Tennessee & North Carolina
YOUR GUIDE TO THE GREATSMOKY MOUNTAINSAND THE SMOKIES
Discover the best dining, lodging, experiences, hiking trails, and transportation in and around Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Explore the Great Smoky Mountains
Everything you need for your perfect Great Smoky Mountains trip, all in one place.
Featured Listings
Handpicked favorites from around the Great Smoky Mountains area.
Current Weather
Real-time conditions at Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Plan Your Visit
Tips and insights for making the most of your time in the Great Smoky Mountains.
Weather & Seasons
The Great Smoky Mountains shine in every season. The park is a lush temperate rainforest, so expect humidity, frequent rain, and the trademark blue 'smoke' haze hanging in the valleys. Summers are warm and muggy with afternoon thunderstorms; spring brings wildflowers and fall paints the slopes in mid-to-late October. Winters are mild in the foothills but can dump snow at high elevations, where Clingmans Dome Road closes from December through March.
View forecast →Getting There
Great Smoky Mountains National Park straddles Tennessee and North Carolina, with no entrance fee — though a Park It Forward parking tag is required ($5/day, $15/week, $40/year). The Tennessee gateway of Gatlinburg sits right at the park entrance on US-441, about 45 minutes from Knoxville's airport (TYS). For the North Carolina side, Cherokee and the Oconaluftee entrance are about an hour from Asheville (AVL). Newfound Gap Road (US-441) is the scenic route that crosses the crest of the range between the two states.
Best Time to Visit
April and May bring the famous spring wildflower bloom, and late May into June lights up Elkmont with the synchronous fireflies (access is by lottery). Mid-to-late October is peak fall foliage — spectacular but the busiest and most crowded time of year, so book lodging in Gatlinburg or Townsend well ahead. Summer is hot, humid, and packed with families, while winter offers quiet and solitude, with snow dusting the high peaks around Clingmans Dome and Newfound Gap.
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