When choosing where to stay in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, most visitors pick Gatlinburg for the fastest access to the park's busiest trails, Townsend for a quiet base near Cades Cove, or Cherokee and Bryson City on the North Carolina side. The park has no drive-up hotels inside its boundaries, so your gateway town decides which half of this 522,000-acre park you will see most easily. Newfound Gap Road links Gatlinburg and Cherokee in about an hour of mountain driving, but it can close for snow or ice in winter.
Which gateway town is best for the Smokies?
Each gateway puts you next to a different entrance and a different set of highlights. Think about what you most want to do, then choose the town closest to it.
Gatlinburg, TN: right at the Sugarlands entrance. Best for Alum Cave, Chimney Tops, Laurel Falls, Clingmans Dome and the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail. Walkable downtown, but heavy traffic in peak season.
Pigeon Forge and Sevierville, TN: more budget hotels and cabins plus family attractions, but typically 20 to 40 minutes farther from the park than Gatlinburg in traffic.
Townsend, TN: the "quiet side of the Smokies." Closest town to Cades Cove, the park's most popular wildlife loop, and the Tremont area.
Cherokee, NC: at the Oconaluftee entrance, near the Mountain Farm Museum, elk viewing fields and the southern end of the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Bryson City, NC: a small river town near Deep Creek's waterfalls and the Lakeview Drive, known locally as the Road to Nowhere.
Maggie Valley and Waynesville, NC: the best bases for remote Cataloochee Valley and its elk herd.
Is Gatlinburg or Townsend better for a first visit?
Gatlinburg is better if you want to hike the park's marquee trails and have restaurants within walking distance. Townsend is better if you mainly want Cades Cove, calmer evenings and less traffic. Many first-timers split the difference: two nights in Gatlinburg for Newfound Gap Road and the high-elevation trails, then one or two nights in Townsend for a sunrise Cades Cove drive, when wildlife is most active and the loop is least congested.
Can you stay inside Great Smoky Mountains National Park?
The only lodging inside the park is LeConte Lodge, a rustic hike-in lodge near the summit of Mount Le Conte, reachable only on foot via trails such as Alum Cave. Space is limited and released through an advance reservation process, so check the current-year booking rules. Otherwise, staying inside the park means camping. Developed campgrounds include Elkmont, Cades Cove, Smokemont, Cataloochee and several smaller ones. Sites are reserved on Recreation.gov, and backcountry campsites and shelters require a permit.
What should you know before you book?
There is no entrance fee, but a parking tag is required to park anywhere in the park for more than 15 minutes. Read our Great Smoky Mountains parking tag guide and check the current-year rules. October leaf season and summer weekends fill cabins and hotels months ahead, particularly in Gatlinburg and Townsend. Cabin listings described as "mountain view" may sit at the top of steep, narrow roads, which matter in winter or with a low-clearance vehicle.
How do you plan the rest of your trip?
Use our one-day Great Smoky Mountains itinerary and the best hikes in the Great Smoky Mountains to plan your days, and see the full Great Smoky Mountains National Park guide. Heading south or east afterward? The Blue Ridge Parkway begins at Cherokee. Explore more parks in Tennessee and North Carolina, or browse all parks and parks by state.
FAQ
What is the closest town to Great Smoky Mountains National Park?
Gatlinburg, Tennessee, is the closest town on the busier north side, directly outside the Sugarlands entrance. Cherokee, North Carolina, is the closest town on the south side.
Is it better to stay on the Tennessee or North Carolina side?
The Tennessee side has more lodging and the most popular trails and Cades Cove. The North Carolina side is quieter and better for elk viewing, Deep Creek and the Blue Ridge Parkway. Stay on the side that matches your top priorities.
Are there hotels inside Great Smoky Mountains National Park?
No. Apart from hike-in LeConte Lodge, there are no hotels inside the park. Visitors stay in gateway towns or at the park's campgrounds.
How many nights do you need in the Smokies?
Three nights is a good minimum to cover Newfound Gap Road, one major hike and Cades Cove. Add two nights on the North Carolina side if you want Cataloochee or Deep Creek.