The Best Great Smoky Mountains Itinerary for 3 Days in the National Park
This Great Smoky Mountains itinerary for 3 days features waterfalls, scenic drives, and the best hikes in the national park.
Babbling brooks, sweeping mountain views, gushing waterfalls — it’s all in store for this 3 days in Smoky Mountains National Park itinerary. The popular destination on the border of Tennessee and North Carolina is known for its misty mountains in the southern Appalachians, drawing over 14 million visitors each year.
With some 500,000 acres split between the neighboring states, the park offers over 800 miles of trails, dozens of waterfalls, 2,000-plus miles of streams and tributaries, and the remnants of historic settlements in areas like the Cades Cove valley. It’s also a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site and an International Biosphere Reserve.
A 3-day itinerary in the Smoky Mountains can be as adventurous as hiking the Appalachian Trail and climbing Mount LeConte or as family-friendly as picnicking by the river and playing at amusement parks in nearby Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge.
The Great Smoky Mountains itinerary below falls somewhere in the middle, with waterfall hikes, scenic drives, and some of the best views in the national park. We’ve included a few trail options each day so you can tailor the outdoorsy time to match your travel style. Keep reading to the end for Smoky Mountains travel tips, like where to stay and how to avoid the crowds.
Where to Stay Near Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Glamping in the Great Smoky Mountains
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Gatlinburg
Gatlinburg is one of the closest towns to the Great Smoky Mountains and a whole experience on its own. It’s very touristy if you stay near the downtown strip, but has tons of restaurants, shops, and family-friendly attractions.
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Pigeon Forge
Pigeon Forge is just north of Gatlinburg and is famous for the Dollywood theme park. Like Gatlinburg, there are tons of hotels, restaurants, and family-friendly attractions in the town.
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Great Smoky Mountains National Park Map
This national park map shows the Great Smoky Mountains itinerary actitivies color coded by day. Click to open a Google Map that you can save and edit to start planning your trip.
3 Day Smoky Mountain Itinerary
This Great Smoky Mountains 3 day itinerary highlights some of the best trails, scenic drives and mountain views in the national park. We’ve included a few suggestions each day to level the adventure up or down to suit your style.
Day 1 — Cades Cove and Little River Gorge Road
A drive through the historic Cades Cove valley is a must for any 3 day Smoky Mountains itinerary. If you’re arriving into the park from the west or the Knoxville airport, you can start in Cades Cove before heading towards Gatlinburg on Little River Gorge Road. Otherwise, start on the Gatlinburg side with a hike at Laurel Falls first thing in the morning before driving to Cades Cove. I recommend spending time in Cades Cove around either sunrise or sunset for the best chance at spotting wildlife.
Sugarlands Visitor Center
Pop by the Sugarlands Visitor Center near Gatlinburg before heading out for the day to grab a trail map and browse the gift shop. The building has natural history exhibits and rangers on staff to answer any questions.
If you’re looking for an easy, family-friendly hike to start the day, you can hop on the Fighting Creek Nature Trail from here. The 1.4-mile loop meanders through the woods to a historic cabin.
Laurel Falls Hike
Named for the flowering mountain laurel plants that bloom near the trail in spring, Laurel Falls is an 80-foot waterfall that drops in an upper and lower cascade with a pool in between. The hike to the base is 2.6 miles round trip, and moderately difficult with some elevation gain on the way.
This trail is extremely popular with limited parking, so plan to hike here first thing in the morning or at the end of the day to avoid some of the crowds.
Little River Gorge Road
Little River Gorge Road follows the banks of the Little River, running 17 miles between Townsend, Tennessee, on the west end and the Sugarlands Visitor Center on the east. While it only takes about 30 minutes to drive the whole route without traffic, you should plan to make some stops to see waterfalls and listen to the trickling streams.
From the east side, one of your first stops should be for the Laurel Falls hike before continuing on. There are several parking pullouts with views of the river, but keep a lookout for the Sinks, a short but gushing waterfall, and Meigs Falls, which you can see in the distance from the roadside.
