Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Activities & Programs Great Smoky Mountains National Park offers a variety of things to do each season.  SPRING, SUMMER AND FALL  Park Programs The NPS offers talks, slide shows, films, guided nature and history walks, a ... read more.

At Your Fingertips Park Headquarters and (865) 436-1200 General Information www.nps.gov/grsm Emergencies (865) 436-1230 (Touch tone only) (865) 436-1200, then 1, then 911 Backcountry Reservations (865) 436-1231 Speci ... read more.

Campgrounds in the Great Smokies Picnic tables, fire grills, running water and flush toilets are available. The large campgrounds also have amphitheaters for ranger talks and slide shows. There are no showers or trailer hookups.* Ab ... read more.

Camping at Great Smoky The park has 1,008 developed campsites at 10 campgrounds and 100 primitive backcountry campsites on the ridges. For information on horse camps, please see page 52. Reservations  May 15 through Octob ... read more.

Did You Know : Battles While there were a few skirmishes, no Civil War battles were fought in the Smokies..  Mountain families sent many soldiers to fight for both the Union and Confederate armies. Meanwhile, some men, ... read more.

Did You Know : Families Mountain families typically sat down to a meal of "cat heads" (biscuits) drenched in 'lasses (sorghum molasses) or red-eye gravy, string beans with "side meat" and, of course, good, strong coffee. ... read more.

Did You Know : Photography When photographing wildlife, focus on the animal's eyes or on the area just in front of the eyes. ... read more.

Did You Know : Smokies According to local lore, the Smokies were so steep that the only way to sow them was to stand on an opposite hill and shoot the seeds across with a shotgun.  ... read more.

Flora & Fauna The astounding variety of plants and animals in the Smokies is unequaled in most temperate areas of the world. Biological diversity is the hallmark of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which encom ... read more.

Foliage in the Great Smokies The Smokies foliage changes in the mountains beginning in mid-September and moves down to the valleys through October, often continuing into early November.. Here is a guide to the spectacular fall c ... read more.

Gatlinburg As one of Great Smoky Mountains National Park's principal gateway communities, Gatlinburg, Tennessee, hosts many of the park's millions of annual visitors. It is located on U.S. 441 on the park's nor ... read more.

Great Smoky Regulations SAFETY TIPS Bears: Feeding the bears is illegal! It makes them bold and potentially dangerous. Keep a clean camp and deposit garbage in park trash cans or dumpsters.  Bears cause much property damag ... read more.

Highlights of the Smokies Established: The park was created in 1934 to protect the last of the southern Appalachian forest which once covered more than 4 million acres, but was virtually eliminated by logging and fire. Land A ... read more.

History of Crafts The strong crafts tradition in the Smokies produced many fine handcrafted items. Long after most people along the Eastern Seaboard lived in a cash economy, the mountain people still spun thread from ... read more.

History of Great Smoky The Great Smoky Mountains are among the highest peaks in the Appalachian mountain range, yet they are rounder and lower in elevation than younger mountain chains such as the Rocky Mountains. How they ... read more.

In A Nutshell TRANSPORTATION Getting to Great Smoky Mountains The beautiful Blue Ridge Parkway runs from Shenandoah National Park in Virginia to the southern entrance of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. U.S. 4 ... read more.

John Walker John Walker holds some cherries from his orchard. He, his wife Margaret Jane, and their 11 children lived in Little Greenbrier Cove and prided themselves on their self-sufficiency. He boasted that he ... read more.

Just For Kids Junior Rangers can earn a badge by engaging in specially-designed programs such as blacksmithing, creating a piece of pottery, venturing to learn about insects and other wildlife, or becoming a natur ... read more.

Life Zones The Smokies' various ecological communities are most often identified by forest types called, "life zones." Elevation, soil conditions, moisture or dryness, and exposure to wind and sun all play role ... read more.

Lodging & Dining at Great Smoky A variety of lodging and dining options are available to visitors, from a hike-in lodge in the park to many hotels, motels and cabins in nearby towns. LODGING AND DINING IN THE PARK LeConte Lodge For ... read more.