3 days in the Great Smoky Mountains

Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.

1. 1
   MorningWorth a short stop

   Sugarlands Visitor Center

   The park’s main visitor center on the Tennessee side, just inside the entrance from Gatlinburg. A good first stop to ask about road openings, trail conditions and parking, and to see the exhibits on the mountains before you drive on.

   Go when Morning, on your way in, before you decide the day.

   Local tip Ask a ranger which roads and trails are open today, and where to park. Look at the relief model of the park, which shows how the ridges run before you drive them.

   

   About 15 min by car or transit3.2 mi
2. 2
   MiddayWorth the time

   Laurel Falls

   A waterfall reached by one of the park’s most popular trails, paved for its first 1.3 miles. It is a steady climb through laurel and hemlock to a falls that drops in two tiers beside the path. Go early, because it fills.

   Go when Early morning, before the trail and the parking fill.

   Local tip The path is paved but steep in places, with drop-offs at the edge. Keep children close, stay on the trail and do not climb on the wet rock by the falls.

   

3. Lunch

   A trail picnic

   Food stops inside the park are few. Buy bread, cheese, fruit and drinks in a town the evening before and eat at a picnic table by the stream.

   Local tip Keep all food and trash in your car or in a closed bag. Never leave it where an animal can reach it.

   About 26 min by car or transit7.1 mi
4. 3
   AfternoonPick your stops

   Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail

   A narrow one-way lane that winds beside a rushing mountain stream, past old log cabins and a mill left by the families who once farmed here. Drive slowly, stop often and check ahead, because the lane closes in winter.

   Go when Late afternoon, when the stream is loud and the cabins sit in soft light.

   Local tip It is a one-way lane with pull-offs. Park at the cabins you like and walk in. Large vehicles and trailers are not allowed, and the road closes in winter, so check ahead.

   

   About 38 min by car15.5 mi
5. 4
   AfternoonWorth a short stop

   Mingus Mill

   A gristmill from 1886 near the Oconaluftee Visitor Center, powered by a water turbine rather than a wheel. Check ahead, because the mill runs only in season, and watch how the water is carried to it by a wooden race.

   Go when Afternoon, if the mill is running that day.

   Local tip Look for the wooden race that carries the water and the turbine inside. If the mill is closed, the grounds are still pleasant to walk. Check ahead for the season.

   About 12 min walk0.6 mi
6. 5
   EveningWorth the time

   Mountain Farm Museum

   A collection of old log farm buildings gathered beside the Oconaluftee River: a farmhouse, a barn, a smokehouse and an apple house. The fields around it are a place where elk are often seen at dusk, though no one can promise one.

   Go when Evening, when the meadows are quiet and the light is low.

   Local tip Walk among the farm buildings, then watch the fields from the edge. If elk are there, stay far back and let them be, and follow the park’s distance rules. Never feed an animal.

   

7. Dinner

   Mountain trout

   Rainbow trout is a local fish, served pan-fried with a lemon or grilled, with hushpuppies and slaw. A simple supper after a day in the mountains.

   Local tip Ask for it with the head off if you prefer, and share a side of cornbread.

Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.

1. Travel from Mountain Farm MuseumAbout 31 min by car or transit9.6 mi

   Where Day 1 ended.
2. 1
   MorningWorth a short stop

   Newfound Gap

   The pass where the road crosses the state line, with wide views over both states and a stone memorial where the park was dedicated in 1940. It is cooler up here than in the valleys, so bring a layer.

   Go when Morning, when the air is clear and the road is quiet.

   Local tip Stand with a foot in each state at the line on the memorial plaza. Newfound Gap Road can close for snow or ice, so check ahead in cold months.

   

   About 43 min by car19.4 mi
3. 2
   MorningWorth the time

   Cataloochee

   A secluded valley of old farms, a church and a schoolhouse, reached by a long, narrow, winding road. Elk graze in its meadows, though no one can promise you one, and you must stay well back from any you see.

