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GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK
GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK
Great Smoky Mountains Historic Landscapes
Great Smoky Mountains National Park is world renowned There are a number of historic sites and locales in the park,
for its natural beauty, the quality of its historic Southern including Cades Cove. The 11-mile loop road, with its barns,
Appalachian culture and diversity of plant and animal life. houses and other buildings, offers a visual history of the
people that lived on the land that became America’s most
Sugarlands Visitor Center visited national park.
This is the primary point of information for visitors coming Bicycling and Horseback Riding
to the national park. At Sugarlands, visitors can view
natural history exhibits and a film about the park’s history. While there are no designated bicycling trails in the
107 Park Headquarters Road, Gatlinburg, TN 37738 national park, Cades Cove Loop Road is an exceptional
place for cyclers. Wednesday through Saturday, May
Park Trails
through September, the Loop Road is open for bicycles
only from 6-10 a.m. Guided horseback rides are available
Whatever your hiking skills are, the park has trails for
at riding stables from mid-March through late November.
everyone to enjoy. Some favorites include:
SUGARLANDS VALLEY TRAIL – A wheelchair
accessible trail, located near Sugarlands Visitor Center.
LAUREL FALLS TRAIL – Halfway through this
2.6-mile paved trail you can view the 80-foot-high
Laurel Falls.
CLINGMANS DOME – A picturesque drive, followed by
Picnic Areas
The park has several picnic facilities, including Cades Cove,
Chimneys and Metcalf Bottoms, that include tables, grills
and restrooms.
Foliage Report
a half-mile hike, takes you to the highest point in the park.
The magnificent display of fall colors in the Smoky
Wildlife
Mountains can start as early as mid-September, reaching
their peak between mid-October and early November.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park is home to more Updates are posted each year beginning in September
than 400 species of animals, including the American at nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/fallcolor.htm.
black bear.
Driving Tips
Cell phone signals can be difficult to find in Great A tour bus guide for tips on driving motorcoaches in the
Smoky Mountains National Park. We invite you to enjoy national park can be downloaded at nps.gov/grsm.
the quiet and listen for the call of the great outdoors.