes.Turtles are strangely constructed reptiles. A turtle’s body is encased in a hard shell that consists of an upper and lower half known as a carapace and plastron respectively. Turtles have no teeth. Their jaws are covered by sharp-edged, horny plates that allow the animals to shear and tear their food. Most turtles live in or near water, but lay shelled eggs on land. One of the Smokies most common species, the Eastern Box Turtle, is almost entirely terrestrial, although it may soak in a puddle on very hot days. Six turtle species inhabit the park:Snapping turtle, Eastern painted turtle, Common map turtle, Eastern box turtle, Stripeneck musk turtle, and the Eastern spiny soft shell.

The crest of the Smokies towers nearly a mile above the foothills, creating a range in elevations and a variety of topographies that provides a diversity of habitats and microclimates for birds. From the high, exposed peaks, to the warmer, sheltered lowlands, some 240 species of birds have been found in the park, including eastern phoebes, indigo buntings, towhees, and eagles. Sixty species are year-round residents. Nearly 120 species breed in the park, including 52 species from the neo-tropics. Many other species use the park as an important stopover and foraging area during their semiannual migration. Thirty bird species that are listed as Species of Concern breed here, making the park an important source for repopulating areas outside the park that are showing declines in the numbers of these birds.

Changes in elevation affect the types of vegetation that grow in the mountains and determine where many birds can be found. Some species are found only in distinct habitats at certain elevations, while others may range over several habitats. The spruce-fir forest of the highest ridges is similar to the boreal forest of Canada, and is the southernmost breeding range of the Black-capped Chickadee, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Northern Saw-whet Owl, Blackburnian and Canada warblers, Veery, and Winter Wren. Chestnut-sided Warblers are common in blackberry thickets, the Dark-eyed Junco abundant in the trees, and Common Ravens soar overhead. The northern hardwood and cove hardwood forests are mixing grounds for northern and southern bird species. A dozen northern breeding species reach their lowest nesting elevation here and nearly as many southern birds reach their highest limit. The northern Blue-headed Vireo, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, and Black-throated Blue Warbler overlap with the southern Red-eyed Vireo, Northern Cardinal, Hooded Warbler and others.

The southern hardwoods in the middle and lower elevations have the greatest number of birds, those typical of similar elevations and latitudes in the south. Some common species are the Downy Woodpecker, Eastern Screech-Owl, Belted Kingfisher, Carolina Chickadee, Carolina Wren, Song Sparrow, and American Goldfinch. In summer add the Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Acadian Flycatcher, Wood Thrush, Yellow-throated Vireo, Black-and-white Warbler, Ovenbird, Louisiana Waterthrush, Scarlet Tanager, Indigo Bunting, Chipping Sparrow, and others. In winter, the Yellow-rumped Warbler and White-throated Sparrow become common. Open fields account for less than one percent of park land, but these areas provide habitat for Red-tailed hawk, American Kestrel, Northern Bobwhite, Wild Turkey, Killdeer, Eastern Bluebird, Field Sparrow, Eastern Meadowlark, and others. In the summer add the Eastern Kingbird, Barn Swallow, Yellow Warbler, and Orchard Oriole.

Prior to park establishment in 1934, a number of animals native to the Smoky Mountains were eradicated by hunting, trapping, changing land uses, and other causes. Extirpated species include bison, elk, mountain lion, gray wolf, red wolf, fisher, river otter, Peregrine Falcon, and several species of fish. A primary goal of the National Park Service is to preserve the flora and fauna of the Smokies in a condition similar to that which existed prior to the arrival of modern, technological humans. In accordance with this mission, the Park Service has helped reintroduce the river otter, elk, and Peregrine Falcon to the Smokies. The park’s efforts to reintroduce red wolves were unsuccessful. A number of factors were responsible for this failure, including low reproduction rates and high pup mortality. The wolves were removed from the park and relocated to the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge in North Carolina. The wild European hog is a non-native species that causes widespread damage to the park’s ecosystem by wallowing and rooting. Although total eradication of this destructive species is probably not possible, wildlife biologists trap or shoot non-native hogs to keep their numbers in check and reduce the damage caused by the animals.

As human activities dominate ever-larger portions of the American landscape, our national parks have become increasingly valuable as sanctuaries for rare and endangered wildlife. Endangered park animals include the northern flying squirrel, Peregrine Falcon, Red-cockaded Woodpecker, Indiana bat, spruce-fir moss spider, and the Smoky Madtom. The Park Service has been involved in a number of efforts to save these species from extinction. Park resource management crews have conducted prescribed fires in old-growth pine-oak forest to create suitable nesting sites for Red-cockaded Woodpeckers. Crews have also erected solid steel barricades at cave entrances to protect endangered bats from spelunkers during critical times of the year. Reintroduction programs have also increased the survival chances for Smoky Madtoms and Peregrine Falcons.

