Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Abundant rainfall means lush forests and beautiful stream scenes in the Great Smoky Mountains.
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!
Map showing location of park.
Traffic near Alum Cave Trailhead
Plan Ahead for a Safe Memorial Day Weekend in the Smokies
Great Smoky Mountains National Park expects a high volume of visitors over Memorial Day weekend. Anyone planning a trip to the Smokies over the holiday weekend should expect crowds, traffic congestion and limited parking.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park to conduct Spur maintenance beginning May 11
Great Smoky Mountains National Park will complete essential maintenance along the Spur starting May 11. This will require temporary single-lane closures to allow park staff to safely and efficiently complete this work.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park Seeks Tips to Identify Suspect in Illegal Vulture Dumping
Great Smoky Mountains National Park is requesting tips from the public to aid in an ongoing investigation of 33 black vultures (Coragyps atratus) dumped on the Foothills Parkway.
Green and white tent surrounded by trees at a backcountry campsite
Backcountry Camping Fee Change Takes Effect on April 30 at Great Smoky Mountains National Park 
Beginning April 30, Great Smoky Mountains National Park will transition its backcountry permit reservation system to Recreation.gov. This transition will improve reliability, security and customer support for backcountry users.   Visitors with existing reservations do not need to do anything—the park will honor all permits issued before the switch.  
Long exposure of fireflies in Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Great Smoky Mountains National Park Announces Dates for 2026 Annual Firefly Viewing Event
Great Smoky Mountains National Park will host its annual synchronous firefly event at Elkmont from May 20-27. A lottery for vehicle reservations opens at 10 a.m. April 24 EDT and closes at 11:59 p.m. April 27 EDT.
A thick layer of frost covers the fields, trees, and mountains in Cades Cove.
Photo by Kristina Plaas
Wisps of fog hang over the forests in the mountains.
Photo by Kristina Plaas
A clear sky with a vast snowy mountain scene.
Photo by NPS / Bob Carr
A hillside in the forest covered with white trillium flowers
Photo by Kristina Plaas
Bright gold and red leaves shine through the fog in a forest.
Photo by NPS Photo
Gold and red fall colors fill the valleys while snow coats the mountain tops.
Photo by Sam Hobbs
Rhododendron bushes line the banks of a stream filled with large boulders.
Photo by Danielle Austen, Artist-in-Residence 2015
Tombstones stand in front of a white, wooden church on a foggy morning.
Photo by Kristina Plaas