14 Things to Know Before Visiting Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Visiting the Great Smoky Mountains is the perfect outdoorsy family vacation, especially if you love the National Parks like we do! However, because it’s the most visited National Park (by far), there are some things to know before visiting Great Smoky Mountains National Park. These tips can make or break your trip so make sure you are prepared so you can have the best trip ever.

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Quick Guide to the Great Smoky Mountains

1. It’s FREE to enter, but you’ll pay for a parking pass

When people talk about the Great Smoky Mountains, they will often mention that it’s one of the National Parks that is totally free to enter. How amazing right?! Yes, this is a money saver for families, but there’s a catch. You do have to pay for a parking pass. It’s cheaper than park entrance fees, but it’s not completely free to enjoy the Smoky Mountains.

You can find a parking pass at a variety of places around town in person or at a bunch of different places around the park including visitor centers and popular park areas. You can also purchase a parking pass ahead of time online, but there are so many easy places to buy it in person I would personally recommend doing it like that!

So while the park entrance is free, you will pay for things like the junior ranger packet, the cades cove map, and the parking!

2. You Might Encounter Some Bad Drivers

With all the wonderful fall colors to grab your attention, as well as very narrow roads throughout most of the park, it can be expected that some drivers may find themselves drifting off the road or over the center line.

There were far more instances of this than we anticipated which was a little scary! Please take care when driving through these beautiful Smoky Mountains. Pay special attention to, not only your own driving, but other drivers coming the opposite direction.

3. Traffic Can Be Really Bad

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park being the most visited National Park means the roads are VERY busy! Driving throughout the park can be time consuming with bumper to bumper traffic. Your best bet for avoiding traffic doing your exploring early in the morning. The later you choose to explore, though, the more patience you’ll need.

There are several mistakes to avoid when you’re visiting the Smokies for the first time. And getting stuck in traffic is one of them!

4. You Can Use the Trolley System

There is a free, yes FREE, trolley system through Gatlinburg. There isn’t much for free parking throughout Gatlinburg, and virtually non-existent downtown near the strip. Paid parking lots ranged from $10 – $20, depending on how close you want to park. Our hotel was about a mile away from the center of downtown, which wasn’t too difficult of a walk, but with two tired toddlers, the trolley became a life saver when coming back later in the day.

The free trolley runs 365 days per year and hits all of the Gatlinburg hot spots. Use the trolley locator on the Gatlinburg app. You may end up waiting a bit but it worked out well for us.

5. Kuwohi Can Be Chilly

Kuwohi, previously known as Clingmans Dome until it was changed back to its original Cherokee name, is the third highest mountain east of the Mississippi and rests on the border of Tennessee and North Carolina. At the summit of Kuwohi Mountain sits an observation tower with stunning 360 degree views of the Smoky Mountains.

The trail to the tower is a steep, half mile (one-way) hike and can be surprisingly cold if going for sunrise or sunset, so be sure to bundle up. Especially if you have little ones with you!

6. The Park Map Can Be Confusing

The park map is difficult to read because of extremely small text and lack of labels for many parts of the park like hikes or lesser known landmarks. So if you’re looking to visit an area or hike that isn’t one of the main spots, make sure to research routes and locations ahead of time – or ask a park ranger!

For more help planning your trip to the Smoky Mountains, we’ve got you covered with an Ultimate Guide to the Smokies with Kids!

7. You Will Likely Wait for Food

If you’re planning to eat at one of the many popular restaurants throughout Gatlinburg, be prepared for long waits. Especially at breakfast and dinnertime. We like to do our hikes and park exploration early in the morning to avoid the crowds so by the time we made it back to town for breakfast, we were dealing wait times of over an hour. Pack snacks for the kids!

8. There are NO Gas Stations Inside the Park

There are NO gas stations located inside the park. Luckily there are a lot of small towns around the perimeter of the park where you can get gas, but make sure you fill up if you have a big day ahead of you. Keep in mind that you could also end up stuck in traffic at times depending on the time of day, area, and season.

9. Hiking in the Smokies

There are a few popular kid friendly hikes throughout the park that, if unless you go early in the morning, you may find it next to impossible to find a parking spot for. Fortunately, there are various other hiking options that not many people stop for and you can enjoy almost entirely to yourself. Also be mindful that many trailheads don’t have bathrooms!

10. Gatlinburg Parking Can Be Expensive

Parking in Gatlinburg can be pricey and kind of a pain. So if you plan on spending time in downtown Gatlinburg I would recommend taking the free trolley, adding parking to your budget, or walking! 

The lots downtown are around $20, and cheaper parking (about $10 per day) can be found in the Aquarium garage and the Mcmahan lots.

11. Gatlinburg vs. Cherokee

Gatlinburg and Cherokee are two TOTALLY different towns and you’ll have a very different experience depending on where you decide to stay. There are so many things to do in both towns, but you may want to choose your town based on the vibe you’re looking for.

Gatlinburg is much more commercialized and has a Las Vegas meets cute mountain town vibe. There are a TON of things to do, but you will deal with some traffic, long waits for meals, and just a lot of people in town.

Cherokee is much less of a touristy town, so if you’re looking for more solitude you can find it there. The trade offs here are a lot less restaurant options, but you will encounter a lot less people. Cherokee is also a great place to stay if you’re planning to drive the Blue Ridge Parkway.

12. It Can Be Crowded!

As I’ve mentioned multiple times, the Smoky Mountains can be crowded! It’s the most visited US National Park (by far) so depending on which season you visit you will be sharing the park with lots of other people. Summer and Fall are the most crowded seasons but they are also a beautiful time to visit. 

Truthfully, we were a bit overwhelmed by the traffic when we first got here, but we found ways to skip the crowds and it was magical. We’ve got some great strategies to avoid crowds in the Smoky Mountains though and it’s absolutely possible to find solitude! 

13. You Need to Be Bear Aware

The Smoky Mountains are known for being home of nearly 2000 black bears! So it’s really important that you familiarize yourself with bear safety tips before going. Never ever feed or approach wildlife. 

I would highly recommend reading the National Park service’s bear safety tips before visiting – and it’s a great opportunity to teach something new to your kids! 

14. The Park is Big!

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is over half a million acres, so make sure to plan enough time to get to explore the park. If you only have one day in the park you will still have a wonderful time, but it will definitely leave you wanting more time. Ideally, you would spend 3-4 days!