Over 700 miles of streams in the park support fish. The park boasts over 50 native fish species, including the brook trout, whose fragile habitat is being wrested from the non-native rainbow and brown trout by active fisheries management. Fisheries staff have been monitoring fish populations in both high elevation (>3,000 feet) brook trout streams and low elevation (<2,500 feet) large stream systems through the park since 1986. Long term monitoring surveys indicate that fishermen play little to no role in the population dynamics observed in park streams. Major spring floods and summer droughts are the driving forces behind fish population fluctuations seen both in the park and outside the park. Low elevation, slower and warmer streams have the greatest aquatic diversity including four reintroduced federally threatened and endangered small fish: the Smoky Madtom, Yellowfin Madtom, Spotfin Chub, and Duskytail Darter. A permit from either Tennessee or North Carolina is adequate to fish between 30 minutes before official sunrise and 30 minutes after official sunset. There are plenty of fly fishing opportunities on the North Carolina side.

The brook trout is the only trout species native to the Smokies, although non-native brown and rainbow trout have been introduced into the park and today are found in most large streams below 3,000 feet. The non-native rainbow trout out-compete native brook trout by producing more offspring, growing at faster rates, and occupying stream habitat once occupied by brook trout. Today, brook trout are only found in about 133 miles of park streams. Restoration efforts have restored brook trout back to 14.6 miles of their native range since 1986 and continue today. Although most streams in the park are very clear, cold and pollution free, they are not very productive in terms of growing big trout. Most trout in the park grow relatively fast, live only about 4 years, and die due to a lack of food resources. The diversity of aquatic insects in park streams is quite high, but the density of each species is fairly low making food resources for trout scarce. In fact, only 4% of brook trout and 30% of rainbow trout reach 7 inches. Less than 1% of brook trout and 17% of rainbow trout reach 8 inches. Only brown trout, who switch to a piscivorous (fish) diet at around 8 inches, have the ability to live beyond 4-5 years and reach sizes of nearly 30 inches!

There are bears and other wildlife here so keep all food, coolers, utensils, stoves, etc. in a closed vehicle when possible. Do not throw food or wrappers in your fire. Never feed the wildlife, it often leads to their demise and can endanger others. Raccoons prowling campgrounds for unsecured human food are second only to bears in causing wildlife problems for visitors. Raccoons and skunks can carry rabies, a deadly disease, so always report unusual animal behavior to a park ranger.

The female bears leave their winter den with their cubs in late March and early April. Never approach a mother with cubs. If a bear gets aggressive with you, never run or turn your back on it. Slowly back up and try to put some distance between you and the bear. Most of the time you are too close to them and they want their space. This will usually be enough to get the bear to leave you alone. If it continues to follow you, stand your ground. If it gets closer, shout loudly and act aggressively, trying to intimidate the bear. Act as a group and make yourselves as large as you can; example-move to higher ground. Throw non-food items and fight back if necessary. Most attacks are caused by the bear trying to get at your food items. Separate yourself from your food, but never just throw your food pack at the bear. Again, never run or turn your back on the bear and report any attacks to the park rangers immediately to help protect others.

Elk were reintroduced to the park in 2001. Elk are large animals-larger than the park’s black bears-and can be dangerous. Female elk with calves have charged people in defense of their offspring. Males (bulls) may perceive people as challengers to their domain and charge. The best way to avoid these hazards is to keep your distance. Never touch or move elk calves. Though they may appear to be orphaned, chances are their mother is nearby. Cows frequently leave their newborn calves while they go off to feed. A calf’s natural defense is to lie down and remain still. The same is true for white-tailed deer fawns. See the Wildlife Precautions page for further information.

Raccoons prowling campgrounds for unsecured human food are second only to bears in causing wildlife problems for visitors. Raccoons and skunks can carry rabies, a deadly disease, so always report unusual animal behavior to a park ranger.

Admission to the park is free. Camping fees range from $14 to $23/day.

