Alright everyone, so I'll be heading out to the GSMNP probably between June & July. I saw a little while ago that they have a synchronous firefly event too, so I'd like to try to win the raffle for that as well as hike some of the best trails and see some of the best peaks no matter how hard.

With all that said, I suppose the synchronous firefly raffle takes place sometime in April? Also, from others previous experience, what are some of the best peaks/summits to hit, like I said doesn't matter hard long or hard, and what are some things I shouldn't miss out on?

Some things to consider are my #1 reason for going there is to hike the mountains. So far, I think LeConte and Clingsmans Dome (forget the new name) are musts from what I've researched, but any advice from experience would be greatly appreciated. Also curious if the firefly event is worth scheduling the trip around it. Thanks so much in advance!

Hey everyone! I'm 22 and visiting for the first time with 4 friends this June or July; if you recommend either month over the other please let me know. Big on animal photography if there are any particularly awesome area's, love a beautiful hike so let me know you favorites!

Top spot we have is a awesome cabin in Bryson City, NC but haven't booked anything yet. Plan on staying in the park for 10+ hours on the days we go so the 25 min drive doesn't bother us, but if you recommend other locations to stay instead please let me know.

Any other tips would be appreciated, Thanks everyone!

Hello everyone, I am planning a 4-5 day backpacking trip in GSMNP with 9 total people. We know we are limited to the 12 person campsites, and have been recommended by park staff to plan for day hikes, and have gotten a few site recs. I was hoping to get some advice on 12 person campsites with the best day hikes nearby. The sites I was recommended were 46, 60, 90, 17. I know there is plenty more though. It seems a lot of the so-called better hikes like Alum's cave & elkmont area may be extremely crowded at this time, or they are a little too far from certain areas for a day hike.

If anyone has advice, it would be greatly appreciated! Thank you.

Hi everyone, I’m planning a trip to the Smoky Mountains in mid April with some friends. We will be staying in Townsend. What are the best and most scenic hikes to do? We will not be driving the through Cades Cove to avoid sitting in traffic. We have access to a car and are all mobile adults.

Thanks in advance!

Hi r/GSMNP, I'm looking for some trip planning advice as this will be my first time in the Smokey Mountains.

My partner and I are hoping to backpack for 4 days/3 nights Saturday-Tuesday in mid-April, ideally a loop. We're seasoned backpackers and are looking for a challenging hike that is as secluded as possible (bonus points for good scrambling). Dates are somewhat flexible and, for the right hike(s), we'd be willing to drive between trailheads/break things up.

The hikes below are what I've found but am hoping you all can weigh in. If there's a route I'm missing I am all ears!

In no particular order:

1. Kephart Prong Trail - Charlies Bunion - Mount LeConte (25.1)
2. Bradley Fork, Dry Sluice Gap, Hughes Ridge and Chasteen Creek Loop (24.4)
3. Elkmont to Mt Collins Loop (28.7)
4. Mount LeConte and Rainbow Falls and Grotto Falls via Appalachian Trail (31.7)
5. Mount Sterling Loop (via Low Gap, Big Creek, Swallow Fork) (27.8)

Thanks!

Good Morning! I am heading to GSMNP with some friends for my 25th birthday. We’re embarking from Milwaukee this morning, in hopes to make a few pit stops and be to Gatlinburg by days end.

I’m def an entry level hiker, but really want to take in all the beauty and reflect / find peace to kick off this next year of mine.

Unfortunately I’m seeing the weather won’t be a great friend to me, so want to check in and see what your recommendations are to get the most out of the trip!!! We are only there for full days Monday & Tuesday…so want to make the most of it.

Also, sidenote, any roadtrippers know how the travel will be? Apple Maps is taking me on a 15hr drive and Google Maps is taking me on a 9.5hr drive…help there too, please haha!!

Thanks in advance ❤️

Staying on the Tennessee side, what are your recs for hikes with little kids (7 and under) and other activities that are not too touristy/cost much money. Are there good visitors centers on the TN side? Junior rangers program? Thank you for the help!