If you have extra time, Little Gorge Road provides access to several trailheads, like the moderate 6.5-mile Meigs Creek Trail that traces the stream or the easy 1.5-mile Metcalf Bottoms Trail to a historic schoolhouse. The Metcalf Bottoms picnic area is a great spot to stop for lunch, with tables fronting the river and restrooms with running water.
Cades Cove Scenic Loop
Situated in a lush valley with the mountains as a backdrop, Cades Cove has the perfect blend of scenery, history, wildlife watching and adventure. The area was settled in the early 1800s and a wide collection of old homesteads and churches still stand.
Along a one-way, 11-mile loop road, you can stop at several log cabins and barns, a trio of clapboard churches, and an operational gristmill. About midway through the drive, the trailhead to Abram Falls leads to a picturesque 20-foot waterfall. Nearby, the Cades Cove Visitor Center offers restrooms, water fill-up stations, an information center, and a large collection of historic buildings.
As you drive by the open valley, keep an eye out for black bears, white-tailed deer, coyotes, wild turkeys, and more. Bear sightings frequently cause traffic jams, so plan to spend at least half a day driving the loop, or more to add in hikes. Sunrise and sunset are the best times to spot wildlife.
At the start and end of the drive, the Cades Cove Campground area has a small shop and deli with ice cream, sandwiches and snacks. There is also a bike rental shop — the Cades Cove Loop is closed to vehicles on Wednesdays throughout the summer so pedestrians and cyclists can sightsee safely.
Abram Falls Hike
Abram Falls is one of the most popular waterfall hikes in the park, located in Cades Cove. The moderately difficult trail is 5 miles round trip, following a creek to a 20-foot drop with a pool at the base. If you plan to hike here, you should add about 3 hours to your Cades Cove agenda.
Day 2 — Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail and Foothills Parkway
Waterfall hikes and scenic drives are in store on day two of this Great Smoky Mountains itinerary. You can max out the adventure by taking on all the recommended trails or have a more low-key time with a morning walk to Grotto Falls and more time in Gatlinburg in the late afternoon.
Rainbow Falls Hike
The 80-foot-high Rainbow Falls is named for the blur of colors you can see when the afternoon sun hits the mist off the water. A moderately difficult 5.4-mile trail (round trip), traces a creek and crosses the water several times, climbing some 1,700 feet.
Plan for about three to five hours for the hike. You can also make it a full-day excursion by continuing on a 13.4-mile (round trip) path to the Mount Le Conte summit or even stay overnight in log cabins at the LeConte Lodge near the peak.
The trailhead is just 5 miles from Gatlinburg, so it’s a popular hiking destination. Plan to arrive early in the morning to secure a parking spot, as the lot often overflows at busy times.
Grotto Falls
Located along the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail, the hike to Grotto Falls on the Trillium Gap Trail is just a couple of miles past the Rainbow Falls trailhead. You can walk behind the 25-foot-tall destination waterfall, which is located in a cave-like setting.
The moderately challenging hike is 2.6 miles (round trip) with a couple of easy stream crossings and 600 feet of elevation change. To stretch this out into a longer adventure, keep following the Trillium Gap Trail through lush forests to the summit of Mount Le Conte. The path up and back down the Rainbow Falls Trail is about 15 miles total.
Parking at the Trillium Gap trailhead is extremely limited, so arrive here early in the morning if you don’t want to risk parking a half mile or more away along the shoulder of the road. Roaring Fork Road is one-way for 5.5 miles, so looping back around to look for parking is not ideal.
Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail
Starting just past the Rainbow Falls trailhead, the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail traces rushing streams with verdant trees hugging the road. You can stop at 1800s settlements along the path to see old log cabins and a historic gristmill.
The road is 5.5 miles and runs one way, with a few parking spots at significant stops like the Ephraim Bales House and Alfred Regan Tub Mill. Near the end, keep an eye for the roadside Place of a Thousand Drips, where mini falls weave together into a larger water display on the rocks.
At the end of the drive, you’ll find a small gift shop and some old cabins at the 1920s Ely’s Mill.
Foothills Parkway
If you have time for another excursion, the Foothills Parkway on the Tennessee side of the park is the perfect scenic drive to end the day. A 72-mile corridor commissioned in the 1940s traces the length of the park a few miles to the north, but less than 40 miles have been constructed to date in a couple of different sections.