   Go when Early morning, when the elk are in the meadows and the valley is still.

   Local tip The road in is long, narrow and winding, so allow extra time and check ahead that it is open. Stay far back from the elk, follow the park’s distance rules and do not feed them.

   

4. Lunch

   A picnic on the Parkway

   Pull-offs along the Parkway have tables and views. Bring bread, fruit and cheese from town, and eat with the ridge in front of you.

   Local tip Check the weather first, because the Parkway can close in fog or ice.

   About 48 min by car24.0 mi
5. 3
   MiddayWorth the time

   Kuwohi (Clingmans Dome)

   The highest mountain in the park, called Kuwohi in Cherokee and Clingmans Dome until recently. A steep paved path climbs to an observation tower. The road up is closed in winter, so check before you go, and bring a jacket.

   Go when Morning, when the sky is clearest, and not at sunset (about 6:58 PM), when the car park fills.

   Local tip The walk from the car park to the tower is half a mile, steep and paved, with benches on the way. Check ahead that the road is open and bring a layer, because it is cold and often misty.

   

   About 45 min by car21.4 mi
6. 4
   MiddayWorth a short stop

   Waterrock Knob

   A summit of the Blue Ridge Parkway at more than 6,000 feet, with a small visitor center and a short, steep trail to a wide view. The Parkway closes in places in bad weather and in winter, so check before you go.

   Go when Midday, when the view across the ridges is widest.

   Local tip The summit trail is short but steep and the wind is cold, so carry a jacket. The Parkway can close in fog, ice and winter, so check its status before you drive.

   

7. Dinner

   A mountain supper

   Finish with a plain, filling plate: pot roast, beans, greens and cornbread, or whatever the kitchen has made that day.

   Local tip Ask what is local and fresh, and save room for a slice of pie.

Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.

1. Drive from Waterrock KnobAbout 1 h 8 min by car40.6 mi

   Where Day 2 ended.
2. 1
   MorningWorth the time

   Cades Cove

   A broad green valley ringed by mountains, with an 11-mile one-way loop road past meadows, log cabins, three churches and a mill. White-tailed deer are common at dawn. Traffic can slow to a crawl later in the day, so go early.

   Go when First light, or around sunset (about 6:58 PM), when the deer are in the meadows and the traffic is thin.

   Local tip Check the park’s page before you go, because the loop road closes to cars on some days in season for walkers and bikes. Take your time, use the pull-offs and let others pass.

   

   About 13 min walk0.6 mi
3. 2
   MiddayWorth the time

   Cable Mill

   A restored gristmill and farm buildings halfway around the loop, with a visitor center and a blacksmith shop. A good place to stop, stretch and see how the families lived. Check ahead for what is open.

   Go when Midday, as a break halfway round the loop.

   Local tip The mill stands beside a farm with a blacksmith shop and a smokehouse. Check ahead for what is open that day, and use the break to stretch and eat a picnic.

4. Lunch

   A picnic at the mill

   There are picnic tables near the mill and the loop road has no food, so bring lunch. Sit near the water and watch the wheel.

   Local tip Close the car doors and keep your food in a bag or box. Wildlife will not ask twice.

   About 13 min by car or transit2.6 mi
5. 3
   AfternoonA half day, if you walk

   Abrams Falls

   A short, wide waterfall that drops into a deep pool at the end of a trail of several miles round trip from the loop road. The water below is cold and strong, so look from the bank and do not swim. Allow a good part of the afternoon.

   Go when Morning or early afternoon, so you are back before the light fades.

   Local tip The trail has roots and rocks, and the pool below the falls has a strong, cold current. Look from the bank, do not swim, and carry water.

   

6. Dinner

   A porch supper

   Townsend’s small restaurants serve fried chicken, soup beans, cornbread and fruit cobbler. A table on a porch beside the river is a good ending after the loop.

   Local tip Eat early, because the town winds down by evening.