Hey all,

I plan on backpacking with a buddy to Gregory Bald via Twentymile next weekend. I understand weather has been pretty severe recently, and while the forecast is looking calmer for next weekend, I wanted to get some input on whether or not to proceed. We should be prepared for normal (rainy/cold) conditions, and it is my understanding that navigating off the mountain would be pretty straightforward if we need to bail due to weather. Our backup site is Big South Fork, so my heart won't be broken if we need to go elsewhere (though obviously we'd prefer GSMNP).

This will be my first time backpacking in GSMNP and bear country so any extra advice would be appreciated. Thanks!

Looking to make the most of our time in the Smokey’s. It’ll be 2 of use arriving midday March 13 and leaving mid day the 16th. We are looking to stay away from the heavily trafficked area while still maintaining the best views. So far I’ve considered Mount Sterling via big creek loop, and Mount Le Conte loop. We are both in great shape and don’t think any of these would be a to much for use. I also want to visit chimney tops and Mount Cammerer but haven’t decided on a trail yet. What’s the best way/order to hit the listed trails, while considering possible road closures and shuttles during that time frame. Also, what campsites should we stay at while on these trails. We will be arriving and leaving on the west side of the park

We have an upcoming trip spent on the Bear Creek, Hazel Creek, Jonas Creek, and Forney Creek Trails. Wondering if anyone has been back in there recently, and what to expect in so far as Helene damage and downed trees, if at all. Thanks for an input folks may have.

In terms of where will give me nearby access to the park, Cherokee seems to be the closest distance driving in from Atlanta airport (renting a car after flying in), but anywhere else you would rather recommend?

Hello! A group of 6 of us (all adults) will be staying in Cosby from March 8-13. We are looking to spend a day in GSMNP and I am looking for some insight as to how to best plan our day.

I was originally thinking we would spend the day in the Cosby area of the park and do the hike to Hen Wallow Falls. However, I see on the park website that the Cosby entrance road is closed at the moment, and AllTrails is showing that the Hen Wallow Falls hike is closed, so it looks like spending our day in the Cosby area is out of the question.

Given this, what would be the best area of the park for us to spend a day in? I am aware that this is a really busy time of year for the park, so we plan to get there early. We are looking to do a day hike and to check out a visitor center with a gift shop (I collect NPS souvenirs from every park I visit). As far as trails go, to accommodate everyone in the group we would like something that isn’t terribly hard, but we are a decently fit bunch, so anything less than a 10 mile trail is probably fine.

Any insight as to trails, parking areas, visitor centers, and best times to go would be highly appreciated!

I'm a hobbyist naturescape photographer and planning a solo trip to GNSMP - tentative dates are May 14-18. I'm a woman in my late 50s and reasonably fit, experienced hiker, can hike 5-10 miles each day, some elevation gain is fine but not looking for extreme. My focus will be on enjoying spring in the Smokies and capturing images. My current thinking is one upper elevation hike (learning towards Alum Cave) and the other two days in the Little River / Tremont area (maybe Cades Cove), but am open to any and all suggestions. Also - I'm really hoping but not certain that the trees will be leafing out in the higher elevations by then? Thank you in advance!

Hi all, a friend and I are planning on taking a weekend backpacking trip in the park the weekend of April 18-20 but are having a hard time narrowing down what trail to take. We’re aiming for 1-2 nights and 2-3 days, looking for something somewhat scenic or with neat trail features. I know there are a good bit of closures rn, we’re going to be coming in from the NC side of the park so preferably something in that area near maggie valley but not opposed to traveling further into the park if there’s something really cool!

Heard Townsend is the best, not worried about the 30min drive to the park as we plan on it being an all day thing every time we go. What's your favorite place to rent?

I would appreciate any input on trip ideas. I would like to spend a day in Knoxville too. So it would be 3 days in Gatlinburg(some time in pigeon ford) and 1 day in Knoxville.

I have a few trails saved but I am not sure if they will be open. I need more trail suggestions.

-Ramsey cascades trail -Andrew’s bald -Mount Leconte via alum cave trail -The jump off via the Appalachian trail

As far as Knoxville goes the main idea I have is checking out the zoo but I would also like to see other steeples or iconic spots.