For a short drive, follow the 5 miles on the northeast end from Interstate 40 to Crosby. Or, for a longer option, drive the 33 miles between Wears Valley and U.S. Route 129 at Chilhowee Lake with views of the Great Smoky Mountains from overlooks.
Day 3 — Newfound Gap Road
The main highway through Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Newfound Gap Road runs for about 35 miles between Gatlinburg, Tennessee, and Cherokee, North Carolina. Winding along rivers and streams on both ends, the route climbs some 3,000 feet in the middle through pine and spruce forests. On the way, spots like the Ben Morton and Newfound Gap overlooks offer views of the mountain peaks for miles.
There are several trailheads along this route, so you’ll have to decide whether to spend a few hours hiking in the morning or to devote the entire day to sightseeing. Keep reading for the most notable stops and hikes on this route.
Chimney Tops Hike
Climbing 1,400 feet to the Chimney Tops pinnacles for sweeping mountain views, this trail is 3.5 miles roundtrip and strenuous. Hikers once could follow a ridge up onto the pinnacles, but damage from a wildfire has closed the last quarter mile of the hike. Instead, the end destination is an observation area just below the summit. The trailhead is about 7 miles past the Sugarlands Visitor Center on Newfound Gap Road.
Alum Cave Bluffs Trail
One of the most popular mountain hikes in the park, the Alum Cave Bluffs Trail climbs all the way to the summit of Mount Le Conte, a 10-mile, round-trip route. Many hikers only do half, though, turning around after reaching the massive Alum Cave Bluffs, for a 5-mile trek.
On the way, the path gains 1,200 feet of elevation while passing through old forests, over log bridges, and into a tunnel made by the Arch Rock. There are a pair of large parking areas at the trailhead, but they often overflow onto the side of the road, so plan to start the hike first thing in the morning.
Newfound Gap and the Appalachian Trail
The Newfound Gap mountain pass sits on the Tennessee and North Carolina border near the center of the park. A large parking lot and viewing deck are about midway along Newfound Gap Road.
In addition to the sweeping views, this stopping point also provides access to the Appalachian Trail. A little over 70 miles of the famous 2,190-mile trail passes through the national park. Day hikers can hop on shorter sections from here to points like the Charlies Bunion outcrop, an 8-mile, round-trip hike.
Clingmans Dome
The highest mountain in the park at 6,643 feet, Clingmans Dome has an observation deck at the peak with views for over 100 miles in clear conditions. A short but steep paved trail leads up to the tower.
The 7-mile road up the mountain diverts off of Newfound Gap Road and is only open seasonally (typically April through November). Near the parking area, you’ll also find a visitor center with a small store.
I recommend coming for sunrise or sunset if it fits into your plans. If you’re on a round-trip drive from Gatlinburg, you can stop here for sunset on the return to town.
Mingus Mill and Mingus Creek Trail
Less than a mile north of the southern entrance to the park and the Oconaluftee Visitor Center, the 1886 Mingus Mill is a water-powered gristmill. Between mid-March and mid-November, demonstrations are given by a miller and you can purchase cornmeal.
The 5.9-mile, round-trip Mingus Creek Trail also departs from here, following the waterway before climbing into the high country. It’s an out-and-back path, so you can walk partway and turn around for a shorter experience.
Oconaluftee Visitor Center and Mountain Farm Museum
The Oconaluftee Visitor Center is at the southern entrance of Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina. Inside exhibits about the Smokies tell stories of the native residents, the early settlers, and the formation of the park. Just outside, the Mountain Farm Museum has a collection of log structures in a village setting. You can walk around a self-guided path to see the barn, corn crib, smokehouse and more. Demonstrations also take place in the high season.
The visitor center has a gift shop, park information and maps, restrooms, and water stations.
Mingo Falls
While it’s just outside the national park on Cherokee land, Mingo Falls is a must-see while you’re in the area. The 120-foot waterfall is one of the tallest in the state, and you can walk right up to the base on a short but steep quarter-mile trail.
The trailhead is 6 miles from the Oconaluftee Visitor Center and about the same distance from the town of Cherokee.