The park services maintain developed campgrounds in 10 different areas in the Smoky Mountains, Abrams Creek, Balsam Mountain, Big Creek, Cades Cove, Cataloochee, Cosby, Deep Creek, Elkmont, Look Rock, and Smokemont. The number of sites ranges from 12 to 220. Two of the campgrounds are open year-round (Cades Cove and Smokemont), but the rest are open between March 12 to November 30. Keep in mind that elevations fall between 1,125 feet to 5,310 feet for these sites. Each campground has restrooms with toilets and cold water, but no showers or electrical or water hookups in the park. Shower facilities are available in the communities surrounding the national park. Please inquire about the nearest facilities when you check-in at the campground. There is a picnic table and fire grate also at each site. The maximum stay during summer and fall are 7 days. Off season maximum stay is 14 days. Reservations can be made in some of the campgrounds during peak times. During summer and fall, sites at Elkmont, Smokemont, Cades Cove, and Cosby may be reserved. Reservations are accepted only for May 15-Oct 31. All other campgrounds are first-come, first-served. Tents are allowed at all sites and RV campsites are present at most sites. Call 1-800-365-CAMP for further details or to make reservations.

There are 7 group campgrounds where you must have reservations. The minimum capacity of each group is 8. You are allowed only 7 nights stay and it is tents only. The season runs mostly March 12-October 31. Five drive-in Horse Camps provide ready access to park trails for horse riders. They are located at Anthony Creek, Big Creek, Cataloochee, Roundbottom, and Towstring. All five horse camps can be reserved through the National Park Reservation Service by calling 1-800-365-2267, or visiting http://reservations.nps.gov. Reservations may be made up to five months in advance of your trip. Reservations are by site, with each site accommodating up to six people and four horses. Each site costs $20.00 per night, except Big Creek, which costs $25.00 per night.

Fourteen tent sites are available for backcountry camping. You will need a free backcountry permit available at most ranger stations or visitor centers. Use the Leave-No Trace principles. Reservations are required. You must stay at designated campsites or shelters when camping in the backcountry. The park trail map shows the location of all backcountry campsites and shelters, and indicates which campsites require a reservation. Your permit must designate the campsite or shelter at which you will stay for each night of your trip. The park does not allow pets on backcountry trails. For assistance call (865) 436-1297. For reservations call (865) 436-1231.

There are so many places to go and things to do around the park to keep you coming back to the Smokies for years. Pigeon Forge, TN is a huge visitor friendly place of theme parks, amusements and eateries, not to mention the shopping! Gatlinburg, TN, right outside of the national park, is an all-time favorite with its natural mountain splendor and unique shops, ski lift, and eateries also. On the other side of the mountain is Cherokee, NC, just inside the Indian Reservation where you can see your fill of native crafts and museums. The park is surrounded by the Nantahala, Pisgah, and Cherokee National Forests which also abound in outdoor adventure activities for a great wilderness vacation. Other nearby attractions are the Andrew Johnson National Historic Site, Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area, Blue Ridge Parkway, Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site, Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park, and Cumberland Gap National Historical Park.

The nearest major airport in Tennessee (McGhee-Tyson, TYS) is Alcoa, 45 miles west of Gatlinburg. North Carolina’s, Asheville Airport is 60 miles east of the park.

Several major highways lead to the park. The following routes provide access to the three main entrances. Gatlinburg, TN entrance: From interstate highway I-40 take Exit 407 (Sevierville) to TN Route 66 South, and continue to US-441 South. Follow US-441 to park.

Townsend, TN entrance: From interstate highway I-40 in Knoxville – Exit 386B US-129 South to Alcoa/Maryville. At Maryville proceed on US-321 North through Townsend. Continue straight on TN Highway 73 into the park.

Cherokee, NC entrance: From I-40 take US Route 19 West through Maggie Valley. Proceed to US-441 North at Cherokee into the park. From Atlanta and points south: follow US-441 and 23 North. US-441 leads to the park.

The park’s two main roads, Newfound Gap (U.S. 441) and Little River, remain open throughout the year, except for temporary closures due to severe weather conditions. One can drive straight through the Smokies to get to Florida thereby enjoying spectacular views of the park and mountains on the way.

Approximate Mileage from the following major cities to Great Smoky Mountains National Park :

By Car:

Nashville, TN – 225.09 miles

Knoxville, TN – 45.58 miles

Memphis, TN – 435.66 miles

Louisville, KY – 290.08 miles

Charlotte, NC – 211.33 miles

Birmingham, AL – 300.90 miles

Atlanta, GA – 193.94 miles

By Plane:

McGhee Tyson Airport – 39.37 miles

Asheville Regional Airport – 88.29 miles

There is no public transportation in the park

Great Smoky Mountains National Park, 107 Park Headquarters Road, Gatlinburg, TN 37738.
Visitor Information Recorded Message- (865) 436-1200
Fax-(865)-436-1220

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