Wisps of fog hang over the forests in the mountains.
The park gets its name from mists that often rise like smoke from the mountains. Kristina Plaas

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

National Park · North Carolina · National Park Service

Ridge upon ridge of forest straddles the border between North Carolina and Tennessee in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. World renowned for its diversity of plant and animal life, the beauty of its ancient mountains, and the quality of its remnants of Southern Appalachian mountain culture, this is America's most visited national park. Plan your visit today!

Plan your visit

Trails & hiking

Biking · Hiking · Horseback Riding

Camping

Camping · Backcountry Camping · Group Camping · RV Camping

Site types & reservations: see the official site.

Know before you go

Phone
(865)436-1200
Official site
www.nps.gov
Managed by
National Park Service

Getting there

Directions on Google Maps →

Things to do

Activities & features: Arts and Culture · Live Music · Auto and ATV · Scenic Driving · Astronomy · Stargazing · Road Biking · Car or Front Country Camping · Horse Camping (see also Horse/Stock Use) · Fishing · Freshwater Fishing · Fly Fishing · Food · Picnicking · Guided Tours · Self-Guided Tours - Auto · Hands-On · Citizen Science · Backcountry Hiking · Front-Country Hiking · Horse Trekking · Horse Camping (see also camping) · Junior Ranger Program · Wildlife Watching · Birdwatching · Park Film · Museum Exhibits · Shopping · Bookstore and Park Store

Photos

  • A hillside in the forest covered with white trillium flowers
    Kristina Plaas
  • A clear sky with a vast snowy mountain scene.
    NPS / Bob Carr
  • A thick layer of frost covers the fields, trees, and mountains in Cades Cove.
    Kristina Plaas
  • Rhododendron bushes line the banks of a stream filled with large boulders.
    Danielle Austen, Artist-in-Residence 2015
  • Bright gold and red leaves shine through the fog in a forest.
    NPS Photo
  • Tombstones stand in front of a white, wooden church on a foggy morning.
    Kristina Plaas
  • Gold and red fall colors fill the valleys while snow coats the mountain tops.
    Sam Hobbs

Nearby parks

Parks of North Carolina

Fort Macon State ParkGoose Creek State ParkCrowders Mountain State ParkLake Waccamaw State ParkMount Jefferson State Natural AreaMorrow Mountain State ParkSouth Mountains State ParkMerchants Millpond State ParkCliffs of the Neuse State ParkCape Lookout National SeashoreWilliam B. Umstead State ParkMayo River State ParkFalls Lake State Recreation AreaPettigrew State ParkCape Hatteras National SeashoreNew River State ParkMoores Creek National BattlefieldGuilford Courthouse National Military ParkCarolina Beach State ParkDismal Swamp State ParkOvermountain Victory National Historic TrailMedoc Mountain State ParkGrandfather Mountain State ParkKerr Lake State Recreation AreaRaven Rock State ParkFort Fisher State Recreation AreaLake Norman State ParkJockey's Ridge State ParkLumber River State ParkJordan Lake State Recreation AreaGorges State ParkLake James State ParkSingletary Lake State ParkFort Raleigh National Historic SiteElk Knob State ParkPilot Mountain State ParkBlue Ridge ParkwayOcconeechee Mountain State Natural AreaEno River State ParkCarl Sandburg Home National Historic SiteHammocks Beach State ParkMount Mitchell State ParkHanging Rock State ParkJones Lake State ParkStone Mountain State ParkWright Brothers National MemorialWeymouth Woods Sandhills Nature Preserve

48 parks mapped in North Carolina

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Guides for the trip

All guides →

Sources: National Park Service, Google Places · updated 2026-08-12