Did you know Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the most visited US national park? With over 12 million annual visitors, no other national park comes close to the amount of traffic received by the Great Smoky Mountains. The next highest visitation is Yellowstone National Park with a mere 3.8 million annual visitors. Fall is without a doubt one of the best times to visit Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The fall foliage in combination with rolling mountains make for a beautiful combination. If you do visit in autumn though, be prepared to encounter traffic and difficulty finding parking at times, particularly on the weekends. Below we will outline our 5 must do activities in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

1. Cades Cove Loop

The scenic drive is only 11 miles long, but it will take 2-4 hours to complete depending on what time of day you go and how many stops you make along the way. The first Europeans settled in the cove sometime between 1818 and 1821. You can view three churches, a working grist mill, barns, log houses, and various other structures from this time around the loop. In addition, the loop is known for its scenic mountain views and wildlife spotting. We recommend starting early if you can. We started at around 9am and it took us over 2 hours with slow moving traffic at times. That being said, we did encounter a mama and baby black bear during our drive which was such a cool experience that made the entire drive worth it. As an alternative option, Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail is also known for black bear & wildlife spotting.

2. Clingman’s Dome

Although you can get amazing views from the parking lot at Clingman’s Dome, we think it is worth taking the 1.3-mile walk (roundtrip) to the observation tower. As a warning however, although the trail is paved, it is also very steep from the parking lot to the tower. At 6,643 feet, Clingman’s Dome is the highest point in Tennessee. On a weekend afternoon, we had to wait about an hour for a parking space here, but we found our patience was easily rewarded with incredible views.

3. Drive around the park stopping at different overlooks

Notable overlooks include: Newfound Gap, Ben Morton Overlook, Chimney Tops Overlook, Carlos Campbell Overlook. The creekside views along Little River Road and Laurel Creek Road are additionally peaceful and picturesque.

4. Alum Cave Bluffs/Mount Le Conte Trail

If you only have time for one hike in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, this is our recommendation. And the great thing about this option is that you have choices on when to turn around. We did the moderate 5-mile Alum Cave Bluff Trail. We found the hike very pleasant and beautiful all along the way. It starts off with various creek crossings through an old-growth hardwood forest. You then walk through a tunnel at Arch Rock and eventually reach sweeping mountain views leading to Alum Cave Bluffs. If you are interested in a more strenuous summit hike, you can continue along this trail to Mount Le Conte which would be a total of about 11 miles. If you do decide to hike here, make sure to arrive early and consider non-weekend days as parking can be difficult to find at times.

If you have more time in the park, other hikes to consider include: Laurel Falls Trail, Charlie’s Bunion Trail, Mount Cammerer, Deep Creek Loop, Chimney Tops, and Andrew’s Bald.

5. Watch a Sunset

There are numerous options for sunset in the Great Smoky Mountains, so you really cannot go wrong. Many people recommend Clingman’s Dome with its 360-degree views. Other photographers like Morton Overlook, which we also considered. After driving around at golden hour though, we opted for the more peaceful Webb Overlook. We had this area entirely to ourselves for nearly the whole sunset period. It might’ve been our altogether favorite experience at Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

If you have more time in/around the park, there are endless other options to consider, but these were our top 5 recommendations. Great Smoky Mountains National Park is definitely one of those parks you could visit repetitively and never grow tired of because there are so many options. We recommend visiting in the Fall even though it is generally busier; We think the colorful fall foliage is entirely worth it.

Our Top 5 Things to Do in Great Smoky Mountains National Park