Looking for the perfect day trip to Great Smoky Mountains National Park?
You’re not alone!
With millions of visitors each year, it’s the most popular national park in the U.S. by far.
I’ve crafted the perfect one day itinerary to help you hit the highlights whether you’re driving in from Gatlinburg, stopping during a road trip, or just craving some mountain air.
I’ll also share a few tips, food spots, and scenic stops you won’t want to miss.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park One Day Itinerary
Before you even enter the park, there is an important note to remember.
Even if you have the annual pass for national parks, you still have to stop at the visitor center for a parking permit for the day if you plan to park for more than 15 minutes at any point during the day.
It’s only $5 though for a day pass and there are also options for longer passes if you’re visiting for awhile.
Short on time? Here are the highlights:
Visitor Center
Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail
Scenic Overlooks
Clingmans Dome (aka Kuwohi)
Gatlinburg Scenic Overlook
Morning: Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail
The Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail is a 5.5 mile one-way route through the main areas of the park.
Different stopping points fill up regularly, even on non-peak days, so definitely plan to start early (before 9 am).
One of my favorite ways to explore national parks is through scenic drives.
There are so many companies that offer self-guided audio driving tours that work with your GPS to take you through the scenic drives in national parks.
We’ve used these in places like Maui, Gettysburg, Outer Banks, and more.
It takes a lot of the guess work out of navigating through national parks.
Click Here To Download Your Self-Guided Audio Driving Tour Of Great Smoky Mountains National Park Today!
Noah “Bud” Ogle Farm Self-Guiding Trail
The first stop along the way is an old farmstead with a short walking trail.
You can go inside the cabin and explore the wooded area.
The full loop trail is 0.75 miles and this stop takes less than 30 minutes.
Scenic Overlooks
All throughout the drive you’ll see signs (and parking spots) for scenic overlooks.
The first one we stopped at, which is pictured below, is the Falls Branch Overlook.
Soon after that one is the Baskins Creek Overlook.
Each overlook you really only need to spend about 5 minutes or so.
Alex Cole Cabin
We weren’t doing any hikes that were too strenuous during the drive, so we stopped here just to look around at the cabin for a few minutes.
But there are also a couple trails that go through this area that you can explore:
- Grapeyard Ridge Trail (5.8 miles, passing by old homesteads and cemeteries)
- Baskins Creek Trail (2.7 miles one way, uphill, leads to a waterfall)
Alfred Reagan House
This is one of the more intact homes that you can walk through along the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail.
While we were here this was one of the more popular trail stops.
After this stop, you’ll be led out to the end of the nature trail.
There is a general store and restrooms there at the end of the trail as well.
Lunch: Downtown Gatlinburg
This scenic drive will lead you right back out to downtown Gatlinburg, so now is a great time to stop for some lunch or maybe a late breakfast depending on when you got started with your day.
Don’t pick anything too heavy, but make sure you’re also well-nourished for the next part of the itinerary because it’s a little more strenuous (but worth it).
I think when we went this was the day that we just got a burger from Five Guys to eat in the car on the way to our next stop.
Afternoon: Clingmans Dome
After you’ve had your lunch, the next stop is Clingmans Dome.
Clingmans Dome has recently been renamed Kuwohi, so you might see those used interchangeably while we all get used to the new name.
You will follow the Newfound Gap road up to the summit, driving through some tunnels along the way.
Usually there is about a mile or so backup to get a parking spot, especially if you’re going around mid-day, which can take about an hour.
We just made our way through the line and found a spot very close to the front.
Others parked along the side of the road, but that’s kind of a far walk, especially with how strenuous getting to the top is.
The trail itself is only 0.5 miles, but it’s uphill the entire way.
Some stretches of the trail are more steep than others, but there are so many benches and shaded spots to stop and catch your breath as you make your way up.
There were people of all ages and all physical fitness levels attempting this hike.
Take as much time as you need to get to the top and enjoy the views.
It took us about 25 minutes to get to the top and about 15 minutes to get back down to the bottom of the trail.
Newfound Gap Overlook
Just across the street as you’re leaving the Clingmans Dome area there is another large parking area at the Newfound Gap Overlook.
This is another stop where you can hang out for maybe 5-15 minutes.
Sunset: Gatlinburg Scenic Overlook
As you make your way back over to Gatlinburg, it’s about a 30 minute drive over to the Gatlinburg Scenic Overlook.
This view looks down over the city from the opposite site of the national park.
It’s a great spot to be around sunset or as the town starts to light up for the night.
From here, it’s a less than 10 minute drive into Downtown Gatlinburg.
Evening: Downtown Gatlinburg
After a full day in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, it’s a great idea to enjoy your evening in Downtown Gatlinburg.
I’ve personally only eaten at Howards Restaurant, which is a little more upscale than I’d normally recommend for a national park day that’s full of hiking and driving.
But if you do go, the filet mignon, mac n cheese, carrots, baked potato, and house salad are all excellent!
There are also a few spots around town with free wine tastings, which is a nice treat after a long day.
Where To Stay
During our visit to the area, we stayed at Sunrise Ridge Resort in Pigeon Forge.
While it’s a resort owned by Hilton Vacation Club, you don’t have to be a member to stay here.
We love to stay in resorts like these so that we can have a full kitchen and extra space while traveling.
This helps us save money and it’s so convenient when we’re working on the road.
The pool has a great mountain view!
Click Here To Book Your Sunrise Ridge Resort Stay Today!
More One Day National Park Itineraries
Here are more of our favorite national parks that we’ve visited all over the country.
Arizona
Grand Canyon
Petrified Forest
Saguaro
California
Santa Cruz Island (Channel Islands)
Santa Rosa Island (Channel Islands)
Death Valley + Unusual Things To Do
Joshua Tree
Lassen Volcanic + Is It Worth Visiting?
Pinnacles
Redwood
Sequoia and Kings Canyon
Yosemite
Florida
Biscayne National Park
Everglades
Hawai’i
Haleakala + On The Road To Hana
Idaho/Montana/Wyoming
Grand Teton
Yellowstone
Indiana
Indiana Dunes
Missouri
Gateway Arch
Nevada
Great Basin
New Mexico/Texas
Guadalupe Mountains and Carlsbad Caverns
South Dakota
Badlands
Wind Cave
Utah
Arches and Canyonlands
Bryce Canyon and Capitol Reef
Zion National Park hiking the Narrows + Winter Itinerary + Summer Itinerary
Conclusion: Great Smoky Mountains National Park One Day Itinerary
This Great Smoky Mountains National Park one day itinerary takes you through all the highlights of the park that you can visit if you’re short on time.
I will say that there are some waterfall hikes that I did not mention in this itinerary, but if you want to do some of those, I would spend the whole day doing just that so that you can swim all day and have a picnic lunch.
Pin This For Later!