Cherokee
Cherokee, North Carolina, is the gateway to the southern entrance of the national park, about 5 miles away. You can either stop by to visit a couple of museums, make it your base for the park, or just stay for a night or two before continuing on a road trip along the Blue Ridge Parkway, which starts near here.
A few of the best things to do in Cherokee include the Museum of the Cherokee Indian for art and culture exhibits, the Oconaluftee Indian Village for living history reenactments and performances, and the Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort for nightlife and events.
Tips for Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Use this mini guide to Great Smoky Mountains National Park to plan out when to go, where to stay, and how to avoid the crowds.
How to get to Great Smoky Mountains National Park
In Tennessee, the nearest airport to Great Smoky Mountains National Park is in Alcoa, just outside of Knoxville. It’s about 25 miles from Townsend and 40 miles from Gatlinburg.
In North Carolina, Asheville Regional Airport is 60 miles from the town of Cherokee and the southern entrance to the park.
Here’s how to plan an Asheville itinerary
What towns are near Great Smoky Mountains National Park?
Many people stay on the Tennessee side of the park in Gatlinburg, which is built up with tons of touristy amenities and close to the Sugarlands park entrance. Pigeon Forge is about 10 miles north, with some cheaper hotel options and the popular Dollywood theme park.
West of Gatlinburg and about 10 miles from the park entrance near Cades Cove, Townsend is quieter but has fewer restaurants and shops. This is a great spot to look for cabins and RV parks. Wears Valley is another option between Townsend and Gatlinburg.
Over on the North Carolina side, Cherokee is about 5 miles from the Oconaluftee visitor center and national park entrance. The small town has a strip of touristy shops, budget-friendly hotels and campgrounds, and a huge casino resort full of amenities. About 10 miles west, Bryson City is on the Tuckasegee River and is home to the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad.
These are the closest towns near the Smoky Mountains
How long do you need in Great Smoky Mountains National Park?
Like most national parks, you could spend just a day glimpsing the scenery at Smoky Mountains while passing through on a road trip or stay for a week full of hiking, camping and scenic drives. I recommend a minimum of 2 to 3 days in the Smoky Mountains to get a decent overview.
For your first visit on a short Great Smoky Mountains itinerary, I suggest touring the Cades Cove valley and driving Newfound Gap Road, with a short waterfall or mountain hike each day. If you have 4 or 5 days, you should have time for a couple of longer hikes, for sightseeing in Gatlinburg or Cherokee, or for visiting Dollywood in Pigeon Forge.
What are the best things to do in Great Smoky Mountains National Park?
With more than 800 miles of trails and dozens of waterfalls, there are endless opportunities for hiking and sightseeing on a Great Smoky Mountains National Park itinerary. For your first visit, don’t miss the Cades Cove loop, a drive on Newfound Gap Road, a waterfall hike like Grotto Falls or Rainbow Falls, and the view from Clingmans Dome.
If you’re a hiker, some of the most popular options include the trails to Alum Cave Bluffs, Rainbow Falls, Charlies Bunion, Andrews Bald, Laurel Falls and Chimney Tops.
What is the best season to visit Great Smoky Mountains National Park?
Every season at Great Smoky Mountains National Park has its pros and cons. The park gets more than 14 million annual visitors, so summer, holidays, weekends and leaf-peeping season all bring crowds.
Winter can be a great time to avoid the crowds, and conditions in the lower elevations around Gatlinburg range from highs in the 50s to lows below freezing. The snowy higher elevations, though, mean closed roads and icy trails. January and February have monthly snowfalls of about 20 inches.
Spring conditions can swing from snowy in March to highs in the 70s and 80s by May and June. The park may not be as crowded in this season if you avoid weekends and spring break holidays.
Summer gets hot and humid in the lower elevations, with highs hitting 90 degrees. Up in the mountains though, it can be 10 degrees or more cooler, perfect for warm hikes. Afternoon thunderstorms are common in summer.
Fall sees a surge of visitation when the leaves begin to change, which varies from mid-September in the high country to as late as early November in the lower regions.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park Tickets
There is no entrance fee for Great Smoky Mountains National Park, but you will have to pay for things like backcountry permits and camping reservations. The park is proposing a parking fee beginning in 2023, so stay tuned for more details.