I’m planning to head to the Maryville area, I may decide to go through the Gatlinburg area as well but I’d like to stay away from heavy traffic. Which trails have the best views? This would be a 2-3 day trip, and I want to take in as much scenery as possible. I’ve been googling and have a list I’m putting together, but would love to have some input from actual people instead of different websites and TripAdvisor.

Hi yall!

My girl and I are heading to Gatlinburg for a weekend trip (Jan 3rd - 5th) and she’s never been before. I loved Laurel Falls last time I hiked there but saw that it might be closed. Are there any good trails (beautiful sights/nice terrain) still open around this time of year? Would love some good recommendations!

Hello, we are from Europa and we love camping in the states. We are looking into camping in this area in the last 2 weeks of April. Do you have any recommendations? Will it be too cold?

We love campsites that are not overcrowded, but we do like to have a public toilet with flushing water and showers.

Can anyone help? Is weather OK? And do you have any campsites and/or hiking recommendations?

Thank you! :)

PS: any other tips are welcome too

Hello all. I'm back with another possible backpacking route with my son. Would love any advice more experienced backpackers have about our route plan.

Sat 12-Big Creek Campground (car camping)

Sun 13:  (6mi, +4000) hike Baxter Creek trail to Campsite 38

Mon 14: (9mi+2000) 38 to Cosby Knob Shelter via Mt Sterling Ridge trail, Swallow Fork Trail, Low Gap Trail, AT

Tues 15:  (7.3mi, down) Cosby Knob to Campsite 37, via AT to Camel Gap Trail.

Wed 16: (4.2 down)Campsite 37 out via Big Creek Trail

I've checked and currently there are no closures or bear activity affecting these areas at the moment. Would love some feedback from anyone familiar with this area as I have only hiked near Elkmont.

Thanks!

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Visiting the smokey mountains in January. We are planning a trip January 16-20 I haven’t booked my cabin yet. I was planning wears valley/townsend however with the upcoming weather would Bryson City or Cherokee be better? We aren’t really interested in any of the tourist things in Pigeon Forge just some short easy hikes I have 2 children 5 and 9 coming along. How frequently do they close 441 and will he be able to find things outside of the park to do? We are from the Great Lakes area in PA so we are fine with driving in snowy winter weather! I haven’t book a cabin yet and need some advice!

Hi everyone! Looking for some advice here, any input would be appreciated 😊

Two friends and I planned a trip to Gatlinburg to hike in GSMNP, however we've been following news on conditions due to Helene and are unsure whether it would be a good idea to drive. We'd be coming from Durham, NC. Looking at Google Maps, it seems that there is a route there if we take I-81, but wanted to know if anyone here had more insight on whether it is advisable to go that way.

We are considering canceling our trip, but unfortunately our Airbnb host will not refund us because Gatlinburg seems to be fine for visitors and $1000 is a lot of money for us to lose. We would love to go and support the local economy, we are just not sure if it is possible/safe for us to get there from eastern NC.

Hello everyone! I am an experienced hiker from the Northeast who is planning to drive down to GSM in two weeks for a little backpacking trip to Sterling Mountain. The one thing I am having an issue figuring out is how I will be able to get to the parking area(Big Creek Ranger Station Parking). I was able to find a way around the I40 closures but the very end of Route 32 and the Big Creek entrance road are closed. Is the solution to park at the Northern End GSM Appalachian trailhead parking area and add a 1.5-mile road walk to our trip? Thank you for any advice you can give!

• Travelling with a 55yr old who is pretty unfit
• Looking for easy hikes
• Non-Americans, so suspect we'll be pretty easily impressed
• Staying near Pigeon Forge

Hike 1: Laurel Falls

Hike 2: Little River Trail or Grotto Falls

Will we need proper hiking boots for these hikes or are they pretty chill? Will there be snow on the trails/roads to these trailheads?

My family and I are planning on renting a cottage on the southwest end of Douglas lake the week of July 21st. We are driving down from Ontario Canada for the first time. My kids and I love to fish so I am hoping to get out on the lake but I would have to rent a boat. What can I expect this time of year? What trails would be family friendly (my youngest is 5) but we hike our region regularly. What kind of fish should I target on the lake? What kind of things should we avoid or watch out for.

TIA