Scenic Drives

There are three entrances to Great Smoky Mountains National Park from Gatlinburg, and every one takes you into a section of the 800 square miles of unspoiled Appalachia. Every trip to the Smokies begins with a drive on the Newfound Gap Road, so pack a picnic and see highlights along the way, including the Sugarlands Visitor Center, Newfound Gap, Clingman’s Dome Road, Ocanaluftee Valley and Mingus Mill. Wildflower watchers love exploring the Greenbrier, a six-mile road featuring the most colorful flora in the Park. If you’re feeling adventurous, park your car and hike four miles to witness the tallest falls in the Smokies at Ramsey Cascades. Whether you arrive during the green days of spring and summer, the crazy quilt of autumn color or the sparkling white of winter, your drive through the roads of Great Smoky Mountains National Park is guaranteed to be an adventure in itself.

Cades Cove

Blaze your own trail, and get off the beaten path on one of Cades Cove’s numerous hiking trails. The five-mile round trip journey along Abrams Creek is a moderate trek that’s worth every...

Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail

Roaring Fork features two of the most popular waterfalls in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Which one is better? It’s like picking a favorite child for us, so you’ll have to be...

National Park

Scenic Drive along the Foothills Parkway

The Foothills Parkway is a national parkway that traverses the foothills of the northern Great Smoky Mountains in East Tennessee, located in the southeastern United States. The 72.1-mile (114 km) parkway connects U.S. Route 129 (U.S. 129) along the Little Tennessee River in the west with...