Hotels and Campgrounds
The only accommodations actually in the park aside from campgrounds are at LeConte Lodge. Outside the park, you have a gargantuan selection of hotels of every ilk. On the Tennessee side, in Gatlinburg you'll see a street sign that says "2,000 Hotel Rooms" and points up the hill, and that's just in one section of town. On the North Carolina side, lodging is mostly more low-key, but you can choose from old mountain inns, bed-and-breakfasts, and motels in the small towns of Bryson City, Waynesville, and Robbinsville. A seemingly ever-expanding number of hotel towers are connected to the giant Harrah's casino in Cherokee. With more than 1,200 rooms and more under construction, it’s the largest hotel in North Carolina, and one of its towers, at 21 stories, is the tallest building in North Carolina west of Charlotte. About 50 miles away, in and around Asheville, you can choose from among one of the largest collections of B&Bs in the Southeast, along with hip urban hotels and classic mountain resorts.
Camping is abundant and reasonably priced. The park has 939 tent and RV camping spaces at 10 developed campgrounds, two (Cades Cove and Smokemont) open year-round, in addition to more than 100 backcountry campsites, shelters, and horse camps. The cost for camping ranges from $4 per person per site (backcountry sites and shelters, with a maximum of $20) to $18–$27 per night for front-country sites. All but one of the campgrounds accept RVs and trailers, though most have size limits. Immediately outside the park are many commercial campgrounds and RV parks. Permits are required for all backcountry camping. You can get a backcountry permit online at smokiespermits.nps.gov or at the backcountry office at Sugarlands Visitor Center. Sites at four developed campgrounds—Elkmont, Smokemont, Cataloochee, and Cades Cove—can be reserved in advance by calling 877/444–6777 or visiting www.recreation.gov; advance reservations are required at Cataloochee, Abrams Creek, Balsam Mountain, and Big Creek. Other campgrounds are first come, first served, though reservations are available at a few.
Festivals and Events
Fall Heritage Festival and Old Timers' Day at Cades Cove. Visitors are invited to bring lawn chairs and a picnic along to Old Timers' Day at Cades Cove. Held in late September at the Cable Mill area of Cades Cove, Old Timers' Day allows former residents of Cades Cove and their descendants, along with the general public, to reminisce about the old days in the valley. The Cades Cove event is now part of a two-day Fall Heritage Festival at the Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center in Townsend, just outside the park. At Townsend you can enjoy bluegrass music, clogging and square dancing, arts and crafts demonstrations, and mountain food. Both events are free, though there's a park fee at Townsend. Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center, 7906 E. Lamar Alexander Pkwy., Townsend, Tennessee, 37882. 865/436–1200; www.smokymountains.org. Old Timers' Day free, Fall Heritage Festival free but $10 parking fee.
Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage. Each year in mid-to-late April, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Great Smoky Mountains Association host the Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage. It attracts wildflower enthusiasts from all over the country for five days of wildflower and natural-history walks, seminars, classes, photography tours, and other events. Instructors include National Park Service staff, along with outside experts. Most of the activities are at various locations in the park, both on the North Carolina and Tennessee sides, but registration is in Gatlinburg at the W. L. Mills Conference Center adjoining the Gatlinburg Convention Center. Begun in 1951, the pilgrimage has grown to more than 150 different walks, classes, and events. Advance registration online begins in February of the year of the conference, and some events quickly sell out. Check the website for current details and dates. W. L. Mills Conference Center, 303 Reagan Dr., Gatlinburg, Tennessee, 37882. 865/436–7318; 888/898–9102; www.wildflowerpilgrimage.org. Registration fee $75 for 1 day, $100 for 2 or more days; some events free.
